Tag: Warren K Billings

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for December 1918, Part III-Found in California Organizing Oil Field Workers

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

Quote Mother Jones, Charity Justice, Stt Str p1, Dec 27, 1918———-

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday January 22, 1919
Mother Jones News for December 1918, Part III
-Mother Found in Taft, California, Organizing Oil Field Workers

Mother Jones, Bff Enq p14, Dec 26, 1918

Following her audience with the Governor of California on behalf of Tom Mooney, Mother Jones spoke in and around the San Francisco area urging working men and woman to take action to free Mooney and all other political and class-war prisoners. Mother then traveled to Taft, near Bakersfield, at the request of the oil field workers there with the intention of organizing them into the United Mine Workers of America.

We next find her in the pages of the The Kalamazoo Gazette as the author of  a “Message to Women in Industry.” Here she states that the organization of women into “men’s” unions will strengthen organized labor for both working women as well as for working men:

Women ought to join men’s unions-not organize separate unions of their own. The battle against unpatriotic greed, the struggle for a free America, is no sex matter.

An infusion of women into men’s unions works for good to both men and women. Man has studied the disease longer than woman; he has a broader vision of society’s problems. Woman is less indifferent to suffering than man. She will contribute energy and inspire to action.

A woman will not see the hair torn from the scalp of a ten-year-old girl by unprotected cog-wheels, without wanting to do something about it.

Note: the photograph above is from The Buffalo Enquirer of December 26, 1918.

———-

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for December 1918, Part III-Found in California Organizing Oil Field Workers” →

Hellraisers Journal: Everett Trades Council Elects Delegate for Upcoming Chicago Tom Mooney Defense Conference

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday January 5, 1919
Everett, Washington – Trades Council to Send Delegate to Chicago

From the Everett Labor Journal of January 3, 1919:

EVERETT’S ORGANIZED LABOR ELECTS
DELEGATE TO CHICAGO
—–
Big Meeting of Trades Unionists Last Wednesday
Night at Red Men’s Wigwam.
—–

Tom Mooney, Chicago Conference, Union Advocate Cfvl KS p1, Dec 29, 1918

Wednesday, January 1, 1919.

The Council was called to order at the usual time by President Gulley.

The Trades Council, having invited the membership of the several trades unions in the city to meet with it a larger hall was necessary and the Red Men’s Hall was secured for the occasion.

Members of nearly all the unions were in attendance and a large meeting was the result.

There were present President Short and ex-President Marsh of the Washington State Federation of Labor, which added zest to the meeting.

Bro. Short addressed the meeting briefly, calling special attention to conditions existing in California growing out of the Mooney case and then discussed the subject of reconstruction. He said the nation had entered the war in a state of unpreparedness and had “made good” in helping to destroy autocracy, but was now confronted by as serious a problem in the reconstruction made necessary by changed conditions. This new problem would tax the deepest thought of the greatest minds in the country and its solution would require all the wisdom, and experience of the people. Relating to the proposed strike in defense of Mooney and his co-defendants he said it was ill-advised. It lacked organization as to its national significance. If there should be a strike it should be confined to the State of California where the trouble lay. Industrially and politically California was so strongly organized by the corporation employers of labor that united effort must be put forth to crush that opposition to the welfare of the workers.

California was the offender and to California should be applied |the drastic remedy implied by a general strike. If a nation-wide strike were necessary there must needs be nation-wide preparation for it if success in the use of this last weapon of labor’s defense be made successful…..

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Everett Trades Council Elects Delegate for Upcoming Chicago Tom Mooney Defense Conference” →

Hellraisers Journal: Tom Mooney’s Death Sentence Commuted to Life in Prison by Governor Stephens of California

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Friday November 29, 1918
Sacramento, California – Life of Brother Mooney to be Spared

From the San Francisco Chronicle of November 29, 1918:

Tom Mooney, Gov Commutes to Life, SF Chc p1, Nov 29, 1918
—–

Tom Mooney, SF Chc p1, Nov 29, 1918


Governor, in Decision,
Refuses to Recognize
Case as Representing
Clash of Capital and Labor
—–
ACTION INFLUENCED BY
APPEALS FROM WILSON
—–
Convicted Man No True Friend
of  Working Class,
Statement Says;
Matter Decided on Merits
—–

Sacramento, November 28,-The death sentence of Thomas J. Mooney was commuted to life imprisonment today by Governor William D. Stephens. Mooney, convicted of the Preparedness parade bomb murders in San Francisco July 22, 1916, was sentenced to be hanged at San Quentin Prison December 13.

In announcing his decision governor Stephens asserts the case does not represent a clash between capital and labor. He characterizes as “absurd” propaganda that would make Mooney appear as a martyr to the cause of labor, and indicates that this action was influenced by two telegraphic appeals from President Wilson which urged commutation of sentence for international reasons….

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Tom Mooney’s Death Sentence Commuted to Life in Prison by Governor Stephens of California” →

Hellraisers Journal: From The Liberator: “The Peril of Tom Mooney” by Robert Minor -“Will You Let Them Do It?”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday March 10, 1918
From San Francisco to Petrograd, Workers Fight for Life of Tom Mooney

From The Liberator of March 1918:

The Peril of Tom Mooney

By Robert Minor

Tom Mooney Hanging by Robert Minor, Liberator, Mar 1918

THE story of the manner in which Tom Mooney’s death sentence was procured is stock conversation in American working-class homes. It has gone as far as the trenches of the European armies. There is hardly a Russian village where the name of “Tom Muni” has not been heard. Actually, the names of the witnesses in the case are spoken in Siberian villages, and a certain California district attorney is regularly cursed around the samovar.

The only evidence against Tom Mooney that a sensible man would listen to, was that of an Oregon cattleman, Frank C. Oxman, who came into the trial at the last moment, took the stand like a breeze from the prairie, swore that he was a country gentleman, loved his wife, and had seen Israel Weinberg drive Tom Mooney, Mrs. Mooney, Billings and an unidentified man to the scene of the crime in Israel Weinberg’s jitney bus, of the number of which car he had made a note on a telegraph envelope which he had in his pocket at that moment. He never made a mistake in his life in the identity of a person, as he was used to identifying cattle on the range….Mooney was condemned to die on the gallows.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From The Liberator: “The Peril of Tom Mooney” by Robert Minor -“Will You Let Them Do It?”” →

Hellraisers Journal: From the United Mine Workers Journal: Corrupt Powers in San Francisco Demand Labor Victims

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share
There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday September 25, 1917
San Francisco, California – Powerful Coterie Determined to Crush Labor

From the United Mine Workers Journal of September 20, 1917:

Victims Demanded

Mooney Tom Rena, Billings Weinberg Nolan, 1916, EN 1917

—–

A community shocked and enraged because of the perpetration of a heinous crime; a powerful coterie determined to crush organized labor; a venal district attorney, and newspapers owned and their news columns and editorial policy controlled by those interested in destroying organized labor as an economic and political power; that is the present situation in San Francisco and the other cities on the Pacific coast.

The terrible crime committed by some deranged alien enemy served as an opportunity. Tom Mooney, Rena Mooney, Billings, Weinberg and Nolan were selected as the readiest victims at hand. The order is, “Condemn those people, and through them the organized labor movement.”

In the case of Tom Mooney the main witness, upon the strength of whose evidence the verdict of guilty is based, it is generally conceded is a perjurer for price; also that the prosecuting attorney instructed this witness and attempted to suborn another and instruct him as to what evidence would best serve to convict.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the United Mine Workers Journal: Corrupt Powers in San Francisco Demand Labor Victims” →

Hellraisers Journal: From International Socialist Review: Ruling Class Violence & the Lawless Month of August 1917

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

Don’t worry, fellow-worker,
all we’re going to need from now on is guts.
-Frank Little

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday September 9, 1917
From the International Socialist Review – Month of Lawlessness

During the month of August of this year, the Ruling Class was particularly violent in its drive to keep the Working Class under its firm control. The latest edition of the Review makes plain that there is one law for rulers of industry and another for those they rule.

Cover: International Socialist Review, September 1917:

Bisbee Deportation, 1164 Columbus NM, ISR Cover Sept 1917

———-

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From International Socialist Review: Ruling Class Violence & the Lawless Month of August 1917” →

Hellraisers Journal: International Socialist Review on Mooney Case: “They Are Building the Gallows”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday July 3, 1917
San Francisco, California – Report on Tom Mooney Frame-Up

From the International Socialist Review:

Building Gallows Mooney by Minor, ISR, July 1917

—–

IT HAS been proven that Tom Mooney was framed up. We who are interesting ourselves in his case were glad, after our long and terrible struggle, when we were able to offer the public the absolute and unquestioned proof that Mooney’s conviction was the result of perjury bought and paid for. We were glad to be able to silence arguments with actual letters in the handwriting of the chief perjury conspirator, which letters tell in black and white that Mooney’s death is sought by false testimony. We have silenced argument.

Franklin A. Griffin, the judge who pronounced the death sentence upon Mooney, has angrily demanded that Mooney be given another trial, free of perjury. The newspapers which formerly demanded his blood have now ceased to call for Mooney’s death, and two of them are demanding that the disgraceful conviction be undone.

All of California and American Labor has ceased to discuss personal differences and has demanded in one tremendous voice that Mooney, Mrs. Mooney, Billings, Weinberg and Nolan be freed. Every national figure in the labor movement of the United States is active now in behalf of the humble labor unionists in the jail of San Francisco.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: International Socialist Review on Mooney Case: “They Are Building the Gallows”” →

Hellraisers Journal: “To the Shame of Labor” by Robert Minor, “Mooney Plot Exposed!”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share
You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday May 8, 1917
From the International Socialist Review: The Mooney Case

Mooney Billings, Minor, ISR, May 1917

TO THE SHAME OF LABOR

By ROBERT MINOR

Mooney Plot Exposed, Minor, ISR, May 1917

W. Bourke Cockran is a democratic leader, as well as the most noted lay orator in expounding the doctrines of the Catholic Church. Bourke Cockran is known internationally for his remarkable mentality and almost unequaled oratory in Congress and upon the democratic platform. He cannot be accused of being prejudiced in favor of violent overturners of society. Cockran spent six weeks in San Francisco as volunteer chief counsel for Tom Mooney, and at that time steeped himself in every detail, confidential or otherwise, of the entire story of the prosecution of Mooney, Billings, Nolan, Weinberg and Mrs. Mooney on the charge of blowing up the preparedness parade. One of the highest-priced attorneys in the world, he charged for his services—nothing.

When a cynical jury of twelve business men and retired derelicts sentenced Tom Mooney to hang, Cochran told me that he had never received so heavy a blow in his life. He said that if such things could be, the nation was rotting at its foundation.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: “To the Shame of Labor” by Robert Minor, “Mooney Plot Exposed!”” →

Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Abandons Her Neutrality; Says Kaiser Should Be “Kicked Off His Throne”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

Why should the workingmen fight for
the robbers of Wall street?
Let them fight their own battles.
-Mother Jones

That old blood sucker,
the kaiser, ought to
be kicked off his throne.
-Mother Jones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday April 4, 1917
Des Moines, Iowa – Mother Jones Speaks Out on European War

WWI Dead All On Our Side, Ryan Walker, Nw Wkr, Mar 22, 1917

Overnight, perhaps reacting to the War Resolution now before Congress upon the request of President Wilson for same, Mother reversed her stand regarding American involvement in the terrible slaughter now taking place between the waring nations of Europe. In an interview reported by the April 2nd edition of The Des Moines Register, Mother declared:

I hate war. We must not throw our American workingmen into olive drab uniforms, stick guns in their hands, and ship them over to France to be fresh slaughter for the cannons of the devilish kings of Europe.

If John D Rockefeller, Morgan, the Guggenheims, or Wall street wants to see Germany defeated, let them go over and fight in the allies’ trenches. Why should the workingmen fight for the robbers of Wall street? Let them fight their own battles, says I!

The next day, the Register reported that Mother had “abandoned her neutrality:”

That old blood sucker, the kaiser, ought to be kicked off his throne, and if he ever starts anything with this country we will lick hell out of him if I have to raise a regiment of 10,000 women myself.

Thus “Mother” Jones, firebrand speaker, abandoned her neutrality in a speech that held spellbound the miners of the thirteenth district, U. M. W. A., who were celebrating the nineteenth anniversary of the securing of the eight-hour day for miners at the Coliseum yesterday afternoon.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Abandons Her Neutrality; Says Kaiser Should Be “Kicked Off His Throne”” →

Hellraisers Journal: From the International Socialist Review: Theodora Pollok on the Mooney Frame-Up

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
Share

There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday December 18, 1916
San Francisco, California – The Closed Shop Fight and Frame-Up

From the December edition of the International Socialist Review:

Will Labor Stand for Another
Haymarket?

By THEODORA POLLOK

Tom and Rena Mooney, ISR, Dec 1916

SAN FRANCISCO in 1916; Chicago in 1886. The closed shop fight now; the 8-hour fight then. In both cases, a crime of violence occurs and is tied around the necks of innocent labor men in the hope of helping to crush the spirit of labor.

In Chicago in 1886 a slavish press and an inflamed public mind, and the labor and radical groups, too weak to save the chosen victims. Today in San Francisco a slavish press, but a public mind open to conviction. Yet young Billings, first of the San Francisco Preparedness Day explosion defendants to be tried, has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, and only the fighting working class of the country can save him—by saving his four co-defendants.

Tom Mooney’s trial, the second trial, is set for the 27th of November. It is Tom Mooney’s life that is desired above all others by this gang of ruffians, the “gentlemen” of the Chamber of Commerce, the United Railroads, and the Pacific Gas & Electric, and their tools in the District Attorney’s office. For Mooney, helped by his little music teacher wife, Rena, who is one of his co-defendants—Mooney recently dared actually try to organize the carmen of the United Railroads, who have been beaten down, spied upon and “weeded out” since the great car strike before the earthquake.

The tactics of the prosecution are such as might rather be expected in some backwoods lumber baron’s camp than in a great urban center. Indeed, with the “Law and Order” Committee from the Chamber of Commerce censoring all the press, the truth is even harder to get to the people than in a small town where it flies from mouth to mouth.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the International Socialist Review: Theodora Pollok on the Mooney Frame-Up” →