Hellraisers Journal – Sunday January 9, 1921 New York, New York – Mary Heaton Vorse Reports from Employment Bureau
From the Oklahoma Leader of January 3, 1921: (Note: the leader is a member of Federated Press.)
IN THE EMPLOYMENT BUREAU —–
BY MARY HEATON VORSE
New York Daily News December 15, 1920
In the employment bureau of the Amalgamated [Clothing Workers of America] on East Tenth street, groups of women gather every morning. There are bareheaded women, and smart, well dressed women, who look as if they had just stepped off Fifth avenue. In the same room Sicilian peasants meet and talk with advanced workers of Tuscan descent.
Labor contests are lost and won in such little groups. Put a dozen of them together and you have the temper of the people. It is not what people shout for in big meetings that always counts most, it’s what they say at home or among themselves in slack moments on gray, rainy mornings, waiting in the employment bureau.
Out of the murmur and talk a voice cuts with corroding sharpness: “Children! I haven’t any children! Children break strikes. The worker’s children make it easy for the employers to tramp us. The workers are afraid because they are afraid for the children. Look at our Sicilian women who have a baby every year. How terrible a strike is for them! Babies are scab makers and strikebreakers for a worker! I’ll not have babies to live wretched like me! Let the rich people have the children! Let the employers’ children do the work!“
The revolt in this woman was a hot blue flame. It never went out. It was a spirit like this that had taken the factories in Italy. With that example before her, what a scorn she had for the American workers.
“The people in this country lie down for the bosses to walk on. My husband he’s just come back from Italy. The workers here make me ashamed-when a policeman waves a club at a crowd they run; there it takes fifty guards to capture thirty workers.”
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday December 11, 1920 Mother Jones News for October & November 1920 “Veteran Organizer” Found in West Virginia and Washington D. C.
From The Charleston Daily Mail of October 2, 1920:
COAL COMPANIES AFTER RESTRAINT ON MINERS ———- Petition Federal Court for Injunction to Prevent Officials Organizing. ———-
The United Mine Workers have made defendants in two injunction suits brought in the southern district federal court by the Red Jacket Coal company of Red Jacket, Mingo County, and the Pond Creek Colliery to restrain them from interfering with employes of the two companies in efforts to unionize the mines operated by the coal concerns. Notices were reported as served yesterday evening from the United States marshal’s office, and arguments will be heard October 11, at Huntington.
John L. Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers of America; William Green, secretary and treasurer of the United Mine Workers; C. F. [Frank] Keeney, president of district No, 17, United Mine Workers; Fred Mooney, secretary and treasurer of the district; Harold W. Houston, attorney; Mary Harris, (“Mother Jones“), J. A. Baumgardner, president of Local Union, No. 4804, at Williamson; C. L. McShan, secretary of the local union; Dock Wolford, president of Local Union No. 4181 and Bud Auzier, secretary of the union, and a score of others are named in the petition.
Petitions in both cases are said to be based on the allegation that activities of agents and organizers of the mine workers interfere with contracts which the companies have made with the miners and would prevent the delivery of coal to customers. The further charge is made that the purpose of the United Mine Workers in organizing is illegal.
Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday November 24, 1920 Washington, District of Columbia – Mother Jones Stands by W. Z. Foster
From The Butte Daily Bulletin of November 19, 1920:
‘MOTHER’ JONES STANDS BY FOSTER —– Secretary Machinists’ Union Replies to Press Canard about Cleaning Movement of the Reds. —–
(By LAURENCE TODD.)
(Federated Press Correspondent.)
Washington, Nov. 19.–[Request of Mother Jones to the Federated Press:]
Say to the world of labor for me that never since the beginnings of the labor movement in this country were there finer, straighter, braver, more sincere or more unselfish men in its service than John Fitzpatrick, William Z. Foster and Jay G. Brown of the steel strike committee.
All this stuff in the capitalist press about the repudiation of Fitzpatrick and Foster by organized labor, and the cleaning out of the reds and Bolsheviks, is rot. The bosses are mighty anxious to stir up one set of union men against another, and it looks easy to them to call one set reds, and to tell the other set that this first lot is plotting against them. Any man who makes the fight for the workers against the oppressions of capitalism is my brother, no matter what he calls himself, and every good labor man and woman feels the same way. This bugaboo about radicals and reds is played out.
General Secretary Davison of the International Association of Machinists remarked that “if there were any reds in the ranks of organized labor who were trying to destroy the labor movement, our enemies wild be very glad to leave them undisturbed. It is the effective trade unionism that is branded as red by the anti-union forces. We have no dangerous radicals in our organization. The dangerous people are those outside.”
[…..]
[Emphasis added; photograph of Mother Jones with W. Z. Foster added.]
Hellraisers Journal – Thursday July 15, 1920
Edwin Newdick of Federated Press Tells Inside Story of Great Steel Strike
From The Butte Daily Bulletin of July 14, 1920:
(Editorial Note-Mr. Newdick was in charge of publicity for the National Committee for organizing iron and steel workers throughout the great steel strike. He was attached to the headquarters of William Z. Foster at Pittsburgh and in intimate touch with every phase of the situation. After the strike was called off he remained for sometime in Pittsburgh to check up on every fact herein presented. The Newdick series will comprise five installments.)
FIRST ARTICLE.
Pittsburgh, Pa.-The great steel strike of 1919-20 stands as a tribute to the American labor movement; but it also stands as a tremendous and inescapable problem confronting American labor; and, finally, it constitutes an indictment of labor in that labor failed to achieve the full measure of success which was within its reach.
The purpose of these articles is to show how and why labor failed. It will be assumed that every will-informed and fair-minded reader recognizes the epoch-making successes signalized by the steel strike and the organizing campaign which preceded it; but, before proceeding to expand upon the failures with which these articles will more particularly deal, the encouraging aspects will be summarized. In this case, as in various others in the course of these articles, the words of one of the leaders who was its most active executive official will be used. This is possible by arrangement with B. W. Huebsch, the publishers of “The Great Steel Strike and Its Lessons,” by William Z. Foster, secretary-treasurer of the National Committee for Organizing Iron and Steel Workers during the entire strike and the campaign which preceded it. By this arrangement the Federated Press is also to present extracts from this remarkable book before, or simultaneously with, its appearance before the public……
Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday March 24, 1920
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Steel Workers Offer Resolution of Heartfelt Thanks
From The Butte Daily Bulletin of March 20, 1920:
STEEL WORKERS THANK CLOTH UNION FOR HELP
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(By the Federated Press.)
New York, March 20.-As a mark of gratitude for the magnificent aid given by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America to the steel workers during the great strike of 1919, they have been sent a handsomely drafted resolution of thanks. The document, which is signed by John Fitzpatrick and William Z. Foster, respectively chairman and secretary-treasurer of the committee for organizing the iron and steel workers, thanks the amalgamated for their gift of $100,000 to the strikers’ defense fund.
The amalgamated’s solidarity with the steel workers has created a sensation all over the world. Their gift is the largest sum ever raised by any organization to aid workers in another industry.
Hellraisers Journal – Monday March 14, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Spokane Free Speech Fight Settled
From the Industrial Worker of March 12, 1910:
Spokane Fight for Free Speech Settled
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Spokane, Wash, March 6, 1910.—At last the great Spokane battle has been brought to a close. This was effected through the instrumentality of a series of conferences between the city and county officials and an I. W. W. committee. The following is an account of the various conferences and the conclusions arrived at by the contestants in this long battle.
On February 28th “the executive or fighting committee” of the I. W. W. elected a committee of three—Fellow Workers Gillespie, McKelvey, and Foster—and commissioned them to call on the authorities and discuss the situation before opening hostilities on the morrow. This interview terminated in practically a declaration of war on both sides, as the mayor seemed to think the only possible solution of the difficulty was to test the ordinance in the court. He frankly stated that he did not endorse a prohibitive or discriminatory ordinance, but said he had no other choice than to enforce the laws already on the books. He professed willingness to treat on the matter, but claimed lack of jurisdiction. This was considered unfavorable by the committee, and the mayor was told that the fight must continue until the I. W. W. was crushed or free speech assured.
Next day the committee, enlarged by the addition of Fellow Worker Stark, called on the police department, where a general conference was held. The authorities showed a willingness to reasonably consider the situation and asked for specific credentials from the committee, which would show their authority to talk business. These credentials were secured, and on March 3rd the general conference met. The city and county were represented by Mayor Pratt, Prosecuting Attorney Pugh, Corporation Counsel Blair, Chief of Police Sullivan, and Captain Detective Burns. The I. W. W. were represented by Fellow Workers Stark, McKelvey, Gillespie, and Foster.
The conference took on the nature of demands by the I. W. W. These were four in number: First, the promise that landlords would not be intimidated into refusing the rent of halls to the I. W. W. as had been done during the last few months of the fight, and that I. W. W. meetings be absolutely free from police interference, provided, of course, that we kept within the common rules; in short, hall conditions were to be the same as those prior to November 2. Second, freedom of the press and the right to sell the Industrial Worker on the street just as other newspapers are. Third, the release of I. W. W. prisoners in the city and county jails. Fourth, the use of the streets for public speaking.
The first two propositions were granted after but slight discussion. The third proposition was very closely related to the fourth, and after a very unsatisfactory discussion of it the committees turned to the fourth so as to find out how they stood on that. The mayor, corporation counsel, etc., assured the I. W. W. committee that free speech is to be allowed in Spokane in the near future, and though no date was or could be set for this new arrangement to take effect, they were positively assured that it will be in a short while. And meanwhile the regular religious organizations will not be discriminated in favor of, but must await the time when the streets are open to all.
With this proposition established as a working basis, the conference again took up the matter of the release of prisoners, which was a delicate one to handle. Prosecutor Pugh professed to have no animosity against any of the prisoners, but stated that it is impossible to release them all at once. It was agreed that the city prisoners (some 15 in number) should be immediately released, and the county prisoners (14 in number) released on a sliding scale, to begin immediately, without discrimination.
Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday February 17, 1920
-Mother Jones News for January 1920
Found Speaking in Johnstown and Altoona, Pennsylvania
From The Pittsburg Press of January 6, 1920:
‘MOTHER’ JONES TALKS AT JOHNSTOWN TEMPLE
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Special to THE PRESS.
Johnstown, Pa., Jan. 6.-Under police surveillance, “Mother” Jones, aged 90, who admits she labor agitator and who often has been arrested for her utterances and her part in labor troubles, spoke to 300 men, mostly foreigners, at Labor Temple, Sunday. Her audience was largely made up of the remnants of the steel strike organization and she harangued the men as if the steel strike had never been ended. Police were present at the meeting and her statements were considered milder than when she appeared here several months ago.
[Photograph of Mother Jones with William Z. Foster added.]
Note: The Great Steel Strike was officially called off by the National Committee for Organizing Iron and Steel Workers on January 8th.
From the Altoona Times Tribune of January 7, 1920:
Mother Jones Talks To Flood City Men
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Mother Mary Jones, beloved by the miners of the country and the union workers of Colorado, comes to the Mishler theater Sunday afternoon to address the members of the craft unions of the city. She was the guest of the workers of Johnstown on Sunday afternoon and delivered an address in the Labor temple.
Mother Jones is most democratic and her aim in life is to make the workers comfortable. After being introduced to some 600 workers of the Flood City she won their hearts right off the reel by saying “If smoking gives you boys any comfort, keep right on smoking.” She then invited a squad of policemen to the stage but not one of them accepted but when she had finished several of them shook hands and congratulated her.
Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday February 15, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Foster Describes I. W. W. Organizing within City Jail
From the Seattle Socialist Workingman’s Paper of February 12, 1910:
[Part II of II.]
[Fellow Workers Organize Behind the Bars of City Jail]
Our propaganda meetings were a howling success, and we made at least forty I. W. W. converts in the city jail. These were all workingmen who were arrested for the crime of being broke, and when they listened to our talks and saw how we handled ourselves they promised to read up on industrial unionism and to join the I. W. W. as soon as possible.
In the jail the cells are in a double row, opening from a corridor about six feet wide and it was in this corridor that we held our meetings.
Another good feature of our meetings was the spirit of democracy prevailing. We practically forced men to get up and speak who had never but once before attempted to speak before a crowd (said “Fellow-Workers” on Spokane streets), and a couple of these give promise of becoming excellent “soap-boxers.”
We were getting along swimmingly when someone decided that our meetings were too successful and that we must have some “leaders” amongst us. As a result of this, on Jan. 3rd, Fellow-Worker Jones of Los Angeles (commonly called “Voiende Sulpher Smoke”) who was speaker of the evening, and myself, who had acted as chairman of the meeting the night previous, were “grabbed” and put into the “strong box” (a steel cage reserved for the more serious criminals). Our seizure simply stimulated the remainder to greater efforts, and from that time on the jail organization became a pronounced success. Once more the grabbing of men suspected of being “leaders” acted as a boomerang.
* * *
The effects of the organization upon the work done on the rock pile was remarkable, and the possibilities of the passive resistance strike, even as evidenced by us chained prisoners, of working. We accomplished almost nothing. For instance, two men chained together pounded for four days upon one rock, when it was accidentally broken. To break that small rock (about as large as a wash bucket) cost the city of Spokane $4.00 for food alone, at the rate of 50 cents per day per man, besides the other expenses for guards, etc. This is only a sample of how we worked, and by no means an exceptional one.
Hellraisers Journal – Monday February 14, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Foster Describes 47 Days in City Jail
From the Seattle Socialist Workingman’s Paper of February 12, 1910:
[Part I of II.]
On the afternoon of December 11th, when a contingent of men left the I. W. W. headquarters for the purpose of speaking on the street, I accompanied them, as usual, so as to witness their arrest and be enabled to report any unusual features attending it. On this particular afternoon Korthagen and Holland, two I. W. W. members from Seattle among others, were billed to speak, and having been closely associated with them in Seattle, I was anxious to be in at the death.
I walked with them to the appointed street corner, and while they spoke I stood some twenty feet away in the thick of the crowd. They were duly arrested and a few moments later the redoubtable Captain Burns came on the scene in answer to a call sent in to the station, and although he knew nothing whatsoever as to what had taken place, and had no warrant for my arrest, he immediately placed me under arrest when he happened to see me standing in the crowd.
At the police station I had the honor of a half-hour talk with Pugh, Sullivan and Burns, during the course of which conversation these worthies attempted to pump me. They adopted a dozen different ruses by which they hoped to secure a promise from me to desist from taking part in the street fight in return for my liberty. One of these was ridiculous in the extreme. Chief Sullivan (brainy man) said that he had just received a letter from the I. W. W., stating that I was a Pinkerton, his plan being to rouse my ire against the organization and to get me to desert it, or at least promise to take no active part in the fight. Failing in this he adjudged me guilty in his office of some unknown offense, because I wouldn’t answer for my conduct for the future, and I was taken to the notorious sweat-box, where I joined the balance of the street-speaking “criminals.”
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The United Mine Workers have made defendants in two injunction suits brought in the southern district federal court by the Red Jacket Coal company of Red Jacket, Mingo County, and the Pond Creek Colliery to restrain them from interfering with employes of the two companies in efforts to unionize the mines operated by the coal concerns. Notices were reported as served yesterday evening from the United States marshal’s office, and arguments will be heard October 11, at Huntington.
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