Tag: Woodrow Wilson

Hellraisers Journal: President Wilson Demands Settlement to Colorado Coalfield Strike, Issues Plan for Three-Year Truce

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Quote Mother Jones re Miners Org Real Power of Labor Mv, Speech UMW D14 Conv, Apr 30, 1914, Ptt KS, Steel Speeches p134—————

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday September 9, 1914
President Woodrow Wilson Demands End to Colorado Strike

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World of September 7, 1914:

Woodrow Wilson, 1912

DEMANDS THAT STRIKE BE ENDED
———-
President Wilson Sent Message
to Leaders of Miners’s Union
———-
FEDERAL TROOPS STAND GUARD
———-
Are on Duty to Protect the Citizens
From Atrocities
———-
Government Has Particular Interest
 in This Strike
———-

Washington, D. C., Sept. 7.-President Wilson addressed letters to the heads of mining companies and officers of the United Mine Workers of America concerned in the Colorado coal strike, virtually demanding that the long strike be ended, because of federal troops on duty in the strike district, the president feels that the government has a peculiar interest.

[Photograph added.]

From the Mount Vernon, Ohio, Democratic Banner of September 8, 1914:

WOULD END LABOR WAR IN COLORADO
———-

Wilson Submits a Proposition
to Operators and Miners.
———-

SUGGESTS THREE-YEAR TRUCE
———-

Appeals to Patriotism of Belligerents and at the Same Time Warns
the Mine Owners That Federal Troops Should no Longer Remain
Doing Police Duty in Strike Districts. Now Up to John D., Jr.

Washington, Sept. 8.-President Wilson submitted a plan for a three years’ truce to all parties in the Colorado mining strike. The president urges the acceptance of this plan on patriotic grounds, alluding to the European war and the need that “all untoward and threatening circumstances be taken out of the life of the people of the United States.” At the same time the president serves warning on operators and miners that the federal troops have remained about as long as they ought to remain doing police duty in the strike districts.

This action by the president will again necessitate a decision by the Rockefeller interests as to whether they will make any concessions in the vital principles involved in the strike. Thus far John D. Rockefeller, Jr., has indicated a purpose of fighting it out to the very end.

The president points out that there are important public interests involved in the existing controversy aside from those of the two contending parties. The plan he submits was evolved by two representatives of the government who have studied the issues in the strike for several months with a view to finding a solution.

The plan contemplates establishment of a truce for three years, during whence the state mining and labor laws shall be enforced, and the restoration to employment of all striking miners who have not been found guilty of violation of the laws. Intimidation of nonunion or union men is to be prohibited and wage scales are to be posted at each mine. A grievance committee is to be chosen by the employes of each mine which shall be entrusted with treating with the employer when trouble arises. A committee, to be appointed by the president, is to be the appeal body to which grievances that can not be otherwise settled are to be taken.

The president sent a letter outlining the government’s plan to the presidents of the Colorado Fuel and Iron company, the chairman of the Victor American Fuel company, the president of the Rocky Mountain Fuel company and the officers of the United Mine Workers of America.

[Emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Appeal to Reason: “War? If the masters want blood, let them cut their own throats.”

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Quote Pres Wilson Seeds of War, St Louis Sept 5, 1919—————

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday August 25, 1914
General Death and Private Suffering Stride over Europe

From the Appeal to Reason of August 22, 1914:

War?
If the masters want blood,
let them cut their own throats.
—————

DRWG War Scourge of the Earth by Ryan Walker

Once more over Europe stride General Death and Private Suffering. About the feet of the great commander bloom, like flowers around the skirt of spring, white human skulls; the foliage before him grows red with brother gore; song birds turn to vultures; and fleecy white clouds are transformed into smoke curling from charred ruins. Everybody salutes you, General Death.

Though muffled in a military cloak, your face wears an unlipped smile. Though the sword in your bony fingers drips with blood, there is a something familiar in the terrifying personage. I know you now. You are the old Taskmaster, commanding to grimmer toil. But your fangs show, and the blood-tipped sword is a pen transformed. The burdensome flesh has dropped away, and I see the death’s-head of-CAPITALISM.

But the spirit-I see it now. At one time I believed your spirit-grim Capitalism with the lying smile, General Death the Hyde of the two-in-one-was wholly fiendish and deformed; but now I know it to be merely the concentrated spirit of the workers themselves. It is their own subserviency, their own ignorant imaginings, that give power to the whip-hand of the respectable and force to the sword-hand of the upbraided. Being that you materialize to the world. Should the workers change their own servile manner, change of conditions would immediately follow.

A change of spirit, and capitalism would disappear. He who has been materialized as General Death would cease both uniformed race-war and dress-suit class-war. Instead of the warrior and the slave, there would stand the Happy Worker, with glad wife and child by his side. Instead of skulls at his feet there would be flowers and fruit. For the vultures, birds of peace would throat carols of joy. Smoke of destruction would give place to placid skies. The bloody sword would be transformed into the tool that with a touch would pile before him beauty and abundance.

The lipless mouth of General Death, made to live through the spirit of the workers themselves, opens in prophecy. It bites this wisdom into dull ears:

“Evil is of your own making. The rivers of blood that shame the earth come from your own veins, from the blind strokes you yourselves dealt. Some day you will see and know. When you discern the truth, war will be forever at an end; the master will disappear; poverty and ignorance will vanish away; and then the hands that have slain shall make beautiful and good and joyous all the hills and valleys of earth, while fingers clasp across the borders that now are battlefields.”

LINCOLN PHIFER

[The Appeal warns that the U.S. may yet get involved in this war:]

International War May Involve the United States

Eight nations are now involved in the European war. Fifteen million soldiers are in the field, with prospect that twenty millions will be marching ere long. The loss in life exceeds already a hundred thousand. The situation, with big navies and aircraft taking part for the first time in the struggle of powerful nations, is appalling. Already starvation faces nations. The greatest calamity of all time threatens the world.

There is strong possibility that even America may be drawn into the war. The new Panama canal is a point of danger. If some navy should be permitted to use that short cut, then other navies would protest. A hundred possibilities suggest complications that might bring war.

The situation is extremely grave. Capitalism is on the verge of collapse all over the world, and in its effort to continue its existence is ready to drag to ruin all peoples and all advancement. This is the immediate threat.

Of course, beyond that is glorious possibility as well. The world will sicken of war. Autocracy will condemn itself. Capitalism is committing suicide. Just beyond the terrific crisis lies the beginning of the Co-operative Commonwealth. Socialists have everything to hope for, and are the only people on the earth who can see light in the darkness. We may congratulate ourselves on the tremendous sentiment that is already developing against war and against autocracy in industry. It is coming by leaps. The nations will be forced to Socialism in order to save themselves and civilization.

[Emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Judge Ben Lindsey’s Delegation from Ludlow, Colorado, Meets with President Woodrow Wilson

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Quote Pearl Jolly, Ludlow Next Time, Women Will Fight, Tacoma Tx p3, May 25, 1914—————

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday May 27, 1914
Washington, D. C. – Judge Lindsey and Women of Ludlow Visit the White House

From the Washington Evening Star of May 21, 1914:

LINDSEY HAS PLAN TO MEDIATE STRIKE
———-
Discusses Colorado Situation
With President Wilson This Afternoon.
———-

FAVORS KEEPING TROOPS
IN THE TROUBLE DISTRICT
———-
“Survivors of Ludlow Massacre” To Tell of Sufferings
at National Rifles’ Armory Tonight.
———-

Rep Keating Judge Lindsey, Rep Kent, Mrs Lindsey, Pearl Jolly, Mary Petrucci, Mary Thomas, Mrs Lee Champion, Rachel Thomas, Olga Thomas
Rep. Keating, Judge Ben Lindsey, Rep. Kent, Mrs. Lindsey, Pearl Jolly,
Mary Petrucci, Mary Thomas, Mrs. Lee Champion, Rachel and Olga Thomas

With a plan to mediate the Colorado coal fields strike, which he believes will be successful if fathered by the President, Judge Ben B. Lindsey, who came to Washington with a delegation of women and children refugees from Ludlow, called at the White House this afternoon by appointment.

Judge Lindsey stated he is emphatically in favor of keeping the troops in the strike district. He hopes the President will hear the stories of the women “survivors of the Ludlow massacre” who can tell him what they personally suffered during the battle and fire.

Judge Lindsey declares that the people of the country are guaranteed a republican form of government; that no such government exists in Colorado at this time, and that it is fully within the power of the President, backed by public sentiment, to force a settlement of the troubles.

Judge Lindsey urged the President to keep the federal troops in the coal strife region under all circumstances, asserting that if they are not retained there bloodshed will continue and that there will be nothing like law in all that region.

Suggests U. S. Close Mines.

Judge Lindsey declined to go into details as to what his plans are, but in a general way he hinted that public opinion would justify the President, under the guarantee of a republican form of government to all citizens, to close down the mines and practically assume charge of them by federal troops, compelling the mine owners and the striking miners to mediate their differences. He recalled the steps taken by President Roosevelt in the great Pennsylvania coal strike some year ago, and believes it within the power of the President to do almost anything he wants in Colorado.

“The President may not think he has power to settle the strike, but we think he has,” declared Judge Lindsey. “He has gigantic powers under the law and under the reign of public opinion.”

Judge Lindsey bitterly criticized Gov. Ammons, declared him incompetent, and hinted that Ammons and Rockefeller are in agreement as to how the fight should be resolved.

Judge Lindsey has asked an interview with John D. Rockefeller, jr. He didn’t know today whether Mr. Rockefeller would grant this interview, in which he will seek to have the New York millionaire accept some plan of medication, but he intended to try. He was asked if the party with him would also see Mr. Rockefeller.

“I do not know,” he answered, “but Mr. Rockefeller is no bigger than the President of the United States. Mr. Wilson has seen us-all of us-and I think Mr. Rockefeller can afford to do the same thing.”

Judge Lindsey persisted in his view that the President should bump the heads of both sides together and bring about a settlement. 

[…..]

[Emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Duluth Labor World: Workingmen Demand Freedom for Tom Mooney

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 5, 1918
Duluth, Minnesota – Workingmen Demand Freedom for Mooney

Labor mass meetings, demanding justice for Tom Mooney, were held across the nation on Sunday July 28th. The labor unions of Duluth, Minnesota, joined the nationwide protests, listened to speeches, and passed resolutions.

From The Labor World of August 3, 1918:

DULUTH WORKINGMEN ASK
“TOM” MOONEY’S FREEDOM
—–
Declare Condemned Man Was Convicted
on Perjured Evidence and Demand
He Be Granted New Trial Without Delay.
—–

Tom and Rena Mooney, crpd, ISR, Dec 1916
Rena and Tom Mooney

Duluth workingmen, at a largely attended meeting held at Owls’ hall last Sunday evening [July 28th], joined in the nation-wide protest against the proposed legal murder of Thomas J. Mooney at San Francisco. A. G. Catlin of Duluth Typographical union served as chairman and speeches were made by W. E. Towne of Duluth and Arthur Le Sueur of St. Paul.

Mr. Towne reviewed the history of the Mooney case, pointing out that all other persons charged with being participants in the alleged conspiracy had been acquitted by juries, including Mrs. Mooney, wife of the condemned man. He revealed the fact that since Mooney was tried it has been conclusively proven and admitted by the attorney general of the state that two of the witnesses against him were self-confessed perjurers and had been so found in other cases where they seemed to have served as professional witnesses.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for March 1918, Part III: Found Speaking at Evansville, Indiana, on Behalf of Tom Mooney

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Quote Mother Jones, Flag Organize, Evle IN Prs, Mar 29, 1918

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday April 23, 1918
Mother Jones News for March 1918, Part III: Found in Evansville, Indiana

On Thursday evening March 28th, Mother Jones spoke before a meeting organized by the local labor leaders of Evansville, Indiana. She was there to speak on behalf of Tom Mooney now facing the gallows in San Francisco. The Evansville Press of March 29th described her speech:

URGES MOONEY BE SAVED FOR SAMMIES’ SAKE

Mother Jones Fire Eater, Lg Crpd, St L Str, Aug 23, 1917

Altho she’d much rather be in Europe “cleaning up on the kaiser,” Mother Jones told an audience of workers Thursday night that the business of the people at home was to fight for the Sammies here.

She said the way to do this was to save the life of Thomas Mooney, the labor leader who is being railroaded to the gallows in San Francisco at the behest of labor-crushing interests.

[She said:]

Sometimes I feel almost ashamed that I’m not over there, putting heart into those boys, so they can give the kaiser hell.

But my place is here, fight ing for them while they’re gone. When those boys come back, after having fought your battles across the sea for democracy, you’ll be able to say: “Boys, while you’ve been gone we haven’t shirked; we’ve fought and won your battles here for industrial democracy.”

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

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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.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for January 1918: Found in Indianapolis at Convention of United Mine Workers of America

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Quote Mother Jones, Praying Swearing, UMWC, Jan 17, 1918

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday February 26, 1918
Mother Jones News for January 1918: Gives Speech at Miners’ Convention

Mother Jones Fire Eater, Lg Crpd, St L Str, Aug 23, 1917

On January 17th of this year, Mother Jones was found speaking in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the Convention of the United Mine Workers of America. She voice her support for President Wilson and for the war effort, declaring:

We must lick the Kaiser.

She also spoke regarding the ongoing attempt to organize West Virginia:

There is a system of industrial feudalism in the State of West Virginia but before another year ends the backbone of that damnable system will be broken and men will rise beneath those stars and stripes as they should rise, free, for the first time. We propose to put the infamous gunmen there out of business. We will make them find other occupations. You are robbed and plundered to pay these gunmen that are hired to keep you in industrial slavery. If it takes every man of the 500,000 miners in this country to march into West Virginia we propose to drive out that feudal system that survives there. It is an outrage and an insult to that flag. They may as well prepare for business, for we are going to do it. The president of the Winding Gulf gang said in Washington, “Don’t you know that Mother Jones swears?” I was asked, “Do you swear, Mother Jones?” I said, “You don’t think I’m hypocrite enough to pray when I’m talking to those thieves!”

[Emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Bisbee Deportation Severely Scored by Report of President Wilson’s Mediation Commission

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

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

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday December 1, 1917
Washington, District of Columbia – Bisbee Deportation “Wholly Illegal”

The deportation of the striking miners of Bisbee, Arizona, carried out last July by the sheriff of Cochise county and about 2,000 of his armed “deputies,” was “wholly illegal and without authority in law, either state or federal.” So says the recently released “Report of the Bisbee Deportations Made by the President’s Mediation Commission.” The Commission was chaired by Secretary of Labor William B. Wilson.

William B Wilson, Sec of Labor, LOC ab 1913

From the Duluth Labor World of December 1, 1917:

COMMISSION CRITICIZES BISBEE DEPORTATIONS

WASHINGTON. Nov. 29.—Severe criticism of the persons responsible for the deportation of 1,186 striking copper workers from Bisbee, Ariz., and the Warren mining district July 12, is contained in a report of President Wilson’s special labor commission made public Saturday by the president.

The deportation was carried out by the sheriff of Cochise county and about 2,000 armed men, “presuming to act as deputies under the sheriff’s authority,” the report said, and “was wholly illegal and without authority in law, either state or federal.”

After extensive investigation of the causes and circumstances surrounding the copper mine strike, the commission found that the deportations were planned by a number of Bisbee citizens, including officers of the Phelps-Dodge and Calumet & Arizona mining interests.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for October 1917, Part II: Claude G. Bowers, “She is not afraid of man or devil.”

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday November 23, 1917
Mother Jones News for October, Part II: Claude G. Bowers on Mother Jones

Mother Jones, Colorado Military Bastile, March 1914

Claude G. Bowers, journalists, spent a few hours with Mother Jones while she was traveling from Colorado to Indianapolis sometime around October 19th (see Mother Jones News for October, part 1), and writes about that meeting for his column, “Kabbages and Kings.” Bowers notes that Mother “is not afraid of man or devil,” and as an example tells of her experiences in Colorado during the Colorado Coalfield Strike of 1913-1914. During that struggle, Mother was held for almost one month in the “Military Bastile,” a cold cellar cell which had already claimed the life of a miner held prisoner there. She counseled “her boys” not to attempt a rescue, “Maybe I can do some good in the bull pen,” she said.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for October 1917, Part II: Claude G. Bowers, “She is not afraid of man or devil.”” →