Hellraisers Journal: Espionage Act Signed; Goldman & Berkman Arrested; Mother Earth & The Blast Seized

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The greatest bulwark
of capitalism is militarism.
-Emma Goldman

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday June 18, 1917
New York, New York – Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman Arrested

On Friday June 15th, President Wilson signed the Espionage into law (see below). That same day in New York City, the Harlem office of Mother Earth and The Blast was raided, and Anarchists Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman were arrested.

From the New York Sun of June 16, 1917:

BERKMAN AND EMMA GOLDMAN
HELD FOR PLOT
—–
Accused of Inducing Young Men to
Violate Registration Law.
—–

BOTH LOCKED IN TOMBS
—–
“Literature” in Office of
Anarchist Publications
Seized as Evidence.
—–

Emma Goldman Arrest June 15, Dly Missoulian, June 16, 1917

Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman were arrested yesterday afternoon charged with conspiracy against the Government in inducing young men to break the selective conscription law by not registering. If convicted they can be imprisoned for two years and fined $10,000 apiece, and can also be deported for preaching anarchy, both being aliens.

United Suites Marshal McCarthy served the warrants on the pair, who love to be called “the beat known anarchists in America,” in the little Harlem office where they have been publishing Mother Earth and the Blast. He said it was the best thing he ever did in his life.

 

They were taken to the Federal Building along with a young anarchist helper, W. P. Bales, who had not registered for conscription. It being too late for arraignment they were locked up in the Tombs. They will confront United States Commissioner Hitchcock at 9:45 o’clock this morning, and Berkman and Miss Goldman will probably have to give $25,000 bail apiece if they want to get out pending trial or Grand Jury action. A lot of “literature” in the Harlem office, of which the police and Department of Justice are now in charge, was seized as evidence, including copies of Mother Earth and the Blast. Signed articles in these magazines figure in the Government’s complaint. Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Espionage Act Signed; Goldman & Berkman Arrested; Mother Earth & The Blast Seized”

Hellraisers Journal: From the American Socialists: An American Mother Searches for Her Boy in France by Ryan Walker

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I have no country to fight for;
my country is the earth,
and I am a citizen of the world.
-Eugene Victor Debs

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

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday May 27, 1917
From the American Socialist: An American Boy in France

“Her Boy” by Ryan Walker:

WWI, Her American Boy in France, Am Sc, May 26, 1917

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for April 1917: Found in West Virginia as Organizer for UMWA

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What the lawmakers give you
they can take away.
The only thing you are sure of
is what you win for yourself.
-Mother Jones

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

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday May 10, 1917
Mother Jones News for April: Mother Jones Returns to West Virginia

Mother Jones, WV with children of striking miners, ISR 1913

Who could ever forget the story of Mother Jones in West Virginia during the Paint and Cabin Creek Strike of 1912 and 1913 when she was held prisoner and court-martialed by the military forces of the that state?

Mother Jones has recently returned to the state of West Virginia, along with Peggy Dwyer, as an organizer for the United Mine Workers of America. This is where we find her during most of the month of April 1917.

First, however, we find her mentioned in and article in the New York Tribune of April 1, 1917, written by John J. Leary, Jr., and entitled “How Old Is The Eight-Hour Movement?”

“How old is the eight-hour movement,” asked the city editor, when the attention of the country was focussed on the labor question by the decision of the Supreme Court upholding the Adamson eight-hour act….

As a matter of cold fact, the first law fixing the hours of labor at eight was enacted in New York fifty years ago, in 1857, to be exact. A joker in the law, however, prevented its being much more than a dead letter, for it was also provided that the law should apply only “where there is no contract or agreement to the contrary.” [With the bosses, of course, writing the contracts.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for April 1917: Found in West Virginia as Organizer for UMWA”

Hellraisers Journal: From the International Socialist Review: the SPA Emergency Convention at St. Louis

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I have no country to fight for;
my country is the earth;
I am a citizen of the world.
-Eugene Victor Debs

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday May 4, 1917
The Socialist Party of America on War and Militarism

From April 7th to the 14th, delegates gathered in St. Louis, Missouri, for a “National Emergency Convention” to consider the Socialist position on the “orgy of war.” A Majority Report and two Minority Reports on War and Militarism were the end result of that convention and those Reports are being put up to a vote of the membership this month.

From this month’s International Socialist Review:

SPA ER St Louis Conv, War Com, ISR May 1917

The Emergency National Convention

By LESLIE MARCY

IN compliance with a mandate hurriedly issued by the National Executive Committee, delegates assembled at the Planters Hotel in St. Louis on Saturday morning, April 7th. All states were represented with the exception of Alabama, Alaska, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina, while Texas was represented part of the time by one delegate.

This convention was called without a referendum vote and in face of the fact that there was very little demand on the part of the membership for it. The Constitution nowhere empowers the National Executive Committee to call a special convention. In many states the membership was not even given an opportunity to elect delegates but the rank and file will be asked to dig up $15,000.00 to cover the cost of the convention. The excuse for the convention was to find out how the party stood on the question of war. All the National Executive Committee had to do was to say, Let there be a convention, and there was a convention.

As many theories were represented regarding war, its cause and cure and the attitude the party should take in the present crisis, as there were tongues around the Tower of Babel. Many of the delegates came uninstructed but there were half a dozen delegations which came instructed to vote against all wars, offensive or defensive. The delegates from Illinois, Michigan, Washington and Ohio were cleancut and uncompromising and voted solidly together for a clear, concise statement of the party’s position.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the International Socialist Review: the SPA Emergency Convention at St. Louis”

Hellraisers Journal: 12,000 Killed for Four Yards of Dirt, Art Young for the International Socialist Review

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I gave my life for freedom-This I know;
For those who bade me fight had told me so.
-W. N. Ewer

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday April 30, 1917
From the International Socialist Review: Thoughts on the War

For Four Yards of Dirt by Art Young:

WWI, Young Men Killed, Art Young, ISR, Apr 1917

———-

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: 12,000 Killed for Four Yards of Dirt, Art Young for the International Socialist Review”

Hellraisers Journal: From the Industrial Worker: “The Patriot”

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Should I ever be a soldier
‘Neath the Red Flag I would fight;
Should the gun I ever shoulder
It’s to crush the tyrant’s might
-Joe Hill

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Hellraisers Journal, Sunday April 15, 1917
From the Industrial Workers: A Poem From a Patriot

IWW, WWI, Patriot, Love My Flag, IW Apr14, 1917

 

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Hellraisers Journal: War Profits and Starvation: International Socialist Review on “Food Riots in America”

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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, Monday April 9, 1917
The Review Reports on Failure to Starve in an Orderly Manner

The Cover of the International Socialist Review for April 1917:

New York Food Riots, ISR Cover, Apr 1917

Leslie Marcy of the Review Reports on Food Riots:

Rioting for Food, NYC, ISR Apr 1917

FOOD RIOTS IN AMERICA

-By LESLIE MARCY

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: War Profits and Starvation: International Socialist Review on “Food Riots in America””

Hellraisers Journal: From the American Socialist: Ryan Walker on American Militarism

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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, Sunday April 8, 1917
From the American Socialist: Ryan Walker Comments of Militarism

“Russianizing America” by Ryan Walker:

Russia America, Ryan Walker, AmSc, Apr 7, 1917

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Hellraisers Journal: United States and Germany at War; Jack Reed Asks: “Whose War?

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The speculators, the employers,
the plutocracy…with lies and sophistries
they will whip up our blood until we are savage-
and then we’ll fight and die for them.
-Jack Reed

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

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday April 7, 1917
From The Seattle Star: “War Is Begun…Wilson Signs Declaration”

News of America’s entrance into the War in Europe displaced all news of the ongoing Tracy Trial from the front page of last evening’s edition of The Seattle Star:

WWI, War Begun Today, Seattle Star, Apr 6, 1917

———-

Regarding the ongoing Tracy Trial, we were able to find a small article on page two of the same edition of the Star with the headline:

“Jury Wants to Hurry the Case”

It appears that the Jury is getting bored as the Defense fights to save the life of Fellow Worker Tom Tracy.

———-

From The Masses of April 1917:

WHOSE WAR?

John Reed

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: United States and Germany at War; Jack Reed Asks: “Whose War?”