You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Saturday November 28, 1903
From The Intermountain Catholic: Colorado Militia Receives 1,000 Krag-Jorgensens
Denver, Colo., Nov. 25.-Adjutant General Sherman M. Bell received from the United States arsenal at Rock Island, Ills. 1,000 Krag-Jorgensen rifles and 100,000 rounds of ammunition for the uses of the Colorado national guard.
Washington, Nov. 25.-The war department has honored the requisition of the governor of Colorado for 1,000 Krag-Jorgensen rifles and clothing supplies and other equipment for 1,000 men. The supplies will be regularly issued under the provisions of the Dick bill for the arming and equipment of the organized militia of the states and territories. It is stated at the war department that the state of Colorado is merely receiving the supplies to which she is entitled under the law, and they undoubtedly are issued at this time because the Colorado militia has been ordered out by the governor for the purpose of preserving order in the districts affected by the labor strikes. All the supplies asked for are are in stock and will be delivered to the state authorities at once. This action has no direct relation to the visit of General Bates to Colorado to investigate the labor troubles for the reason that no report has yet been received from him on the subject.
SOURCE
The Intermountain Catholic
(Salt Lake City, Utah)
-of Nov 28, 1903
Photo: Krag-Jorgensen
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
(1892 model, unlikely that this is the exact model delivered to Colorado.)
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Friday November 28, 1913
From the Miners' Bulletin: "Strike Condition Described"
The latest issue of the Bulletin describes an emotional speech delivered by John H. Walker of Illinois:
Seattle, Wash, Nov. 22-Shortly after the American Federation of Labor convention assembled yesterday afternoon, the present strike and previous labor conditions of the Michigan copper mines were taken up...
Delegate John H. Walker, representing the United Mine Workers, was so filled with emotion that his voice broke and tears filled his eyes as he described the conditions under which he declared men worked in the Calumet mines and the atrocities which he said were perpetrated by hired thugs.
"I was on the scene conferring with the men before the strike," said Waker. "Four of the mines are eight thousand feet deep and the heat at that depth is terrific. The men could wear only caps to hold their lights and shoes to protect their feet.
"Levels are run out hundreds of feet at a depth of 8,000 feet and there is absolutely no provision for fresh air except at the main shaft. The men are required to breathe the exhaust from their machines, dynamite fumes and their own devitalized breath while working in copper dust that eats out the system like acid.
The average working life of the underground man there is less than three years and then he is thrown on the human scrap heap. In the least civilized countries in the world such conditions do not exist and there are no precautions taken against accident or death.
"The state Legislature prevented the passage of a law requiring the reporting of accidents and the man who reports them is required to leave the mines and the copper country. The history of the feudal ages shows no more abject slavery or more despotic tyranny than exists in the Calumet & Hecla mines.
"The corporation rules supreme. It absolutely controls the two newspapers there and censors every article affecting the mines. It can drive any man in the district out of business.
Its political dominance is supreme and even the churches are built upon company ground, and the salaries of the pastors guaranteed by the company. I cannot even express the truth and you cannot credit the things being done there. Thousands of men, women and children who know the truth regarding these conditions prefer death to returning to work under them. I can only add that I would do for them what I would do for you under like conditions."
SOURCE
Miners' Bulletin
"Published by authority of
Western Federation of Miners
to tell the truth regarding
the strike of copper miners."
-of Nov 25, 1913
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thursday November 28, 2013
Happy Thanksgiving & Solidarity with Walmart Workers on Black Friday
From Labor Notes:
Walmart Workers Plan Raucous Black Friday
Walmart workers are gearing up for Black Friday with a series of short strikes around the country this week, including in California, Florida, Minnesota, Washington, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Many more actions are expected on Black Friday itself.
OUR Walmart, the group planning the actions, hopes the biggest shopping day of the year will become better known as a day of action for retail workers. OUR Walmart is asking community members all over the country to participate....
The Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW), which started OUR Walmart, says 30,000 participated in Black Friday actions last year. Most of those were supporters; 88 were strikers, spread out among two dozen stores. Community members protested in Walmart parking lots across the country, and some made guerrilla forays inside the stores to chant, leaflet, or sing labor-themed rewrites of Christmas carols.
Full article by Jenny Brown:
http://labornotes.org/...
Sadly, I have to work on Black Friday, but cannot wait for Saturday to read about Walmart Workers and their supporters standing up and raising hell in Walmart parking lots across the country!
For Walmart Protest near you:
http://www.blackfridayprotests.org/
Fight like hell until you go to heaven.
Mother Jones
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
They'll Never Keep Us Down-Hazel Dickens
United we stand, divided we fall
For every dime they give us, a battle must be fought
So working people, use your power: the key to liberty
Don’t support the rich man’s style of luxury
There ain’t no way they can ever keep us down
There ain’t no way they can ever keep us down
We won’t be bought, we won’t be sold
To be treated right, well, that’s our goal
And there ain’t no way they can ever keep us down
-Hazel Dickens