You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Wednesday December 9, 1903
From The Inter Ocean: Mitchell in Chicago, Expects Peace in Colorado
John Mitchell
Speculation that John Mitchell would fire Mother Jones for her part in delaying the separate settlement of the northern coal miners has not yet been realized. The following is an interview published in today's
Inter Ocean:
John Mitchell, president of the United Mine Workers, is at McCoy's hotel. He came directly from Colorado.
"I regard the situation there as hopeful," he said. "I believe a settlement will be reached, and I do not expect to have to return there. 'Mother' Jones and some of our best organizers are on the spot.
"The public mind, I believe, is somewhat confused concerning the troubles in the silver mines in Colorado. Many think that the United Mine Workers are concerned with them. Our men are coal miners only, and have had nothing to do with bringing about martial law. We have secured satisfactory settlements in the northern part of the state, and expect solid peace soon in the southern."
We find Mitchell's lack of concern for the metal miners to be stunning. This lack of concern by Mitchell for these striking miners, now oppressed under military despotism, is another bone of contention between Mother Jones and her boss. Mother has shown all the Solidarity possible with the metal miners. She advocates unceasingly for unity between the United Mine Workers of America and the Western Federation of Miners.
SOURCES
The Inter Ocean
(Chicago, Illinois)
-of Dec 9, 1903
The Autobiography of Mother Jones
-ed by Mary Field Parton
Charles H Kerr Pub, 1990
Pittston Strike Commemorative Edition
Photo: John Mitchell
http://www.pbs.org/...
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Tuesday December 9, 1913
The Daily Mining Gazette Publishes Threat Against the Western Federation of Miners
Today's edition of the Gazette published an announcement of meetings and rallies of the Citizens' Alliance to be held tomorrow in various cities of the Keweenaw. William G. Rice, the president of the paper is a known leader of the Citizens' Alliance. Therefore, this threat can be interpreted as coming from Mr. Rice himself:
Full details have not been worked out, that is as to speakers and plan of action to follow the meetings. In a broad way the purpose, it is understood, is to notify the Western Federation of Miners, Agitators, that they have twenty-four hours in which to leave the district; if they do not act upon this notice they will be sent out of the district in the manner that suggests itself as most convenient and effective. This is the purpose of the Citizens Alliance of Houghton and Keweenaw counties.
SOURCE
Death's Door
The Truth Behind Michigan's Largest Mass Murder
-by Steve Lehto
MI, 2006
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Monday December 9, 2013
More on the Southern Coalfield Strike of 1903-04:
Mitchell's expectation of an early settlement in the southern field was overly optimistic:
[We] expect solid peace soon in the southern [field].
Mother Jones later remembered:
The strike in the southern fields dragged on and on. But from the moment the southern miners had been deserted by their northern brothers, I felt their strike was doomed. Bravely did those miners fight before giving in to the old peonage. The military had no regard for human life. They were sanctified cannibals. Is it any wonder that we have murders and holdups when the youth of the land is trained by the great industrialists to a belief in force; when they see that the possession of money puts one above law.
Men like President Howell and Secretary Simpson [District 15 officers] will live in history. I was in close touch with them throughout this terrible strike. Their descendants should feel proud that the blood of such great men flows in their veins.
No more loyal, courageous men could be found than those southern miners, scornfully referred to by "Citizens' Alliances" as "foreigners." Italians and Mexicans endured to the end. They were defeated on the industrial field but theirs was the victory of the spirit.
SOURCE (of Mother Jones' memories)
The Autobiography of Mother Jones
-ed by Mary Field Parton
Charles H Kerr Pub, 1990
Pittston Strike Commemorative Edition
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Vigilante Man-Woody Guthrie
Oh, why does a vigilante man,
Why does a vigilante man
Carry that sawed-off shot-gun in his hand?
Would he shoot his brother and sister down?
-Woody Guthrie