You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Wednesday October 5, 1904
New Castle, Pennsylvania - Mother Jones Speaks at Trades and Labor Assembly Hall
Today's
New Castle News reports:
MOTHER JONES SPOKE
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"Mother" Jones delivered an address Sunday afternoon at Trades and Labor Assembly Hall to several hundred representatives of organized labor. The hall was crowded and standing room was at a premium, while many who could not secure admission stood without in the hallway to listen.
"Mother" Jones was very frequently interrupted by the heartiest applause, as she made statements pleasing to her auditors. She spoke of the present strike of the Amalgamated men at the Youngstown and Girard mills, dwelling at length upon the causes that led to the trouble and urging all to become organized and thus mutually support one another in the effort toward better things.
She also spoke at length upon the Cripple Creek [Colorado] labor troubles, and told many incidents she had witnessed there, during her six months' stay last Winter. Governor Peabody and Adjutant General Bell, of the militia, were roundly condemned. Mother Jones spoke feelingly and showed deep interest in her subject, which left an impression upon her hearers.
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And from today's
New Castle Weekly Herald:
A WOMAN OF NERVE
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The following article concerning "Mother" Jones, who speaks here Sunday, has been prepared for the Herald by W. J. White, who has a personal acquaintance with her:
This remarkable woman was born under the flag of Great Britain 65 years ago and while yet a small child her parents emigrated to Canada, where her youthful days were spent, and where she commenced the career as an organizer and agitator that has gained for her an international reputation.
The nineteenth century was remarkable for its women who exercised a wide influence in literature, in science, in art and in politics, such names as Clara Barton, Sudab [Susan] B. Anthony, Florence Nightingale, Grace Darling, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Beecher Stow, Lucy Stone and Frances Willard, while these are but a few of the remarkable women who have stood out as prominently identified in some grand field of human endeavor. None hold a more unique and enviable place before the people than this white-haired old heroine who has ever been for the last 25 years a terror to all unscrupulous exploiters of labor, whether exemplified by President Baer, of anthracite fame, Andrew Carnegie in Homestead, or John D. Rockefeller in the gold fields of California.
Her activity in the defense of downtrodden millions has not been confined to any one particular industry. Her work has carried her to all parts of the United States and Canada. She has shared the fare of the colored miner of New River district in the Old Dominion, and the rising sun has seen her holding her meetings in the mountains of West Virginia. The hovels of the Hun and Pole have been brightened by her presence, and while they might not understand the language she spoke, there were none who would not travel miles to be present at a meeting where she was to make a speech; and thousands of workers now grown to manhood can trace their first lesson in the principles of unionism, the class struggle, fidelity and honor to the teachings of this grand old woman.
Whether leading a procession of breaker boys through streets of an Eastern mining town, or a procession of child slaves from Philadelphia to wait on President Roosevelt at Oyster Bay, or standing in the docket of a criminal court before some Judge for disobeying some injunction, her nobility of character, and her dignified bearing and her resolute integrity have ever drawn even from those she was fighting words of praise for her absolute honesty.
I well remember sitting in the parlor of the Hart Hotel in Wilkesbarre during the great strike and hearing her tell this incident in her career:
When J. A. Wayland, the publisher of The Coming Nation, returned from Ruskin Colony disheartened and discouraged, he thought of giving up the fight. "Mother," said he, "It is no use. The circulation of our paper is gone. We might as well quit." "Comrade Wayland," said I, '"put me down for 500 subscribers and start over again, and I will deliver the goods in three months."
From that start came the Appeal to Reason, of Girard, Kas. Her remarkable power over men is shown in many ways as instances like these will show. While working on the Kanawha river she had many close calls which required steel nerves and a quick wit. At one of her meetings she was approached by a deputy, who afterwards told her he had orders from his superiors to shoot her. She saw him approaching with a six-shooter in his hand, and instead of trying to evade him she advanced to meet him and putting her hand upon his shoulder, said: "My dear boy, you surely would not harm one who loves you as much as I do? Put up that gun, right about face, and God bless you!" The deputy put up his gun and is now one of the best union men in West Virginia and one who is a true friend to the woman he was ordered to kill.
Again, during the strike in Utah, stopping at the same hotel with her was a member of one of the detective agencies of the West. Mother Jones did not know this at the time, although she had her suspicions aroused. He gave out the story that he came there to start a restaurant. Said she: "I detailed one of the boys (she calls them all her boys) to chum with him and find out his business. He may be all right but it is best to be on the safe side." A couple of days after, the man came to her and said, "You are right, Mother; he is a detective." Yet, so kind and courteous was Mother Jones to the detective that a few days after he went to her room and made a full confession, showed her three union cards of as many different unions and also told her that a rival agency had received orders to assault her on one of her trips. A few days later the papers told the story of a gray-haired old woman receiving a terrible beating at the hands of these thugs, who had evidently mistaken her for Mother Jones.
The path she has mapped out to follow has not been one of roses, but neither threats of violence, imprisonment, quarantining or deportation have ever been able to swerve her from it. A woman of great personal magnetism and remarkable eloquence, a profound student of sociology, the historian of the future will place high on the roll of fame the name of Mother Jones.
[W. J.] WHITE.
[paragraph break added]
NEWS OF THE WESTERN FEDERATION OF MINERS IN COLORADO
From the Oct 1st edition of the San Francisco Chronicle:
INJUNCTION ON MINE OWNERS
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Members of Leadville District Association Cannot Compel Men to Take Out Cards
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LEADVILLE (col.), September 30-Judge Frank Mowers [Owers] to-day issued an injunction against the members of the Leadville Mining District Association restraining the association from proceeding further to compel miners to forsake the Western Federation of Miners and take out association cards in order to retain their position in the mines of the camp. Nearly 2000 cards had been issued by the association when the work in this district was interrupted to-day.
The application for an injunction was made by the president and secretary of the local miners' union. The defendants comprise nearly every mine owner and mine manager in the camp. They are restrained from discriminating against any miner because of his being a member of the Western Federation of Miners or from making out a blacklist or from compelling members of the Federation to abandon the organization or from compelling them to sign any agreement that they renounce membership in the Federation or from carrying out or doing anything in furtherance of any plans to discriminate against the employment of miners who will not renounce their allegiance to the Federation or from in any other way conspiring to deprive any member of the Federation from obtaining employment.
[photograph added]
And from the October 2nd edition of the
Chronicle:
CARDS STILL DEMANDED.
LEADVILLE (Col.), October 1.-The injunction which was issued by Judge Owers Friday to restrain the so-called Mine Owners' Union from discriminating against the Western Federation of Miners was in full force and effect to-day, but to all outward appearances it had no visible effect. About 2000 cards have already been issued, and as the crews on all the mines hold cards the men went to work as usual. In fact, it was stated at the office of the mining association that in no case did men appear for work without a card.
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SOURCES
New Castle News
(New Castle, Pennsylvania)
-of Oct 5, 1904
http://www.newspapers.com/...
New Castle Weekly Herald
(New Castle, Pennsylvania)
-of Oct 5, 1904
http://www.newspapers.com/...
San Francisco Chronicle
(San Francisco, California)
-of Oct 1, 1904
& Oct 2, 1904
http://www.newspapers.com/...
http://www.newspapers.com/...
See also:
The Autobiography of Mother Jones
-ed by Mary Field Parton
Charles H Kerr, Chicago, 1925
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/...
For more on "present [1904] strike of the Amalgamated men
at the Youngstown and Girard mills:"
Executive Documents, Part 2
Ohio, 1906
(Search with "youngstown girard amalgamated 1904")
http://books.google.com/...
IMAGES
Mother Jones X2
http://theadvocateonline.com/...
http://www.greatthoughtstreasury.com/...
Western Federation of Miners Button
http://www.nps.gov/...
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The Death of Mother Jones-Gene Autry
O'er the hills and through the valley
In ev'ry mining town;
Mother Jones was ready to help them,
She never turned them down.
On front with the striking miners
She always could be found;
And received a hearty welcome
In ev'ry mining town.
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12:47 PM PT: It appears that the Mr. White above who wrote the article about Mother Jones is Comrade W J White of New Castle, PA.
He appears frequently in the Appeal to Reason as a member of the Appeal Army from New Castle who is active in the sale of subscriptions. For example in July 4, 1903, edition, but also many others.
Reading Times (PA) of Oct 30, 1902, has him at a John Mitchell Day Celebration and states that he is a member of the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel, and Tin Workers.
New Castle News (PA) of Oct 24, 1900, states that he is Presidential elector for the Socialists.
Numerous other publications confirm these findings (Typographical Union's journal, a report from Secretary of SPA, etc, etc)
Today's Hellraisers has been edited to indicate that his name is, in fact, W. J. White.
4:07 PM PT: oops, altho W J White and the Amalgamated are mentioned on same page in Typographical Union Journal, that W J White was a member of the Typographers from San Francisco, and not our W J White from New Castle. Still trying to sort out all of the W J Whites.
I'm reasonably certain of this: his name was W. J. White; he lived in or near New Castle, PA; he was a member of the Amalgamated Association, he was a member of the Socialist Party of America and frequently ran for various offices in New Castle, and once for state senator; he was a member of the Appeal Army, and was mentioned frequently in the Appeal as "W. J. White of New Castle."