The newspapers were hammering me,
and the priests and the ministers were hammering me,
but I am alive yet,
I am still here, hammering them.
-Mother Jones
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Friday June 9, 1905
From the Montana News - Mother Jones to Speak at Miners Union Day Celebration
The June 7th edition of the Montana News, the voice of the Socialist Party in that state, announced in a large headline across the front page that Mother Jones will be joining the miners and their families in Helena for a celebration of Miners Union Day:
Mother Jones at the Park 13th, Auditorium 14th
From the Butte Evening News: "Mother" Jones, whom the coal miners of the East lovingly call Joan of Arc, will arrive in Butte in time to speak Wednesday evening, June 7, at the Auditorium, under the auspices of the Mill & Smeltermen's union, on industrial conditions. She will then leave for the eastern part of the state.
For Fifty Years.
"Mother" Jones is 65 years of age, and for 50 years has been in the fight for betterment of industrial conditions, among the working class generally, and particularly the coal miners of the eastern states. Whenever the coal miners are on strike "Mother" Jones is sure to put in an appearance, striving to lead them on to victory. Her influence among them is second to none. The foreigner who does not understand English, nevertheless know of "Mother" Jones and her work, and with him hers is a name to conjure with.
Deported by Peabody.
During the strike in the southern coal fields of Colorado this gray-haired old woman was loaded in a boxcar and deported by the militia, acting under orders from Peabody and the mine owners.
She does not work for pay. Money is a secondary consideration with her. When she lay sick in Trinidad and was told that she was about to die, she gave the savings of her life-time, amounting to about $500, to the Western Federation of Miners to carry on the Cripple Creek strike.
She began life among the coal mines and is said to have worked in the breakers when a mere child. There is nothing of the grandstand style about her speeches. She speaks with the simple earnestness of one who has given her whole life to a cause.
During the A. L. U. [A. R. U.?] strike she was a prominent figure and Debs has declared in public that she was one of the most active and unselfish soldiers in the ranks of unionism.
For the Children.
The child-labor law of Pennsylvania owes its place on the statute books to the efforts of this old woman and she accomplished it in spite of opposition within her own ranks.
"Mother" Jones is now engaged in the work of building up the industrial union movement which holds its convention in Chicago in June.
[Photograph added.]
More from the Montana News of June 7, 1905:
The Western Federation of Miners in Convention
The report of the secretary of the Western Federation of Miners shows the organization to have a membership of 58,000. Of this number 9,906 were taken into the organization during the past year. It is expected that the proper steps will be taken during the national convention at Salt Lake which is being held this month for the organization to align with the new industrial union movement to be launched in Chicago in June.
The W. F. of M., has three times in convention, declared for the principles of Socialism. What their alignment with the proposed Chicago Socialist union movement will amount to, can only be told by the future.
`````
[Photograph and paragraph break added.]
Miners' Union Day Celebration
Socialists' Concerns
Father Hagerty
`````
Comrades:-
I have to report that under date of April 15th, I sent a letter to Comrade Thomas J. Hagerty addressed Room No. 3 Haymarket building, Chicago, Ill., containing the following questions: 1. Are you a member of the Socialist Party? 2. If so, with what Local are you affiliated?
I believe the above letter executes your wishes as indicated by the motion passed at your recent meeting as follows:
"That owing to the inquireis received, the National Secretary be instructed to inquire of Thomas J. Hagerty of what Local he is a member. Carried."
Further I would inform you that, to date, I have not received an acknowledgment or reply to said letter.
J. MAHLON BARNES,
National Secretary.
```````
The Social Democrat Herald of Milwaukee says: "If the preachers who prayed for justice in the Philadelphia gas steal had less cowardice, they would cease to throw the burden of such a clearly secular miscarriage of justice on their Creator, and come out boldly urging men to change the social system that is the procuring cause of this as well as the myriads of other wrongs and horrors and indecencies of our present civilization. But they are afraid to come out for Socialism. It is not yet 'respectable' enough. And, besides, their rich pew holders wouldn't like it!"
From Pennsylvania's Wilkes-Barre Record of June 7, 1905:
"Mother" Jones.
New York Tribune: "Mother" Jones, in her incendiary talks to the Wyoming miners, is setting an example that may be urged with effect against the participation of women in public affairs. It would not be safe for any man to use such language in Wyoming, or elsewhere in the United States, and it ought not to be safe even for "Mother" Jones to use it.
It seems that the language objected to was used by Mother Jones in a speech given earlier this month in Sheridan, Wyoming.
The San Francisco Call of June 3rd reported on the speech as follows:
"MOTHER" JONES DECLARES PRESIDENT
SHOULD BE SHOT
-----
Notorious Agitator Makes an Anarchistic
Speech Before an Audience
in Sheridan, Wyoming.
SHERIDAN, Wyo., June 2.-"Mother" Jones, a notorious agitator, in a speech in the City Hall advised the shooting of all officers of the law, not excepting President Roosevelt, who opposed the principles advocated by her and her associates. She spoke of President Roosevelt in a sneering manner at least a dozen times and deplored the fact that educational and property qualifications are required of voters in the various States.
Intense feeling was aroused by her speech, her audience feeling that she overstepped all bounds in her tirade against officers of the law and especially against the President.
`````
~~~~~~~~~~
SOURCES
Montana News
(Helena, Montana)
-June 7, 1905
http://www.newspapers.com/...
http://www.newspapers.com/...
http://www.newspapers.com/...
The Wilkes-Barre Record
(Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)
-June 7, 1905
http://www.newspapers.com/...
The San Francisco Call
(San Francisco, California)
-June 3, 1905
http://www.newspapers.com/...
IMAGES
Mother Mary Harris Jones, Miners Angel
http://www.biography.com/...
Western Federation of Miners Button
http://www.nps.gov/...
Advertisement for Helena's
Miners' Union Day Celebration of 1905
http://www.newspapers.com/...
Father Thomas J Hagerty
http://www.iww.org/...
Mother Mary Harris Jones Standing
http://theadvocateonline.com/...
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
The Spirit of Mother Jones - Andy Irvine
Mother Jones, the Miners' Angel must be treated with respect
She's an old fashioned lady, and you never would suspect
That this gown and this bonnet would fill a rich man full of dread
"She's the most dangerous woman in America," they said.
-Andy Irvine
See Also:
Spirit of Mother Jones Festival July 2014
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````