And now [Joe Hill] is sentenced to be shot
and we must go to his rescue and use
all our influence to save his life.
The days are few
and there must be immediate action.
-Eugene Victor Debs
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Monday August 30, 1915
From the American Socialist: Eugene Debs Calls for Action to Save Joe Hill
In the American Socialist of August 28th, Comrade Debs calls for immediate action to save the life of that favorite writer of rebel songs, Joe Hill:
Joe Hill, convicted of a murder he did not commit, is sentenced to be shot in October in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hill was convicted upon purely circumstantial evidence by a prejudiced jury after being refused his constitutional right to choose his own counsel. Without going into detail at this time there is sufficient evidence to convince any unprejudiced mind that Joe Hill was convicted because of his militant activity in the labor movement. He is an "undesirable citizen" of the I. W. W. variety but he is anything but a murderer.
Joe Hill is of a poetic temperament and is the author of songs of labor of genuine merit; he is of a tender, sympathetic and generous nature and utterly incapable of committing the crime charged against him. And now he is sentenced to be shot and we must go to his rescue and use all our influence to save his life. The days are few and there must be immediate action. Let every one who is willing to help write to Honorable William Spry, Governor of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah., petitioning the governor for the pardon of Joe Hill. This petition ought to be circulated and as numerously signed as possible and there should be no delay in sending it. Money is also needed and all of us should contribute our mite and help in every other way we can to save the life of this brother of ours in the cause of labor.
[Photograph added.]
~~~~~~~~~~
SOURCE
American Socialist
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Aug 28, 1915
(Also source for images of text within article.)
pdf!https://www.marxists.org/...
IMAGE
Joe Hil
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Letter from Elizabeth Gurley Flynn to Eugene Debs
About August 22nd:
New York City
Dear Comrade Debs,
I received your splendid appeal for Joe Hill and am trying to get same into N. Y. Call. Also received the enclosure of $2.00 which I have forwarded to the Defense Fund.
The latest advise I have received from the Salt Lake City committee is that Judge Hilton (Hill's attorney, an exceptionally reliable lawyer who has defended many miners' cases-possibly you know him) decided that the only practical move now is to appeal to the Board of Pardons. So he will make another trip from Denver, where his office is, on the 3rd Saturday of Sept. for this purpose. It seems the first two lawyers Hill had did not register objections to points decided against him, so left very little technical basis for appeal to the U. S. Courts.
So we will continue circulating the petitions and having people write to the Governor, in hopes of a favorable effect.
Thanking you for your co-operation, I remain, with best wishes,
Fraternally Yours,
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
[Photograph added.]
~~~~~~~~~~
SOURCE
Letters of Eugene V. Debs, Volume 1
-ed by J. Robert Constantine
University of Illinois Press, Jan 1, 1990
https://books.google.com/...
IMAGE
Eugene V Debs
https://www.marxists.org/...
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Dear Readers of Hellraisers,
This year for my vacation, Hellraisers will not be as scaled back as it was for the past two vacations. This happy change is due to my new & much faster computer.
The big change that my readers will see, starting July 16th, will be the shorter length of the postings along with fewer links.
When my readers find unfamiliar names, places, or events, please use the tags along with JayRaye (in diarist section of search feature). Or just leave a question for me in the comments and I will get back to you.
When I actually leave for Minnesota, I'll let everyone know.
Solidarity,
JayRaye
Note: Dear Fellow Workers, Brothers and Sisters, and Comrades: I'm back from Minnesota, but technically still on vacation. I will be checking in briefly at about 2 pm and again at 7 pm each day until Sept 1, at which time Hellraisers Journal will return to it's regular programing with more links and research included. Many thanks to everyone who watched over Hellraisers during the time that my internet access was much limited. I very much appreciate it.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Tune: The Red Flag - Billy Bragg
Joe Hill In Jail
A rebel we have know for long,
Who’s thrilled us often with his song,
Has fallen on an evil day:
They seek to take his life away!
No harm to him can we allow;
He needs our help and he needs it now;
He’s in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He fought for us; we will stand by him.
They’d fill his warrior heart with lead
And gloat to see him safely dead:
His voice forever hushed and still,
Our singing, fighting brave Joe Hill!
No harm to him can we allow;
He needs our help and he needs it now;
He’s in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He fought for us; we will stand by him.
His spirit gloried in the fight:
In Labor’s sure resistless might;
And One Big Union, staunch and strong:
This was the burden of his song.
No harm to him can we allow;
He needs our help and he needs it now;
He’s in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He fought for us; we will stand by him.
His heart was hot with burning hate
Against the bosses, small and great;
He told what haughty Sab-cats do,
And all about the wooden shoe.
No harm to him can we allow;
He needs our help and he needs it now;
He’s in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He fought for us; we will stand by him.
The “long-haired preachers” feared his name;
He filled apologists with shame:
While “Mister Block” so bland and meek,
With “Scissor-bill” did take a sneak.
No harm to him can we allow;
He needs our help and he needs it now;
He’s in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He fought for us; we will stand by him.
Now, boys, we’ve known this rebel long;
In every land, we’ve sung his song;
Let’s get him free that he may see
The day of our great victory!
No harm to him can we allow;
He needs our help and he needs it now;
He’s in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He fought for us; we will stand by him.
He made them hate him high and low;
They feared his tuneful message so;
He’d fight for us while he had breath;
We’ll save him from the jaws of death!
No harm to him can we allow;
He needs our help and he needs it now;
He’s in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He fought for us; we will stand by him.
-Ralph Chaplin, 1914
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````