What the lawmakers give you
they can take away.
The only thing you are sure of
is what you win for yourself.
-Mother Jones
Hellraisers Journal, Thursday May 10, 1917
Mother Jones News for April: Mother Jones Returns to West Virginia
Who could ever forget the story of Mother Jones in West Virginia during the Paint and Cabin Creek Strike of 1912 and 1913 when she was held prisoner and court-martialed by the military forces of the that state?
Mother Jones has recently returned to the state of West Virginia, along with Peggy Dwyer, as an organizer for the United Mine Workers of America. This is where we find her during most of the month of April 1917.
First, however, we find her mentioned in and article in the New York Tribune of April 1, 1917, written by John J. Leary, Jr., and entitled “How Old Is The Eight-Hour Movement?”
“How old is the eight-hour movement,” asked the city editor, when the attention of the country was focussed on the labor question by the decision of the Supreme Court upholding the Adamson eight-hour act….
As a matter of cold fact, the first law fixing the hours of labor at eight was enacted in New York fifty years ago, in 1857, to be exact. A joker in the law, however, prevented its being much more than a dead letter, for it was also provided that the law should apply only “where there is no contract or agreement to the contrary.” [With the bosses, of course, writing the contracts.]
The author then went on to provide his readers with an excellent history of the fight for the eight-hour day which we encourage our readers to read. The author closes the article:
[Labor leaders] have come to be fearful of jokers such as the New York law of 1867 contained, and of unpleasant experiences with the courts. Thus they foresaw something like the decision in the Adamson case foreshadowing a limit on the right to strike when that measure was passed. There is also the ever present possibility of repeal.
“Legislators and Congressmen are like the Lord in one respect, says old Mother Jones, speaking of this phase of labor uplift. “The lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, and what the lawmakers give you they can take away. The only thing you are sure of is what you win for yourself.”
The picturesque stormy petrel of the labor movement said this in advance of the Supreme Court decision on the eight-hour law….
From Washington, D. C., Sunday Star of April 1, 1917:
Navy Yard Notes
Columbia Lodge, No. 174, I. A. of M., dispensed with its regular business last Wednesday evening and turned the meeting over to the entertainment committee, which had provided for a social session in honor of the invited guests, the most prominent of whom was “Mother” Jones, who addressed the members of the lodge, and the members of the ladies’ auxiliary, who were also invited guests. In addition to “Mother” Jones, N. P. Alifas and Edward McMorrow of the street car workers delivered addresses. C. Bonbres and William East rendered vocal selections…
From Hellraisers Journal of April 4, 1917:
Des Moines, Iowa – Mother Jones Speaks Out on European War
Overnight, perhaps reacting to the War Resolution now before Congress upon the request of President Wilson for same, Mother reversed her stand regarding American involvement in the terrible slaughter now taking place between the waring nations of Europe. In an interview reported by the April 2nd edition of The Des Moines Register, Mother declared:
I hate war. We must not throw our American workingmen into olive drab uniforms, stick guns in their hands, and ship them over to France to be fresh slaughter for the cannons of the devilish kings of Europe.
If John D Rockefeller, Morgan, the Guggenheims, or Wall street wants to see Germany defeated, let them go over and fight in the allies’ trenches. Why should the workingmen fight for the robbers of Wall street? Let them fight their own battles, says I!
The next day, the Register reported that Mother had “abandoned her neutrality:”
“That old blood sucker, the kaiser, ought to be kicked off his throne, and if he ever starts anything with this country we will lick hell out of him if I have to raise a regiment of 10,000 women myself.”
Thus “Mother” Jones, firebrand speaker, abandoned her neutrality in a speech that held spellbound the miners of the thirteenth district, U. M. W. A., who were celebrating the nineteenth anniversary of the securing of the eight-hour day for miners at the Coliseum yesterday afternoon.
From the United Mine Workers Journal of April 5, 1917:
James Smith, of the Bicknell (Indiana) Co-operative Store, remembers Mother Jones:
Before closing I wish to mention that after twelve years of waiting I have received the glad news that my old home state of Maryland is organized. Well do I remember the morning the strike was declared off in 1900. My father and I were delivering groceries from the commissary in Vale Summit, Maryland, and upon hearing the strike was over we drove to the mine to get our tools. The foreman told my father to continue to deliver the groceries, that there was no work for him. To my two older brothers, who played in the Vale Summit band, he said, “No work for you; just go and play for Mother Jones,” and we have all been for her and the great union she advocates ever since.
From Fairmont West Virginian of April 11, 1917:
MOTHER JONES BUSY AGAIN
CHARLESTON, W. Va., April 11,-“Mother” Mary Jones, organizer for the United Mine Workers, has come to West Virginia to organize the mines in the New River field. The campaign will be started at Ansted, Fayette county, this week. Only about one-half of the miner in the New River field are organized.
———-
From the United Mine Workers Journal of April 12, 1917:
Upward of three thousand miners and other workers greeted Mother Jones at Des Moines, Iowa, where she was the principal speaker at the eight-hour-day celebration on April 2.
In the same city and the same hall a week ago only about eight hundred greeted Jeannette Rankin, the first woman to be elected to congress.
Mother’s message to the workers was, as ever, “to organize on the economic field and there to make their struggle for industrial emancipation.” The splendid audiences that greet her wherever she speaks is proof positive that the workers appreciate the wisdom of her advice.
From The Beckley Messenger of April 17, 1917:
“MOTHER” JONES IN BECKLEY
—–
Well Known Agitator Addresses Large
Audience at Court House
—–A large concourse of people of many walks of life were addressed on Sunday afternoon by “Mother” Jones, the well known labor agitator, Mrs. Jones is now 87 years of age and still very expert with the tongue and able to arouse considerable enthusiasm wherever she appears among the miners. The whole union force at Mabscott turned out in force and other nearby towns were well represented. A large number of Beckley people also listened to the talk.
Mrs. Jones harangue, as usual resulted in attacks on the officers of the government. She divulged from the main subject long enough to call the Baldwin men a “set of gutter rats.”
Mrs. Jones went from here to Eccles, saying that her intention in this field was to organize the miners like they are organized on Loup [Loop?] creek.
———-
From The Pittsburgh Post of April 20, 1917:
No Treason Intended.
“Mother” Jones Says
—–CHARLESTON, W. Va., April 19,-“Mother” Jones, labor agitator, and Lawrence Dwyer, organizer for the United Mine Workers, in a signed statement today denied the report that they incited a strike in the New River coal field which would affect shipments of coal to navy bases and munition factories. The statement says that other miners have been given increases and that they are due the New River men.
From The Pittsburg Press of April 23, 1917:
“MOTHER” JONES SEES
NEW ERA FOR LABOR
—–“Mother” Jones spoke in behalf of the convicted labor leaders of California [Tom Mooney and Warren K. Billings], at a meeting held yesterday afternoon in the Lyceum theater, under auspices of the International Workers’ Defense Conference of Pittsburg. She explained how labor had won many battles, and stated the boards of trade of Los Angeles and San Francisco are determined to destroy organized labor. She paid a tribute to American womanhood.
She made the prophesy that a new world, with a new autonomy, will rise from the ashes of the present world war, with the working classes taking hold of the governments and running them for the masses. Jacob Margolis also spoke.
———-
From page six, United Mine Workers Journal of April 26, 1917:
Our Mission in the New River Field
By Mother Jones and Lawrence Dwyer
Charleston, W. Va., April 19.—A report has become current that our recent visit to the New River coal fields was for the purpose of inducing the miners to disregard their present working contract and go upon strike. This report has evidently been started by some of the enemies of organized labor for the purpose of discrediting our organization and preventing the coal miners from affiliating with the United Mine Workers of America. To all of these reports we wish to make the most emphatic denial.
The present New River agreement between the operators and the miners was made on April 1, 1915, and expires on April 1, 1919. It can thus be seen that this agreement was made before the present high cost of living became effective, and must continue for two years more unless the operators will help meet this unforeseen situation. Practically this same situation confronted the miners of the “four competitive states,” in which the contracts did not expire until 1918, and the operators, seeing the injustice that was bound to be worked upon the miners by war conditions, consented to a conference in New York City, in which an advance was agreed upon. The same thing was done in Cabin Creek and Coal River districts, where the contracts do not expire for two years. Notwithstanding this fact, the operators met the miners in conference and agreed to what means a 40 per cent advance over the contract.
We have gone into the New River field at the instance of the nearly one-half million miners of America for the purpose of acquainting the miners there with what has been done, to get them into our organization, and through this method secure a conference with the operators for the purpose of meeting the exceptional conditions. This has been our sole and only object in visiting this section, and not for the purpose of crippling the government at this crisis. At all times we have emphasized the paramount importance of upholding the hands of the government and furnishing coal to the navy and munition plants.
In this crisis we realize that the safety of the country must come first and that the men who swing the pick are of vital importance to the nation. Organized labor has never failed to rally to the call of the nation in the hour of peril, and it will not fail at this time. We hold ourselves ready to answer the call of President Wilson.
From page ten, United Mine Workers Journal of April 26, 1917:
FROM WEST VIRGINIA
Mother Jones in New River FieldWe men of Wickham and this field (New River) wish to say a few words to show our appreciation to National President John P. White and our national organization for sending Mother Jones among us at this present time, as it means an organization to us. With Mother Jones, Lawrence Dwyer, Gilmore and Clendenin, it won’t be long before we have a 100 per cent organization throughout this whole field. We now have that in our local, and Eccles local has increased 200 members this week. Sullivan was re-established this week and some from there told us today that by Sunday every man working there will be members. The same thing can be said of every camp that has been visited by these representatives.
A report was started (and we can guess where it came from) that Mother Jones and Peggy Dwyer were advising the men to get in the organization and then strike, as the navy needed coal, but it made no headway, as every person who attended their meetings (and the meetings were open to all) knows that it was a malicious lie.
The two mines at this place shut down last Monday for the purpose of us holding a joint patriotic demonstration meeting and we had a committee to wait upon Mother Jones and Lawrence Dwyer, inviting them to be present with us. And they informed us it was their desire to be with us but they were unable as they were advertised to speak at Sullivan, W. Va., at the hour we had set, so we arranged and changed our meeting hour six hours sooner. At the meeting both Mother Jones and Peggy Dwyer addressed us in the interests of our government and practically every man and woman of this city were present and listened to Mother Jones and Lawrence Dwyer say that our government comes first and appealed to everyone to rally to our president, Woodrow Wilson. And Mother Jones called our attention to the fact that the German kaiser owned the controlling interest in a silk mill in the state of New Jersey, where they are grinding the lives out of our little girls at a pitiful wage so small that they can hardly keep body and soul together.
The only way we account for such reports being tried to be put out is because these operators who are opposing our organization saw the handwriting on the wall when Mother Jones and Peggy Dwyer doubled up.
We again, in closing, wish to thank President White and our national organization for their assistance, and we hope that Mother Jones will stay awhile with us, and we men of West Virginia will in the very near future hand over 80,000 mine workers to the United Mine Workers of America.
JOHN L. WILEY,
President Wickham Local.———-
SOURCES
New York Tribune
(New York, New York)
-Apr 1, 1917
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1917-04-01/ed-1/seq-39/
The Sunday Star
(Washington, District of Columbia)
-Apr 1, 1917
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1917-04-01/ed-1/seq-31/
Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday April 4, 1917
Des Moines, Iowa – Mother Jones Speaks Out on European War, Abandons Her Neutrality, Says Kaiser Should Be “Kicked Off His Throne”
https://weneverforget.org/hellraisers-journal-mother-jones-abandons-her-neutrality-says-kaiser-should-be-kicked-off-his-throne/
The Des Moines Register
(Des Moines, Iowa)
-Apr 2, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/130545981/
-Apr 3, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/130546055/
The United Mine Workers Journal, Volume 27
(Indianapolis, Indiana)
National Executive Board
of the United Mine Workers of America,
-Jan 4, 1917 to May 31, 1917
https://books.google.com/books?id=c-8_AAAAYAAJ
-UMWJ Apr 5, 1917
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=c-8_AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&pg=GBS.PT422
-Page Ten: Mother Remembered
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=c-8_AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&pg=GBS.PT431
-UMWJ Apr 12, 1917
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=c-8_AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&pg=GBS.PT454
-Page Five: Mother in Des Moines, Iowa
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=c-8_AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&pg=GBS.PT458
-UMWJ Apr 26, 1917
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=c-8_AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&pg=GBS.PT526
-Page Six: Mother Jones and L. Dwyer on Mission in New River Field
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=c-8_AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&pg=GBS.PT531
-Page Ten: Mother Jones in New River Field
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=c-8_AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&pg=GBS.PT535
The West Virginian
(Fairmont, West Virginia)
-Apr 11, 1917
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86072054/1917-04-11/ed-1/seq-9/
The Beckley Messenger
(Beckley, West Virginia)
-Apr 17, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/6826494/
The Pittsburgh Post
(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
-Apr 20, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/87692699
The Pittsburg Press
(Pittsburg, Pennsylvania)
-Apr 23, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/143576068/
IMAGE
Mother Jones, WV with children of striking miners, ISR 1913
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=qFNIAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&source=gbs_atb&pg=GBS.PA646-IA1
See also:
“The West Virginia Court-Martial of Mother Jones”
-by JayRaye
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/3/10/1188855/-ACM-The-West-Virginia-Court-Martial-of-Mother-Jones
Adamson Act
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adamson_Act
Tag: Mooney-Billings Case
https://weneverforget.org/tag/mooney-billings-case/
Mother Jones Speaks:
Collected Writings and Speeches
-ed by Philip Sheldon Foner
Monad Press, 1983
https://books.google.com/books?id=T_m5AAAAIAAJ
From page 293 & note #15 on page 302:
On April 30, 1917, George Wolfe, manager of the Winding Gulf Colliery in Raleigh County, West Virginia, wrote to Justus Collins, President of the Winding Gulf Coal Co., to warn of the impending invasion of the company’s “sacred precincts” by “the Old Hag” Mother Jones:
Mother Jones is with us again and held a meeting at Sophia yesterday afternoon in which she urged all to meet her tonight and organize, then strike. She states that the Operators are receiving six ($6) dollars per ton for their coal and the pitiful 20% raise is a mere bagatele, when by organizing and striking they could receive so mush more. In your communications with the National Defense Council it might be well to call their attention to this, as it does not look well for greater output of coal to have such characters going around the country. The Old Hag has announced that she will invade the sacred precincts of Winding Gulf on the 5th day of May.
Council of National Defense
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_National_Defense
We Never Forget: Francis Estep
http://www.wvgenweb.org/wvcoal/war2.html