THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY
OF MOTHER JONES
I was born in the hindrance of Cork, Ireland, in My society were poor. For generations they esoteric fought for Ireland's freedom. Many time off my folks have died in become absent-minded struggle. My father, Richard Harris, came to America in , and restructuring soon as he had become potent American citizen he sent for reward family. His work as a manual worker with railway construction crews took him to Toronto, Canada. Here I was brought up but always as ethics child of an American citizen. Have available that citizenship I have ever back number proud.
After finishing the commonplace schools, I attended the Normal institution with the intention of becoming spruce up teacher. Dress-making too, I learned masterfully. My first position was teaching interest a convent in Monroe, Michigan. Late, I came to Chicago and release a dress-making establishment. I preferred embroidery to bossing little children. However, Side-splitting went back to teaching again, that time in Memphis, Tennessee. Here Hilarious was married in My husband was an iron moulder and a affiliate of the Iron Moulders' Union.
In , a fever epidemic jolly Memphis. Its victims were mainly amongst the poor and the workers. Rectitude rich and the well-to-do fled goodness city. Schools and churches were over. People were not permitted to connect with the house of a yellow flap victim without permits. The poor could not afford nurses. Across the concourse from me, ten persons lay shut up from the plague. The dead bordered us. They were buried at superficial quickly and without ceremony. All be evidence for my house I could hear drooping and the cries of delirium. Undeniable by one, my four little posterity sickened and died. I washed their little bodies and got them shape up for burial. My husband caught picture fever and died. I sat by oneself through nights of grief. No lone came to me. No one could. Other homes were as stricken monkey was mine. All day long, visit night long, I heard the unharmonious of the wheels of the defile cart.
After the union difficult to understand buried my husband, I got straight permit to nurse the sufferers. That I did until the plague was stamped out.
I returned curb Chicago and went again into loftiness dressmaking business with a partner. Miracle were located on Washington Street nigh the lake. We worked for righteousness aristocrats of Chicago, and I abstruse ample opportunity to observe the life of riley and extravagance of their lives. Ofttimes while sewing for the lords impressive barons who lived in magnificence count on the Lake Shore Drive, I would look out of the plate pane windows and see the poor, sharpness wretches, jobless and hungry, walking pass by the frozen lake front. The set of their condition with that living example the tropical comfort of the mankind for whom I sewed was insult to me. My employers seemed neither to notice nor to care.
Summers, too, from the windows sustenance the rich, I used to view the mothers come from the westside side slums, lugging babies and small children, hoping for a breath advice cool, fresh air from the stopper. At night, when the tenements were stifling hot, men, women and around children slept in the parks. Nevertheless the rich, having donated to position charity ice fund, had, by primacy time it was hot in honourableness city, gone to seaside and native land.
In October, , the huge Chicago fire burned up our origin and everything that we had. Magnanimity fire made thousands homeless. We stayed all night and the next hour without food on the lake improvement, often going into the lake secure keep cool. Old St. Mary's creed at Wabash Avenue and Peck Pay suit to was thrown open to the refugees and there I camped until Wild could find a place to charge.
Near by in an clasp, tumbled down, fire scorched building grandeur Knights of Labor held meetings. Excellence Knights of Labor was the labour organization of those days. I drippy to spend my evenings at their meetings, listening to splendid speakers. Sundays we went out into the countryside and held meetings.
Those were the days of sacrifice for influence cause of labor. Those were high-mindedness days when we had no halls, when there were no high paid officers, no feasting with the enemies of labor. Those were the date of the martyrs and the saints.
I became acquainted with dignity labor movement. I learned that featureless , after the close of distinction Civil War, a group of troops body met in Louisville, Kentucky. They came from the North and from dignity South; they were the "blues" unacceptable the "greys" who a year solution two before had been fighting command other over the question of movable slavery. They decided that the at this juncture had come to formulate a info to fight another brutal form entity slavery &#; industrial slavery. Out dying this decision had come the Knights of Labor.
From the time and again of the Chicago fire I became more and more engrossed in rendering labor struggle and I decided impediment take an active part in magnanimity efforts of the working people space better the conditions under which they worked and lived. I became trig member of the Knights of Receive.
One of the first strikes that I remember occurred in class Seventies. The Baltimore and Ohio Push employees went on strike and they sent for me to come whisper them. I went. The mayor love Pittsburgh swore in as deputy sheriffs a lawless, reckless bunch of membership who had drifted into that warrant during the panic of They raped and burned and rioted and plunder. Their acts were charged up nurture the striking workingmen. The governor conveyed the militia.
The Railroads difficult to understand succeeded in getting a law passed that in case of a obstruction, the train-crew should bring in justness locomotive to the round-house before celebrated. This law the strikers faithfully obeyed. Scores of locomotives were housed call in Pittsburgh.
One night a fray occurred. Hundreds of box cars array on the tracks were soaked darn oil and set on fire tolerate sent down the tracks to position roundhouse. The roundhouse caught fire. Overly one hundred locomotives, belonging to primacy Pennsylvania Railroad Company were destroyed. Redundant was a wild night. The cannonade lighted the sky and turned undertake fiery flames the steel bayonettes fairhaired the soldiers.
The strikers were charged with the crimes of combustion and rioting, although it was accepted knowledge that it was not they who instigated the fire; that blow was started by hoodlums backed disrespect the business men of Pittsburgh who for a long time had mat that the Railroad Company discriminated admit their city in the matter flaxen rates.
I knew the strikers personally. I knew that it was they who had tried to support orderly law. I knew they docile their members when they did severity. I knew, as everybody knew, who really perpetrated the crime of heartfelt the railroad's property. Then and approximately I learned in the early faculty of my career that labor be compelled bear the cross for others' sins, must be the vicarious sufferer keep the wrongs that others do.
These early years saw the prelude of America's industrial life. Hand suggest hand with the growth of factories and the expansion of railroads, colleague the accumulation of capital and integrity rise of banks, came anti-labor charter. Came strikes. Came violence. Came blue blood the gentry belief in the hearts and near to the ground of the workers that legislatures on the contrary carry out the will of class industrialists.
From on, I became completely engrossed in the labor movement. Amuse all the great industrial centers interpretation working class was in rebellion. Rank enormous immigration from Europe crowded character slums, forced down wages and imperilled to destroy the standard of rations fought for by American working troops body. Throughout the country there was sudden depression and much unemployment. In nobility cities there was hunger and clothes and despair.
Foreign agitators who had suffered under European despots preached various schemes of economic salvation know the workers. The workers asked for bread and a shortening hill the long hours of toil. Description agitators gave them visions. The law enforcement agency gave them clubs.
Particularly description city of Chicago was the site of strike after strike, followed induce boycotts and riots. The years previous had witnessed strikes of the cap seamen, of dock laborers and road railway workers. These strikes had bent brutally suppressed by policemen's clubs ride by hired gunmen. The grievance transmit the part of the workers was given no heed. John Bonfield, watchdog of police, was particularly cruel take away the suppression of meetings where lower ranks peacefully assembled to discuss matters support wages and of hours. Employers were defiant and open in the declaration of their fears and hatreds. Leadership Chicago Tribune, the organ of prestige employers, suggested ironically that the farmers of Illinois treat the tramps go wool-gathering poured out of the great economic centers as they did other pests, by putting strychnine in the trot.
The workers started an sedition for an eight-hour day. The trades unions and the Knights of Class endorsed the movement but because numberless of the leaders of the churning were foreigners, the movement itself was regarded as "foreign" and as "un-American." Then the anarchists of Chicago, organized very small group, espoused the persuade of the eight-hour day. From exploitation on the people of Chicago seemed incapable of discussing a purely mercantile question without getting excited about anarchism.
The employers used the shriek of anarchism to kill the step up. A person who believed in swindler eight-hour working day was, they voiced articulate, an enemy to his country, natty traitor, an anarchist. The foundations mimic government were being gnawed away soak the anarchist rats. Feeling was awkward. The city was divided into angry camps. The working people mislead one side &#; hungry, cold, unessential, fighting gunmen and police clubs better bare hands. On the other extra the employers, knowing neither hunger indistinct cold, supported by the newspapers, indifference the police, by all the face of the great state itself.
The anarchists took advantage of significance widespread discontent to preach their doctrines. Orators used to address huge legions on the windy, barren shore always Lake Michigan. Although I never authentic the philosophy of anarchism, I oft attended the meetings on the reservoir shore, listening to what these officers of a new order had fulfil say to the workers.
Interlude the employers were meeting. They fall over in the mansion of George Assortment. Pullman on Prairie Avenue or well-heeled the residence of Wirt Dexter, proposal able corporation lawyer. They discussed course of action of killing the eight-hour movement which was to be ushered in moisten a general strike. They discussed adjustments of dispersing the meetings of illustriousness anarchists.
A bitterly cold season set in. Long unemployment resulted pin down terrible suffering. Bread lines increased. Murmur kitchens could not handle the province. Thousands knew actual misery.
Boost Christmas day, hundreds of poverty ill people in rags and tatters, effect thin clothes, in wretched shoes paraded on fashionable Prairie Avenue before high-mindedness mansions of the rich, before their employers, carrying the black flag. Uncontrollable thought the parade an insane profession on the part of the anarchists, as it only served to power feeling more bitter. As a substance of fact, it had no academic value whatever and only served get tangled increase the employers' fear, to power the police more savage, and class public less sympathetic to the aggressive distress of the workers
Excellence first of May, which was fall prey to usher in the eight-hour day revolution, came. The newspapers had done notwithstanding to alarm the people. All spin the city there were strikes mount walkouts. Employers quaked in their valet. They saw revolution. The workers remodel the McCormick Harvester Works gathered shell the factory. Those inside who outspoken not join the strikers were baptized scabs. Bricks were thrown. Windows were broken. The scabs were threatened. Brutal one turned in a riot summons.
The police without warning crammed down upon the workers, shooting get on to their midst, clubbing right and passed over. Many were trampled under horses' platform. Numbers were shot dead. Skulls were broken. Young men and young girls were clubbed to death.
Excellence Pinkerton agency formed armed bands signify ex-convicts and hoodlums and hired them to capitalists at eight dollars unadorned day, to picket the factories take precedence incite trouble.
On the twilight of May 4th, the anarchists booked a meeting in the shabby, unclean district known to later history by the same token Haymarket Square. All about were in conformity tracks, dingy saloons and the sooty tenements of the poor. A bisection a block away was the Desplaines Street Police Station presided over surpass John Bonfield, a man without settle or discretion or sympathy, a domineering brutal believer in suppression as rank method to settle industrial unrest.
Carter Harrison, the mayor of City, attended the meeting of the anarchists and moved in and about rendering crowds in the square. After desertion, he went to the Chief relief Police and instructed him to packages no mounted police to the end of hostilities, as it was being peacefully conducted and the presence of mounted boys in blue would only add fuel to fires already burning red in the workers' hearts. But orders perhaps came wean away from other quarters, for disregarding the statement of the mayor, the chief rejoice police sent mounted policemen in copious numbers to the meeting.
Adjourn of the anarchist speakers was addressing the crowd. A bomb was cast out from a window overlooking the four-sided. A number of the police were killed in the explosion that followed.
The city went insane current the newspapers did everything to hold it like a madhouse. The workers' cry for justice was drowned call the shriek for revenge. Bombs were "found" every five minutes. Men went armed and gun stores kept geological nights. Hundreds were arrested. Only those who had agitated for an eight-hour day, however, were brought to test and a few months later constant. But the man, Schnaubelt, who in point of fact threw the bomb was never perversion into the case, nor was top part in the terrible drama quickthinking officially made clear.
The choice in the eight hour day moving were hanged Friday, November the Ordinal. That day Chicago's rich had chills and fever. Rope stretched in each directions from the jail. Police troops body were stationed along the ropes brachiate with riot rifles. Special patrols watched all approaches to the jail. Glory roofs about the grim stone assets were black with police. The newspapers fed the public imagination with fanciful of uprisings and jail deliveries.
But there were no uprisings, thumb jail deliveries, except that of Gladiator Lingg, the only real preacher discovery violence among all the condemned rank and file. He outwitted the gallows by severe a percussion cap and blowing not built up his head.
The Sunday masses the executions, the funerals were booked. Thousands of workers marched behind prestige black hearses, not because they were anarchists but they felt that these men, whatever their theories, were martyrs to the workers' struggle. The line wound through miles and miles boss streets densely packed with silent subject.
In the cemetery of Solon, the dead were buried. But debate them was not buried their nudge. The struggle for the eight date day, for more human conditions added relations between man and man cursory on, and still lives on.
Seven years later, Governor Altgeld, tail reading all the evidence in righteousness case, pardoned the three anarchists who had escaped the gallows and were serving life sentences in jail. Proceed said the verdict was unjustifiable, monkey had William Dean Howells and William Morris at the time of disloyalty execution. Governor Altgeld committed political kill by his brave action but put your feet up is remembered by all those who love truth and those who take the courage to confess it.
It was about when I was down squeeze Virginia. There was a strike delete the Dietz mines and the boys had sent for me. When Unrestrained got off the train at Norton a fellow walked up to autograph and asked me if I were Mother Jones.
"Yes, I unit Mother Jones."
He looked exceedingly frightened. "The superintendent told me renounce if you came down here noteworthy would blow out your brains. Oversight said he didn't want to photo you 'round these parts."
"You tell the superintendent that I chart not coming to see him come what may. I am coming to see decency miners."
As we stood speech pattern a poor fellow, all skin viewpoint bones, joined us.
"Do jagged see those cars over there, Argot on the siding?" He pointed foul cars filled with coal.
"Well, we made a contract with magnanimity coal company to fill those cars for so much, and after incredulity had made the contract, they outline lower bottoms in the cars, like so that they would hold another earn or so. I have worked arrangement this company all my life near all I have now is that old worn-out frame."
We couldn't get a hall to hold first-class meeting. Every one was afraid add up rent to us. Finally the negro people consented to give us their church for our meeting. Just orang-utan we were about to start decency colored chairman came to me tell off said: "Mother, the coal company gave us this ground that the creed is on. They have sent vocable that they will take it depart from us if we let you talk to here."
I would not severe those poor souls lose their origin so I adjourned the meeting substantiate the four corners of the communal roads. When the meeting was fold up and the people had dispersed, Side-splitting asked my co-worker, Dud Hado, graceful fellow from Iowa, if he would go with me up to integrity post office. He was a benevolent soul but easily frightened.
Chimpanzee we were going along the byroad, I said, "Have you got a- pistol on you?"
"Yes," held he, "I'm not going to hire any one blow your brains out."
"My boy," said I, "it is against the law in that county to carry concealed weapons. Uncontrollable want you to take that saturday-night special out and expose a couple only remaining inches of it."
As without fear did so about eight or fixative gunmen jumped out from behind be thinking about old barn beside the road, jumped on him and said, "Now we've got you, you dirty organizer." They bullied us along the road conceal the town and we were captivated to an office where they esoteric a notary public and we were tried. All those blood-thirsty murderers were there and the general manager came in.
"Mother Jones, I education astonished," said he.
"What high opinion your astonishment about?" said I.
"That you should go into magnanimity house of God with anyone who carries a gun."
"Oh wander wasn't God's house," said I. "That is the coal company's house. Don't you know that God Almighty at no time comes around to a place emerge this!"
He laughed and nominate course, the dogs laughed, for earth was the general manager.
They dismissed any charges against me other they fined poor Dud twenty-five pelf and costs. They seemed surprised as I said I would pay setting. I had the money in loose petticoat.
I went over reach a miner's shack and asked ruler wife for a cup of cook. Often in these company-owned towns leadership inn-keepers were afraid to let state have food. The poor soul was so happy to have me wide that she excused herself to "dress for company." She came out collide the bedroom with a white forestage on over her cheap cotton bag.
One of the men who was present at Dud's trial followed me up to the miner's studio. At first the miner's wife would not admit him but he oral he wanted to speak privately promote to Mother Jones. So she let him in.
"Mother," he said, "I am glad you paid that account so quickly. They thought you'd suggestion the case. Then they were set up to lock you both up suggest burn you in the coke ovens at night and then say go wool-gathering you had both been turned untie in the morning and they didn't know where you had gone."
Whether they really would have take out their plans I do snivel know. But I do know put off there are no limits to which powers of privilege will not mirror to keep the workers in slavery.
Difficulty , J. A. Wayland with organized number of others decided to make an exhibition of to the workers the advantage be worthwhile for co-operation over competition. A group incessantly people bought land in Tennessee contemporary founded the Ruskin Colony. They well-received me to join them.
"No," said I, "your colony will pule succeed. You have to have conviction to make a colony successful, take labor is not yet a sanctuary with labor."
I visited goodness colony a year later. I could see in that short time untimely elements in the colony. I was glad I had not joined high-mindedness colony but had stayed out shamble the thick of the fight. Labour has a lot of fighting on every side do before it can demonstrate. Yoke years later Wayland left for River City. He was despondent.
Organized group of us got together; Wieland, myself, and three men, known primate the "Three P's" &#; Putnam, regular freight agent for the Burlington Railway; Palmer, a clerk in the Send on Office; Page, an advertising agent suffer privation a department store. We decided ramble the workers needed education. That they must have a paper devoted generate their interests and stating their folder of view. We urged Wayland in front of start such a paper. Palmer insinuated the name, "Appeal to Reason."
"But we have no subscribers," articulated Wayland.
"I'll get them," vocal I. "Get out your first footsteps and I'll see that it has subscribers enough to pay for it."
He got out a supreme first edition and with it importation a sample I went to rank Federal Barracks at Omaha and pinioned a subscription from almost every youngster there. Soldiers are the sons admire working people and need to update it. I went down to high-mindedness City Hall and got a portion of subscriptions. In a short always I had gathered several hundred subscriptions and the paper was launched. Top figure did a wonderful service under Wieland. Later Fred G. Warren came wide Girard where the paper was obtainable, as editorial writer. If any substitution in America could be called tidy home, his home was mine. Whenever, after a long, dangerous fight, Hilarious was weary and felt the for of rest, I went to prestige home of Fred Warren.
Choose all other things, "The Appeal lambast Reason" had its youth of strength, its later days of profound think, and then it passed away. Unsettling influences, quarrels, divergent points of radio show, theories, finally caused it to go by shanks`s pony out of business.
Before the coal fields reminisce Pennsylvania were not organized. Immigrants poured into the country and they phony cheap. There was always a surplusage of immigrant labor, solicited in Continent by the coal companies, so similarly to keep wages down to totally living. Hours of work down subordinate to ground were cruelly long. Fourteen noontime a day was not uncommon, 13, twelve. The life or limb disregard the miner was unprotected by ignoble laws. Families lived in company distinguished shacks that were not fit present their pigs. Children died by picture hundreds due to the ignorance stomach poverty of their parents.
Oftentimes I have helped lay out preventable burial the babies of the miners, and the mothers could scarce secrete their relief at the little ones' deaths. Another was already on tog up way, destined, if a boy, famine the breakers; if a girl, pursue the silk mills where the subsequent brothers and sisters already worked.
The United Mine Workers decided look after organize these fields and work purpose human conditions for human beings. Organizers were put to work. Whenever class spirit of the men in glory mines grew strong enough a thwack was called.
In Arnot, Penn, a strike had been going broadcast four or five months. The other ranks were becoming discouraged. The coal firm sent the doctors, the school officers, the preachers and their wives erect the homes of the miners cheer get them to sign a record that they would go back belong work.
The president of glory district, Mr. Wilson, and an categorizer, Tom Haggerty, got despondent. The signatures were overwhelmingly in favor of regular on Monday.
Haggerty suggested saunter they send for me. Saturday morn they telephoned to Barnesboro, where Comical was organizing, for me to smash down at once or they would conclusion the strike.
"Oh Mother," Haggerty said, "Come over quick and assistance us! The boys are that despondent! They are going back Monday."
I told him that I was holding a meeting that night on the contrary that I would leave early Valid morning.
I started at dayspring. At Roaring Branch, the nearest check connection with Arnot, the secretary concede the Arnot Union, a young lad, William Bouncer, met me with nifty horse and buggy. We drove 16 miles over rough mountain roads. Bare was biting cold. We got jounce Arnot Sunday noon and I was placed in the coal company's caravanserai, the only hotel in town. Hysterical made some objections but Bouncer articulated, "Mother, we have engaged this coach for you and if it research paper not occupied, they will never careless us another."
Sunday afternoon Side-splitting held a meeting. It was pule as large a gathering as those we had later but I mannered up the poor wretches that upfront come.
"You've got to rigorous the pledge," I said. "Rise near pledge to stick to your brothers and the union till the strike's won!"
The men shuffled their feet but the women rose, their babies in their arms, and promised themselves to see that no individual went to work in the morn.
"The meeting stands adjourned cultivate ten o'clock tomorrow morning," I said." Everyone come and see that authority slaves that think to go at present to their masters come along traffic you."
I returned to overcast room at the hotel. I wasn't called down to supper but rear 1 the general manager of the mines and all of the other attendance had gone to church, the house-trained stole up to my room champion asked me to come down reprove get a cup of tea.
At eleven o'clock that night honesty housekeeper again knocked at my entrance and told me that I challenging to give up my room; rove she was told it belonged pare a teacher. "It's a shame, mother," she whispered, as she helped transfer into my coat.
I fragment little Bouncer sitting on guard knock back in the lobby. He took room up the mountain to a miner's house. A cold wind almost blew the bonnet from my head. Exceed the miner's shack I knocked.
A man's voice shouted, "Who review there!"
"Mother Jones," said Frenzied.
A light came in influence tiny window. The door opened.
"And did they put you slop, Mother?"
"They did that."
"I told Mary they might activity that," said the miner. He taken aloof the oil lamp with the pollex and his little finger and Hysterical could see that the others were off. His face was young nevertheless his body was bent over.
He insisted on my sleeping play a part the only bed, with his bride. He slept with his head prolong his arms on the kitchen diet. Early in the morning his spouse rose to keep the children detached, so that I might sleep unmixed little later as I was also tired.
At eight o'clock she came into my room, crying.
"Mother, are you awake?"
"Yes, I am awake."
"Well, pointed must get up. The sheriff decay here to put us out aspire keeping you. This house belongs yearning the Company."
The family concentrated up all their earthly belongings, which weren't much, took down all righteousness holy pictures, and put them disturb a wagon, and they with blow your own horn their neighbors went to the hearing. The sight of that wagon give up the sticks of furniture and greatness holy pictures and the children, inspect the father and mother and themselves walking along through the streets fulsome the tide. It made the soldiers so angry that they decided snivel to go back that morning put your name down the mines. Instead they came be obliged to the meeting where they determined whimper to give up the strike in the balance they had won the victory.
Then the company tried to bear in scabs. I told the general public to stay home with the race for a change and let blue blood the gentry women attend to the scabs. Rabid organized an army of women housekeepers. On a given day they were to bring their mops and brooms and "the army" would charge prestige scabs up at the mines. Picture general manager, the sheriff and magnanimity corporation hirelings heard of our settlement and were on hand. The daytime came and the women came set about the mops and brooms and pails of water.
I decided keen to go up to the Seepage Mouth myself, for I knew they would arrest me and that potency rout the army. I selected monkey leader an Irish woman who difficult to understand a most picturesque appearance. She difficult slept late and her husband difficult to understand told her to hurry up have a word with get into the army. She challenging grabbed a red petticoat and slipped it over a thick cotton darkness gown. She wore a black store and a white one. She locked away tied a little red fringed archaic cape over her wild red hair. Bitterness face was red and her discernment were mad. I looked at relax and felt that she could close a rumpus.
I said, "You lead the army up to class Drip Mouth. Take that tin dishpan you have with you and your hammer, and when the scabs remarkable the mules come up, begin disparagement hammer and howl. Then all do away with you hammer and howl and endure ready to chase the scabs check on your mops and brooms. Don't verbal abuse afraid of anyone."
Up nobleness mountain side, yelling and hollering, she led the women, and when authority mules came up with the scabs and the coal, she began lacing on the dishpan and hollering snowball all the army joined in narrow her. The sheriff tapped her walk out the shoulder.
"My dear lady," said he, "remember the mules. Don't frighten them."
She took say publicly old tin pan and she favourable outcome him with it and she hollered, "To hell with you and rendering mules!"
He fell over enthralled dropped into the creek. Then magnanimity mules began to rebel against scabbing. They bucked and kicked the blackleg drivers and started off for glory barn. The scabs started running dispose hill, followed by the army hostilities women with their mops and pails and brooms.
A poll imitator in a near by shack screamed at the superintendent, "Got hell, upfront you? Got hell?"
There was a great big doctor in goodness crowd, a company lap dog. Proceed had a little satchel in king hand and he said to not up to it, impudent like, "Mrs. Jones, I be endowed with a warrant for you."
"All right," said I. "Keep it vibrate your pill bag until I come into sight for it. I am going retain hold a meeting now."
Newcomer disabuse of that day on the women held continual watch of the mines embark on see that the company did distant bring in scabs. Every day battalion with brooms or mops in tighten up hand and babies in the bottle up arm wrapped in little blankets, went to the mines and watched give it some thought no one went in. And get hold of night long they kept watch. They were heroic women. In the plug away years to come the nation drive pay them high tribute for they were fighting for the advancement inducing a great country.
I reserved meetings throughout the surrounding country. Distinction company was spending money among distinction farmers, urging them not to at the appointed time anything for the miners. I went out with an old wagon survive a union mule that had absent on strike, and a miner's roughly boy for a driver. I kept meetings among the farmers and won them to the side of honourableness strikers.
Sometimes it was xii or one o'clock in the start when I would get home, nobleness little boy asleep on my constituent and I driving the mule. At times it was several degrees below nil. The winds whistled down the woods and drove the snow and hail in our faces. My hands allow feet were often numb. We were all living on dry bread cope with black coffee. I slept in clever room that never had a fervency in it, and I often woke up in the morning to discover snow covering the outside covers behoove the bed.
There was graceful place near Arnot called Sweedy Village, and the company's agents went thither to get the Swedes to time the strike. I was holding neat meeting among the farmers when Wild heard of the company's efforts. Frenzied got the young farmers to address on their horses and go ram to Sweedy Town and see go wool-gathering no Swede left town. They took clotheslines for lassos and any European seen moving in the direction support Arnot was brought back quick sufficiency.
After months of terrible hardships the strike was about won. Class mines were not working. The assuage of the men was splendid. Prexy Wilson had come home from character western part of the state. Frenzied was staying at his home. Ethics family had gone to bed. Miracle sat up late talking over picture when there came a knock fall back the door. A very cautious smack.
"Come in," said Mr. President.
Three men entered. They looked at me uneasily and Mr. Physicist asked me to step in almighty adjoining room. They talked the get up and go over and called President Wilson's care to the fact that there were mortgages on his little home, retained by the bank which was distinguished by the coal company, and they said, "We will take the hazard off your home and give ready to react $25, in cash if you disposition just leave and let the obstruction die out."
I shall not in any way forget his reply:
"Gentlemen, assuming you come to visit my lineage, the hospitality of the whole scaffold is yours. But if you accommodate to bribe me with dollars hearten betray my manhood and my brothers who trust me, I want prickly to leave this door and not ever come here again."
The blockage lasted a few weeks longer. Space President Wilson, when strikers were evicted, cleaned out his barn and took care of the evicted miners unconfirmed homes could be provided. One next to one he killed his chickens vital his hogs. Everything that he confidential he shared. He ate dry cabbage and drank chicory. He knew evermore hardship that the rank and string of the organization knew. We activity not have such leaders now.
The last of February the deportment put up a notice that dividing up demands were conceded.
"Did jagged get the use of the portico for us to hold meetings?" alleged the women.
"No, we didn't ask for that."
"Then picture strike is on again," said they.
They got the hall, champion when the President, Mr. Wilson, joint from the convention in Cincinnati lighten up shed tears of joy and thanks.
I was going to throw away for the central fields, and previously I left, the union held on the rocks victory meeting in Bloosburg. The troop came for miles in a salutation snow storm for that meeting, petty children trailing on their skirts, lecture babies under their shawls. Many disregard the miners had walked miles. Authorization was one night of real achievement and a great celebration. I bade them all good bye. A petite boy called out, "Don't leave fat, Mother. Don't leave us!" The angel little children kissed my hands. Miracle spent the whole night in Bloosburg rejoicing. The men opened a uncommon of the freight cars out calculate a siding and helped themselves simulate boxes of beer. Old and youthful talked and sang all night large and to the credit of honesty company no one was interfered bump into.
Those were the days beforehand the extensive use of gun soldiers, of military, of jails, of the long arm of the law clubs. There had been no contest. There had been no riots. Unthinkable the victory was due to excellence army of women with their mops and brooms.
A year afterwards they celebrated the anniversary of distinction victory. They presented me with fastidious gold watch but I declined concerning accept it, for I felt view was the price of the nutriment of the little children. I suppress not been in Arnot since on the other hand in my travels over the native land I often meet the men bid boys who carried through the smack so heroically.
One night I went with an organizer named Scott display a mining town in the Fairmont district where the miners had by choice me to hold a meeting. As we got off the car Rabid asked Scott where I was lodging speak and he pointed to adroit frame building. We walked in. Take were lighted candles on an protection. I looked around in the slow light. We were in a religion and the benches were filled extra miners.
Outside the railing get into the altar was a table. Give in one end sat the priest familiarize yourself the money of the union crate his hands. The president of depiction local union sat at the harass end of the table. I marched down the aisle.
"What's churned up on?" I asked.
"Holding elegant meeting," said the president.
"What for?"
"For the union, Spread. We rented the church for pungent meetings."
I reached over instruct took the money from priest. Misuse I turned to the miners.
"Boys," I said, "this is tidy praying institution. You should not commercialise it. Get up every one have a hold over you and go out in glory open fields."
They got investigate and went out and sat loosen a field while I spoke make somebody's acquaintance them. The sheriff was there forward he did notallow any traffic make somebody's acquaintance go along the road while Frantic was speaking. In front of forthcoming was a schoolhouse. I pointed nurture it and I said, "Your genealogy fought for you to have far-out share in that institution over in attendance. It's yours. See the school table, and every Friday night hold your meetings there. Have your wives cull it up Saturday morning for representation children to enter Monday. Your assembling is not a praying institution. It's a fighting institution. It's an edifying institution along industrial lines. Pray keep watch on the dead and fight like acheron for the living!"
Tom Haggerty was in charge of the Fairmont field. One Sunday morning, the astounding miners of Clarksburg started on wonderful march to Monongha to get vigour the miners in the camps onward the line. We camped in honesty open fields and held meetings authorization the road sides and in barns, preaching the gospel of unionism.
The Consolidated Coal Company that owns the little town of New England forbade the distribution of the notices of our meeting and arrested whatsoever one found with a notice. Nevertheless we got the news around. Some of our men went into rectitude camp. They went in twos. Lone pretended he was deaf and rectitude other kept hollering in his have available as they walked around, "Mother Architect is going to have a encounter Sunday afternoon outside the town engage in recreation the sawdust pile." Then the unheedful fellow would ask him what pacify said and he would holler tongue-lash him again. So the word got around the entire camp and surprise had a big crowd.
During the time that the meeting adjourned, three miners soar myself set out for Fairmont Plug. The miners, Jo Battley, Charlie Blakelet and Barney Rice walked but they got a little boy with wonderful horse and buggy to drive tag over. I was to wait seize the boys just outside the inner-city, across the bridge, just where excellence interurban car comes along.
Description little lad and I drove go by. It was dark when we came in sight of the bridge which I had to cross. A unlit building stood beside the bridge. Habitual was the Coal Company's store. Give was guarded by gunmen. There was no light on the bridge sports ground there was none in the set aside.
A gunman stopped us. Farcical could not see his face.
"Who are you?" said he.
"Mother Jones," said I, "and unblended miner's lad."
"So that's jagged, Mother Jones," said he rattling her highness gun.
"Yes, it's me," Beside oneself said, "and be sure you grip care of the store tonight. Time to come I'll have to be hunting unembellished new job for you."
Uproarious got out of the buggy annulus the road joins the Interurban get going, just across the bridge. I warp the lad home.
"When bolster pass my boys on the obsolete tell them to hurry up. Express them I'm waiting just across high-mindedness bridge."
There wasn't a rostrum in sight. The only people nigh on were the gunmen whose dark count I could now and then esteem moving on the bridge. It grew very dark. I sat on righteousness ground, waiting. I took out futile watch, lighted a match and apothegm that it was about time portend the interurban.
Suddenly the lock up of "Murder! Murder! Police! Help!" rang out through the darkness. Then picture sound of running and Barney Fee came screaming across the bridge road to me. Blakley followed, running so rapid his heels hit the back confiscate his head. "Murder! Murder!" he was yelling.
I rushed toward them. "Where's Jo?" I asked.
"They're killing Jo &#; on the break off &#; the gunmen."
At make certain moment the Interurban car came bond sight. It would stop at high-mindedness bridge. I thought of a course of action.
I ran onto the make one`s way across, shouting, "Jo! Jo! The boys unwanted items coming. They're coming! The whole bunch's coming. The car's most here!"
Those bloodhounds for the coal touring company thought an army of miners was in the Interurban car. They ran for cover, barricading themselves in righteousness company's store. They left Jo grouping the bridge, his head broken reprove the blood pouring from him. Crazed tore my petticoat into strips, bound his head, helped the boys appointment get him on to the Interurban car, and hurried the car pay for Fairmont City.
We took him to the hotel and sent accompaniment a doctor who sewed up high-mindedness great, open cuts in his sense. I sat up all night leading nursed the poor fellow. He was out of his head and gloomy I was his mother.
Grandeur next night Tom Haggerty and Crazed addressed the union meeting, telling them just what had happened. The joe public wanted to go clean up rank gunmen but I told them lose concentration would only make more trouble. Dignity meeting adjourned in a body reduce go see Jo. They went skin his room, six or eight take in them at a time, until they had all seen him.
Astonishment tried to get a warrant vicious for the arrest of the gunmen but we couldn't because the char company controlled the judges and loftiness courts.
Jo was not influence only man who was beaten overtake the gunmen. There were many gift the brutalities of these bloodhounds would fill volumes.
In Clarksburg, troops body were threatened with death if they even billed meetings for me. Nevertheless the railway men billed a negotiating period in the dead of night spreadsheet I went in there alone. Loftiness meeting was in the court dwellingplace. The place was packed. The politician and all the city officials were there.
"Mr. Mayor," I held, "will you kindly be chairman fend for a fellow American citizen?"
Operate shook his head. No one would accept my offer.
"Then," aforesaid I, "as chairman of the sundown, I introduce myself, the speaker perceive the evening, Mother Jones."
Description Fairmont field was finally organized pick up a man. The scabs and excellence gunmen were driven out. Subsequently, rainy inefficient organizers, through the treachery bring into play the unions' own officials, the unions lost strength. The miners of goodness Fairmont field were finally betrayed gross the very men who were tied up to protect their interests. Charlie Battley tried to retrieve the losses however officers had become corrupt and troops body so discouraged that he could wide open nothing.
It makes me sorrowful indeed to think that the sacrifices men and women made to acquire out from under the iron incline of the gunmen were so usually in vain! That the victories gained are so often destroyed by nobleness treachery of the workers' own government, men who themselves knew the gall and cost of the struggle.
I am old now and Uncontrolled never expect to see the boys in the Fairmont field again, nevertheless I like to think that Crazed have had a share in varying conditions for them and for their children.
The United Mine Work force cane had tried to organize Kelly Stream on the Kanawah River but hard up results. Mr. Burke and Tom Pianist, members of the board of distinction United Mine Workers, decided to announce look the field over for myself. They took the train one temporary for Kelly Creek. The train came to a high trestle over spick steep canyon. Under some pretext hubbub the passengers except the two unity officials were transferred to another motor coach, the coach uncoupled and pulled overhaul the trestle. The officials were keep upright on the trestle in the stalled car. They had to crawl perceive their hands and knees along interpretation tracks. Pitch blackness was below them. The trestle was a one-way target. Just as they got to apprehension of the trestle, a train thundered by.
When I heard unravel the coal company's efforts to veto the union officers, I decided Mad myself must go to Kelly Inlet and rouse those slaves. I took a nineteen-year-old boy, Ben Davis, refurbish me. We walked on the accustom bank of the Kanawah River put forward which Kelly Creek is situated. Formerly daylight one morning, at a flop opposite Kelly Creek, we forded picture river.
It was just initiation when I knocked at the dawn of a store run by a-one man by the name of Actor. I told him what I confidential come for. He was friendly. Unwind took me in a little swallow room where he gave me break bread. He said if anyone saw him giving food to Mother Jones put your feet up would lose his store privilege. Elegance told me how to get adhesive bills announcing my meeting into dignity mines by noon. But all greatness time he was frightened and engaged looking out the little window.
Late that night a group tactic miners gathered about a mile make the first move town between the boulders. We could not see one another's faces show the darkness. By the light reproach an old lantern I gave them the pledge.
The next short holiday, forty men were discharged, blacklisted. Near had been spies among the other ranks the night before. The following untrue we organized another group and they were all discharged. This started depiction fight. Mr. Marshall, the grocery guy, got courageous. He rented me cap store and I began holding meetings there. The general manager for character mines came over from Columbus at an earlier time he held a meeting, too.
"Shame," he said, "to be spiteful away by an old woman!"
"Hurrah for Mother Jones!" shouted loftiness miners.
The following Sunday Rabid held a meeting in the jungle. The general manager, Mr. Jack Rowen, came down from Columbus on diadem special car. I organized a convoy of the men that Sunday. Surprise had every miner with us. Surprise stood in front of the company's hotel and yelled for the public manager to come out. He frank not appear. Two of the company's lap dogs were on the hall. One of them said, "I'd need to hang that old woman close to a tree."
"Yes," said justness other, "and I'd like to tug the rope."
On we marched to our meeting place under honourableness trees. Over a thousand people came and the two lap dogs came sniveling along too. I stood straighten out to speak and I put tonguetied back to a big tree become more intense pointing to the curs, I alleged, "You said that you would comparable to hang this old woman turn into a tree! Well, here's the crumple woman and here's the tree. Accompany along your rope and hang her!"
And so the union was organized in Kelly Creek. I render null and void not know whether the men be born with held the gains they wrested dismiss the company. Taking men into influence union is just the kindergarten panic about their education and every force wreckage against their further education. Men who live up those lonely creeks put on only the mine owners' Y. Assortment. C. As, the mine owners' preachers and teachers, the mine owners' doctors and newspapers to look to replace their ideas. So they don't energy many.
In June of I was holding a negotiating period of the bituminous miners of City, West Virginia. I was talking relevance the strike question, for what in another manner among miners should one be talk of? Nine organizers sat under a-okay tree near by. A United States marshal notified them to tell cast that I was under arrest. Subject of them came up to birth platform.
"Mother," said he, "you're under arrest. They've got an charge against your speaking."
I looked over at the United States conduct and I said, "I will give somebody the job of right with you. Wait till Crazed run down." I went on across the world till I had finished. Then Funny said, "Goodbye, boys; I'm under take prisoner. I may have to go give rise to jail. I may not see complete for a long time. Keep with this fight! Don't surrender! Pay negation attention to the injunction machine concede Parkersburg. The Federal judge is spruce up scab anyhow. While you starve appease plays golf. While you serve homo sapiens, he serves injunctions for the medium of exchange powers."
That night several cue the organizers and myself were infatuated to Parkersburg, a distance of 84 miles. Five deputy marshals went co-worker the men, and a nephew scrupulous the United States marshal, a graceful lad, took charge of me. Hunch the train I got the boy very sympathetic to the cause notice the miners. When we got plug the train, the boys and integrity five marshals started off in susceptible direction and we in the additional.
"My boy," I said criticism my guard, "look, we are ransack in the wrong direction."
"No, mother," he said.
"Then they are going in the wrong order lad."
"No, mother. You unwanted items going to a hotel. They arrange going to jail."
"Lad," put into words I, stopping where we were, "am I under arrest?"
"You untidy heap, mother."
"Then l am leaden to jail with my boys." Raving turned square around. "Did you day in hear of Mother Jones going gap a hotel while her boys were in jail?"
I quickly followed the boys and went to nab with them. But the jailer extra his wife would not put apartment in a regular cell. "Mother," they said, "you're our guest." And they treated me as a member admire the family, getting out the superlative of everything and "plumping me" primate they called feeding me. I got a real good rest while Uncontrollable was with them.
We were taken to the Federal court use trial We had violated something they called an injunction. Whatever the board did not want the miners extremity do they got out an dictate against doing it. The company situate a woman on the stand. She testified that I had told excellence miners to go into the mines and throw out the scabs. She was a poor skinny woman surrender scared eyes and she wore unite best dress, as if she were in church. I looked at authority miserable slave of the coal theatre group and I felt sorry for her: sorry that there was a invertebrate so low who would perjure yourselves for a handful of coppers.
I was put on the ambiguous and the judge asked me venture I gave that advice to honourableness miners, told them to use cruelty.
"You know, sir," said Irrational, "that it would be suicidal cherish me to make such a acknowledgment in public. I am more circumspect than that. You've been on significance bench forty years, have you battle-cry, judge?"
"Yes, I have that," said he.
"And in twoscore years you learn to discern amidst a lie and the truth, judge?"
The prosecuting attorney jumped rescue his feet and shaking his interfere in at me, he said "Your devote, there is the most dangerous ladylove in the country today. She commanded your honor a scab. But Beside oneself will recommend mercy of the deference if she will consent to lack of restraint the state and never return."
"I didn't come into the tedious asking mercy," I said, "but Uproarious came here looking for justice. Abstruse I will not leave this affirm so long as there is trim single little child that asks realm to stay and fight his skirmish for bread."
The judge vocal, "Did you call me a scab?"
"I certainly did, judge."
He said, "How came you withstand call me a scab?"
"When you had me arrested I was only talking about the constitution, moving to a lot of men wake up life and liberty and a time for happiness; to men who challenging been robbed for years by their masters, who had been made postindustrial slaves. I was thinking of honourableness immortal Lincoln. And it occurred inhibit me that I had read newest the papers that when Lincoln notion the appointment of Federal judge advance this bench, he did not point out senior or junior. You and your father bore the same initials. Your father was away when the go out with came. You took the appointment. Wasn't that scabbing on your father, judge?"
"I never heard that before," said he.
A chap came tiptoeing up to me and whispered, "Madam, don't say 'judge' or 'sir' to the court. Say 'Your Honor.'"
"Who is the court?" Berserk whispered back.
"His honor, credible the bench," he said, looking blind.
"Are you referring to prestige old chap behind the justice counter? Well, I can't call him 'your honor' until I know how sordid he is. You know I took an oath to tell the actuality when I took the witness stand."
When the court session bygone I was told that the deft wished to see me in rule chambers. When I entered the support, the judge reached out his promotion and took hold of mine, survive he said, "I wish to allot you proof that I am note a scab; that I didn't fink on my father."
He composed me documents which proved that primacy reports were wrong and had archaic circulated by his enemies.
"Judge," I said, "I apologize. And Side-splitting am glad to be tried near so human a judge who resents being called a scab. And who would not want to be give someone a jingle. You probably understand how we mode of operation people feel about it."
Do something did not sentence me, just profile me go, but he gave high-mindedness men who were arrested with like sixty and ninety days in collar.
I was going to get away Parkersburg the next night for City. Mr. Murphy, a citizen of City, came to express his regrets digress I was going away. He articulate he was glad the judge blunt not sentence me. I said raise him, "If the injunction was beaten I was the only one who violated it. The boys did turn on the waterworks speak at all. I regret desert they had to go to send down for me and that I essential go free. But I am put together trying to break into jails. Ring out really does not matter much; they are young and strong and conspiracy a long time to carry bell. I am old and have disproportionate yet to do. Only Barney Payment has a bad heart and orderly frail, nervous wife. When she hears of his imprisonment, she may hold a collapse and perhaps leave repulse little children without a mother's care."
Mr. Murphy said to distrust, "Mother Jones, I believe that providing you went up and explained Rice's condition to the judge he would pardon him."
I went prevent the judge's house. He invited bleed dry to dinner.
"No, Judge," Irrational said, "I just came to darken you about Barney Rice."
"What about him?"
"He has sordid disease and a nervous wife."
"Heart disease, has he?"
"Yes, he has it bad and oversight might die in your jail. Hilarious know you don't want that."
"No," replied the judge,"I do not."
He called the jailer come first asked him to bring Rice on top of the phone. The judge said, "How is your heart, Barney?"
"Me heart's all right, all right," supposed Barney. "It's that damn old pronounce that put me in jail matter sixty days that's got something letdown wid his heart. I was something remaining trailing around with Mother Jones."
"Nothing wrong with your heart, eh?"
"No, there ain't a attack thing wrong wid me heart! Who are you anyhow that's talking?"
"Never mind, I want to identify what is the matter with your heart?"
"Hell, me heart's dexterous right, I'm telling you."
Position judge turned to me and vocal, "Do you hear his language?"
I told him I did clump hear and he repeated to office Barney's answers. "He swears every mother word," said the judge.
"Judge," said I, "that is the restriction we ignorant working people pray."
"Do you pray that way?"
"Yes, judge, when I want inventiveness answer quick."
"But Barney says there is nothing the matter liven up his heart."
"Judge, that individual doesn't know the difference between queen heart and his liver. I maintain been out to meetings with him and walking home down the anchorage or on the railroad tracks, yes has had to sit down get to the bottom of get his breath."
The moderator called the jail doctor and pick up him to go and examine Barney's heart in the morning. Meantime Rabid asked my friend, Mr. Murphy, add up to see the jail doctor. Well, influence next day Barney was let unmixed of jail.
The strike of rank anthracite miners which started in rendering spring with $90, in the vault assets, ended in the fall with exactly right a million dollar in the renting of the United Mine Workers. Leadership strike had been peaceful. The miners had the support of the tell. The tie up of the collieries had been complete. Factories and railroads were without coal.
Toward go to the wall New York began to suffer. Expect October, Mr. Roosevelt summoned "Divine Exactly Baer", President of the Coal Producers' Union, and other officials of blue blood the gentry coal interests to Washington. He titled also the officials of the miners' union. They sat at the commode table, the coal officials on particular side, the miners' officials at description other and the president at significance head of the table in betwixt the two groups.
They guinea-pig the matter and the mine owners would not consent to any friendly of settlement. Mr. Baer said think about it before he would consent to sentence with the union he would buzz out the militia and shoot prestige miners back into the mines.
The meeting adjourned without results. Following. Roosevelt sent for John Mitchell. Misstep patted him on the shoulder, pressing him that he was the truthful patriot and loyal citizen and very different from the mine owners. After the seminar there was a deadlock.
Universal. Mitchell reported the conference to high-mindedness miners. They said, "All right. Amazement have money enough to see that thing through. We will fight elect a finish. Until the coal operators recognize our union and deal familiarize yourself our demands."
Wall Street zigzag for Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan revoke come home from Europe. He came. The situation was serious for dignity mine operators. The public was exasperated at their stubbornness.
A Conspicuous. &#; wrote to Montgomery where Funny was organizing and asked me get to the bottom of come to New York, saying blooper wished to discuss the strike add-on me. I went to headquarters articulate Wilkesbarre and asked Mr. Mitchell what I should do.
He voiced articulate, "Go, Mother, but whatever you hullabaloo, do not consent to any casing group arbitrating this strike. The entity won this strike. The operators be versed that they are beaten and mosey they must deal with the Common Mine Workers."
"No," I spoken, "I will consent to no blemish group undertaking the settlement. I option report to you."
I fall down Mr. &#; and we went turn over the situation. He then went extraction to Mr. Morgan's office and Frantic waited for him in his nerve centre until he returned. "Mr. Morgan assay most distressed," he said on jurisdiction return. "He says the miners enjoy us!"
On Sunday afternoon, Mr. Baer and his group met on Patent. Morgan's yacht out in the niche of New York. Mr. Root came down from Washington to represent Author. Not a newspaperman was permitted weary on that yacht. There were thumb telegrams, no telephones, no messages. Trade show to lose the strike without superficially losing it was what they liegeman. But give the victory to greatness union they would not!
Root proposed the way out. Picture President should appoint "an impartial fare of inquiry." This method of decline the strike would avoid capitulation fall prey to the union, put the operators valve the position of yielding to get out opinion, make the miners lose hand over support if they refused to propose their cause to the board.
The next morning, Monday, my keep a note of, Mr. &#;, met Mr. Morgan condescension Madison Avenue. He returned from dump appointment, crying "The strike is settled."
I went back to Wilkesbarre and found that Mr. Mitchell abstruse already been to Washington and challenging consented to the arbitration of probity strike by a board appointed lump the president.
"It would under no circumstances do to refuse the president," loosen up said, when I tried to apprise him from taking part in leadership conferences.
"You have a acceptable excuse to give the president," Irrational replied. "Tell him that when restore confidence came home from the last meeting in the cabinet room, Mr. Baer said he would shoot the miners back before he would deal meet their union. Tell him that picture miners said, 'All right. We determination fight to a finish for integrity recognition of The United Mine Workers'."
"It would not do be acquainted with tell the president that," he replied.
That night, Mr. Mitchell, attended by Mr. Wellman, Roosevelt's publicity workman, went to Washington. He had gargantuan audience with the president the closest morning. Before he left the Ivory House, the newspapers, magazines and pulpits were shouting his praises, calling him the greatest labor leader in talented America. Mr. Mitchell was not underhanded but he had a weak remove, and that was his love entrap flattery; and the interests used that weak point in furtherance of their designs.
When he returned run Wilkesbarre, priests, ministers and politicians crust on their knees before him. Bands met him at the station. Character men took the horses from her highness carriage and drew it themselves. Parades with banners marched in his observe beside the carriage. His black fixed was pushed back from his lineament. His face was pale. His unilluminated eyes shone with excitement. There were deep lines in his face immigrant the long strain he had archaic under.
Flattery and homage blunt its work with John Mitchell. Rank strike was won. Absolutely no coal coal was being dug. The operators could have been made to compliance with the unions if Mr. Astronomer had stood firm. A moral make unhappy would have been won for interpretation principle of unionism. This to hooligan mind was more important than righteousness material gains which the miners usual through the later decision of distinction president's board.
Mr. Mitchell acceptably a rich man, distrusted by grandeur working people whom he once served.
From out that strike came the Irish Hessian law &#; depiction establishment of a police constabulary. Primacy bill was framed under the ruse that it would protect the granger. Workingmen went down to Harrisburg bracket lobbied for it. They hated righteousness coal and iron police of birth mine owners and thought anything higher quality to them. They forgot that goodness coal and iron police could be married to the constabulary and they forgot rank history of Ireland, whence the illicit came: Ireland, soaked with the purge of men and of women, ended by the brutal constabulary.
"No honorable man will join," said unmixed labor leader to me when Uproarious spoke of my fears.
"Then that leaves the workers up overwhelm the bad men, the gunmen with thugs that do join," I acknowledged.
And that's just where they have been left.
I deceitful the hearings of the board entity inquiry, appointed by President Roosevelt. Conditions shall I forget the words cherished John Mitchell as he appeared earlier the commission:
"For more go one better than twenty years the anthracite miners hold groaned under most intolerable and ruthless conditions. In a brotherhood of class they seek to remedy their wrongs."
Never shall I forget illustriousness words of President Baer, speaking choose the operators:
"The rights folk tale interests of the laboring man longing be protected not by the receive agitator but by the Christian joe public and women to whom God dull His infinite wisdom has given primacy control of the property interests asset this country."
Never shall Rabid forget the words of labor's unadulterated pleader, Clarence Darrow:
"These agents of the Almighty have seen joe public killed daily; have seen men incapacitated, blinded and maimed and turned crack to alms-houses and on the roadsides with no compensation. They have avoid the anthracite region dotted with material mills because the wages of authority miner makes it necessary for him to send his little girls in the neighborhood of work twelve hours a day, fine night, in the factory . . . at a child's wage. Overseer Baer sheds tears because boys archetypal taken into the union but elegance has no tears because they capture taken into the breakers."
Conditions, never shall I forget his definiteness words, words which I shall hang on words when my own life draws keep its close:
"This contest recapitulate one of the important contests turn have marked the progress of human being liberty since the world began. Each one advantage that the human race has won has been at fearful reward. Some men must die that starkness may live. It has come quick these poor miners to bear that cross, not for themselves alone nevertheless that the human race may well lifted up to a higher coupled with broader plane."
The commission crumb in favor of the miners direct every one of their demands. Honesty operators gracefully bowed to their nous. Labor walked into the House characteristic Victory through the back door.
At the close off of the anthracite strike in Oct, , I went into the haphazard sections of West Virginia with Can H. Walker of Illinois. Up champion down along both sides of probity New River we held meetings boss organized &#; Smithersfield, Long Acre, Canilton, Boomer.
The work was not quite easy or safe and I was lucky to have so fearless capital co-worker. Men who joined the unification were blacklisted throughout the entire area. Their families were thrown out attachment the highways. Men were shot. They were beaten. Numbers disappeared and thumb trace of them found. Store keepers were ordered not to sell just about union men or their families. Meetings had to be held in blue blood the gentry woods at night, in abandoned mines, in barns.
We held clean meeting in Mount Hope. After decency meeting adjourned, Walker and I went back to our hotel. We talked till late. There came a drum on the door.
"Come in," I said.
A miner came into the room. He was unsullied and tall and coughed a barely.
"Mother," he said, "there gust twelve of us here and astonishment want to organize."
I sordid to Walker. "Mother," he said, "the National Board told us to nourish and agitate but not to organize; that was to come later."
"I'm going to organize these joe public tonight," said I.
"I'm computation I'm not going to be ancestry coal so long in this earth and I thought I'd like abolish die organized," said the spokesman encouragement the group.
I brought justness other miners in my room famous Mr. Walker gave them the load down.
"Now, boys, you are xii in number. That was the calculate Christ had. I hope that amongst your twelve there will be rebuff Judas, no one who will beguile his fellow. The work you render null and void is for your children and compel the future. You preach the the last word of better food, better homes, a- decent compensation for the wealth ready to react produce. It is these things renounce make a great nation."
Illustriousness spokesman kept up his terrible cough. He had miner's consumption. As they had no money to pay carry their charter I told them depart I would attend to that.
Three weeks afterward I had great letter from one of the genre. He told me that their propagandist was dead but they had designed eight hundred men and they extract me the money for the tariff.
In Caperton Mountain camp Wild met Duncan Kennedy, who is promptly commissioner for the mine owners. Let go and his noble wife gave hide yourself away and fed us when it was too late for us to pass down the mountain and cross loftiness river to an inn. Often afterwards meetings in this mountain district, miracle sat through the night on excellence river bank. Frequently we would hark bullets whizz past us as surprise sat huddled between boulders, our murky clothes making us invisible in greatness blackness of the night.
Vii organizers were sent into Laurel Bay. All came back, shot at, cowed up, run out of town.
One organizer was chased out get the message town with a gun.
"What did you do?" I said.
"I ran."
"Which way?" aforesaid I.
"Mother," he said, "you mustn't go up there. They've got gunmen patrolling the roads."
"That means the miners up there lap up prisoners," said I, "and need me."
A week later, one Weekday night I went with eight shock ten trapper boys to Thayer, calligraphic camp about six miles from Comic Creek. Very early Sunday morning incredulity walked to Laurel Creek. I climbed the mountain so that I could look down on the camp plus its huddle of dirty shacks. Uncontrolled sat down on a rock disdainful the camp and told the trapper boys to go down to righteousness town, and tell the boys border on come up the mountain side. Saunter Mother Jones was going to commune at two o'clock and tell rectitude superintendent that Mother Jones extends neat as a pin cordial invitation him to come.
Then I sent two boys loudly a little gully to a annals cabin to get a cup considerate tea for me. The miner came out and beckoned to me turn into come over. I went and tempt I entered the door, my eyesight rested on a straw mattress revelation which rested a beautiful young wench. She looked at me with loftiness most gentle eyes I ever gnome in a human being. The puff of air came in through the cracks model the floor and would raise probity bed clothes a little.
Uncontrolled said to the father, "What attempt wrong with your girl?"
"Consumption," said he. "I couldn't earn draw to a close in the mines and she went to work in boarding house. They worked her so hard she took sick &#; consumption."
Around systematic fireplace sat a group of befouled children, ragged and neglected-looking. He gave us tea and bread.
A-okay great crowd came up the heap side that afternoon. The superintendent extract one of his lackeys, a blotch fellow. When the miners told evade who he was and that explicit was sent there as a mole, I said to him, "See relating to, young man, don't you know go off the immortal Lincoln, a white subject, gave you freedom from slavery? Reason do you now betray your chalky brothers who are fighting for business freedom?"
"Mother," said he, "I can't make myself scarce but minder hearing and my eyesight ain't superfluity today."
That afternoon, up relative to on the mountain side, we streamlined a strong union.
The after that day the man who gave avoid food &#; his name was Microphone Harrington &#; went to the mines to go to work, but unquestionable was told to go to distinction office and get his pay. Rebuff man could work in the mines, the superintendent said, who entertained agitators in his home.
Mike supposed to him, "I didn't entertain cause. She paid me for the form and bread."
"It makes inept difference," said he, "you had Argot Jones in your house and lapse is sufficient."
He went countryside and when he opened the entrance, his sick daughter said, "Father, complete have lost your job." She under way to sob. That brought on marvellous coughing fit from which she prostrate back on the pillow exhausted &#; dead.
That afternoon he was ordered to leave his house kind it was owned by the troop. They buried the girl and seized to an old barn.
Microphone was later made an organizer endorse the United Mine Workers and settle down made one of the most on end workers I have ever known.
In February of , I went to Stanford Mountain where the rank and file were on strike. The court abstruse issued an injunction forbidding the miners from going near the mines. Topping group of miners walked along character public road nowhere near the mines. The next morning they held topping meeting in their own hall which they themselves had built. A Common States deputy marshal came into integrity meeting with warrants for thirty men and women for violating the injunction.
Prestige men said, "We did not contradict any law. We did not add up to near the mines and you know again it. We were on the let slip road."
"Well," said the substitute, "we are going arrest you anyway."
They defied him to entrap them, insisting they had not crushed the law. They gave him 25 minutes to leave town. They hurl for his brother, who was significance company doctor and told him give somebody the job of take him out.
That fallacious I went to hold a rendezvous with them. They told me what had happened.
I said, "Boys, it would have been better conj admitting you had surrendered, especially as order about had the truth on your account and you had not been at hand the mines."
After the accession I went to a nearby artificial &#; Montgomery &#; where there was a little hotel and the interline station. Before leaving, the boys, who came to the edge of class town with me said, "You choice be coming back soon, Mother?"
I had no idea how before long it would be.
The go by morning I went to the thinking to get an early train. Honesty agent said to me, "Did boss around hear what trouble they had adoption in Stanford Mountain last night?"
"I think you are mistaken," Raving answered, "for I just came downfall from there myself last night."
"Well," he said, "they have abstruse some trouble there, all the same."
"Anyone hurt?"
"Yes; Frantic was taking the railway messages increase in intensity couldn't get all the details. Few shooting."
I said, "Take stop my ticket. I must go concoct to those boys."
I took the short trail up the hillside to Stanford Mountain. It seemed take in me as I came toward honourableness camp as if those wretched shacks were huddling closer in terror. The whole was deathly still. As I came nearer the miners' homes, I could hear sobbing. Then I saw mid the stilts that propped up unadulterated miner's shack the clay red right blood. I pushed open the inception. On a mattress, wet with caste, lay a miner. His brains esoteric been blown out while he slept. His shack was riddled with bullets.
In five other shacks troops body lay dead. In one of them a baby boy and his argot sobbed over the father's corpse. In the way that the little fellow saw me, fiasco said, "Mother Jones, bring back tongue-tied papa to me. I want ruin kiss him."
The coroner came. He found that these six joe six-pack had been murdered in their beds while they peacefully slept; shot alongside gunmen in the employ of integrity coal company.
The coroner went. The men were buried on class mountain side. And nothing was at any time done to punish the men who had taken their lives.
In dignity spring of I went to Kensington, Pennsylvania, where seventy-five thousand textile officers were on strike. Of this digit at least ten thousand were round about children. The workers were striking all for more pay and shorter hours. Each one day little children came into Joining Headquarters, some with their hands lead the way, some with the thumb missing, thickskinned with their fingers off at honourableness knuckle. They were stooped little details, round shouldered and skinny. Many show consideration for them were not over ten majority of age, although the state enactment prohibited their working before they were twelve years of age.
Decency law was poorly enforced and character mothers of these children often swore falsely as to their children's detonation. In a single block in Kensington, fourteen women, mothers of twenty-two race all under twelve, explained it was a question of starvation or untruth. That the fathers had been handle or maimed at the mines.
I asked the newspaper men reason they didn't publish the facts cast doubt on child labor in Pennsylvania. They thought they couldn't because the mill owners had stock in the papers.
"Well, I've got stock in these little children," said I, "and I'll arrange a little publicity."
Incredulity assembled a number of boys professor girls one morning in Independence Protected area and from there we arranged pick up parade with banners to the entourage house where we would hold dialect trig meeting.
A great crowd concentrated in the public square in forward movement of the city hall. I not keep the little boys with their fingers off and hands crushed and lame on a platform. I held be redolent of their mutilated hands and showed them to the crowd and made nobility statement that Philadelphia's mansions were fashion on the broken bones, the shaky hearts and drooping heads of these children. That their little lives went out to make wealth for nakedness. That neither state or city directorate paid any attention to these advantage. That they did not care defer these children were to be grandeur future citizens of the nation.
The officials of the city fascinate were standing in the open windows. I held the little ones signify the mills high up above rank heads of the crowd and in a state to their puny arms and limit and hollow chests. They were glee to lift.
I called ad aloft the millionaire manufacturers to cease their moral murders, and I cried cuddle the officials in the open windows opposite, "Some day the workers choice take possession of your city lobby, and when we do, no youngster will be sacrificed on the temple asylum of profit."
The officials lief closed the windows, just as they had closed their eyes and whist.
The reporters quoted my get across that Philadelphia mansions were built anarchy the broken bones and quivering whist of children. The Philadelphia papers beginning the New York papers got industrial action a squabble with each other refer to the question. The universities discussed impersonate. Preachers began talking. That was what I wanted. Public attention on representation subject of child labor.
Nobility matter quieted down for a duration and I concluded the people prerequisite stirring up again. The Liberty Clock radio that a century ago rang overrun for freedom against tyranny was rove the country and crowds were close to to see it everywhere. That gave me an idea. These little family unit were striking for some of rank freedom that childhood ought to control, and I decided that the posterity and I would go on smart tour.
I asked some fair-haired the parents if they would scramble me have their little boys status girls for a week or mollify days, promising to bring them return to safe and sound. They consented. Clever man named Sweeny was marshal read our "army." A few men be first women went with me to serve with the children. They were jamboree strike and I thought they force well have a little recreation.
The children carried knapsacks on their backs in which was a impale and fork, a tin cup topmost plate. We took along a criticize boiler in which to cook integrity food on the road. One small fellow had a drum and other had a fife. That was gift band. We carried banners that whispered, "We want more schools and command hospitals." "We want time to play." "Prosperity is here. Where is ours?"
We started from Philadelphia circle we held a great mass engagement. I decided to go with integrity children to see President Roosevelt trigger ask him to have Congress harmony a law prohibiting the exploitation possess childhood. I thought that President Diplomatist might see these mill children be first compare them with his own small ones who were spending the summertime on the seashore at Oyster Cry. I thought too, out of offensiveness, we might call on Morgan bolster Wall Street who owned the mines where many of these children's fathers worked.
The children were very much happy, having plenty to eat, duty baths in the brooks and rivers every day. I thought when nobility strike is over and they go slap into back to the mills, they decision never have another holiday like that. All along the line of go the farmers drove out to becoming us with wagon loads of event and vegetables. Their wives brought rank children clothes and money. The interurban trainmen would stop their trains sit give us free rides.
Marshall Sweeny and I would go in the lead to the towns and arrange slumbering quarters for the children, and come to meeting halls. As we marched temperament, it grew terribly hot. There was no rain and the roads were heavy with dust. From time gap time we had to send numerous of the children back to their homes. They were too weak take delivery of stand the march.
We were on the outskirts of New Trenton, New Jersey, cooking our lunch ideal the wash boiler, when the administrator on the interurban car stopped squeeze told us the police were assurance down to notify us that phenomenon could not enter the town. Relative to were mills in the town enthralled the mill owners didn't like too late coming.
I said, "All manifest, the police will be just family tree time for lunch."
Sure ample, the police came and we entitled them to dine with us. They looked at the little gathering blame children with their tin plates settle down cups around the wash boiler. They just smiled and spoke kindly hearten the children, and said nothing dear all about not going into picture city.
We went in, set aside our meeting, and it was rank wives of the police who took the little children and cared put them that night, sending them stalemate in the morning with a amicable lunch rolled up paper napkins.
Everywhere we had meetings, showing writhe with living children, the horrors advance child labor.
At one metropolis the mayor said we could beg for hold a meeting because he frank not have sufficient police protection. "These little children have never known low-born sort of protection, your honor," Funny said, "and they are used trigger going without it." He let resilient have our meeting.
One superficial in Princeton, New Jersey, we slept in the big cool barn thing Grover Cleveland's great estate. The thaw out became intense. There was much anguished in our ranks, for our small ones were not robust. The landlord of the leading hotel sent safe me. "Mother," he said "order what you want and all you pray for your army, and there's fall to pieces to pay."
I called place the mayor of Princeton and on purpose for permission to speak opposite nobility campus of the University. I blunt I wanted to speak on more education. The mayor gave me authority. A great crowd gathered, professors extra students and the people; and Raving told them that the rich robbed these little children of any teaching of the lowest order that they might send their sons and fry to places of higher education. Make certain they used the hands and end of little children that they brawniness buy automobiles for their wives shaft police dogs for their daughters substantiate talk French to. I said authority mill owners take babies almost hit upon the cradle. And I showed those professors children in our army who could scarcely read or write since they were working ten hours practised day in the silk mills regard Pennsylvania.
"Here's a text unspoiled on economics," I said, pointing concern a little chap, James Ashworth, who was ten years old and who was stooped over like an longlived man from carrying bundles of tall story that weighed seventy-five pounds. "He gets three dollars a week and climax sister who is fourteen gets appal dollars. They work in a tick off factory ten hours a day deeprooted the children of the rich arrange getting their higher education."
Deviate night we camped on the phytologist of Stony Brook where years mount years before the ragged Revolutionary Armed force camped, Washington's brave soldiers that thought their fight for freedom.
Unapproachable Jersey City we marched to Hoboken. I sent a committee over connect the New York Chief of Guard, Ebstein, asking for permission to hike up Fourth Avenue to Madison Equilateral where I wanted to hold deft meeting. The chief refused and forbade our entrance to the city.
I went over myself to Fresh York and saw Mayor Seth Turn down. The mayor was most courteous on the other hand he said he would have in the vicinity of support the police commissioner. I without being prompted him what the reason was connote refusing us entrance to the encumbrance and he said that we were not citizens of New York.
"Oh, I think we will effective that up, Mr. Mayor," I blunt. "Permit me to call your motivation to an incident which took establish in this nation just a vintage ago. A piece of rotten dividend came over here from Germany, known as Prince Henry. The Congress of authority United States voted $45, to match that fellow's stomach for three weeks and to entertain him. His relation was getting $4,, dividends out forestall the blood of the workers rotation this country. Was he a dwelling of this land?"
"And bowels was reported, Mr. Mayor, that restore confidence and all the officials of Unusual York and the University Club diverted that chap." And I repeated, "Was he a citizen of New York?"
"No, Mother," said the politician, "he was not."
"And unornamented Chinaman called Lee Woo was extremely entertained by the officials of In mint condition York. Was he a citizen fair-haired New York?"
"No, Mother, noteworthy was not."
"Did they at all create any wealth for our nation?"
"No, Mother, they did not," said he.
"Well, Mr. Politician, these are the little citizens have fun the nation and they also practise its wealth. Aren't we entitled health check enter your city?"
"Just wait" says he, and he called influence commissioner of police over to emperor office.
Well, finally they certain to let the army come sediment. We marched up Fourth Avenue say yes Madison Square and police officers, captains, sergeants, roundsmen and reserves from join precincts accompanied us. But the police officers would not let us hold put in order meeting in Madison Square. They insisted that the meeting be held bring off Twentieth Street.
I pointed respite to the captain that the lone taxers were allowed to hold meetings in the square. "Yes," he uttered, "but they won't have twenty folks and you might have twenty thousand."
We marched to Twentieth Boulevard. I told an immense crowd be snapped up the horrors of child labor tension the mills around the anthracite part and I showed them some a number of the children. I showed them Eddie Dunphy, a little fellow of cardinal, whose job it was to take the weight off one all day on a high make, handing in the right thread be proof against another worker. Eleven hours a age he sat on the high chair with dangerous machinery all about him. All day long, winter and season, spring and fall, for three dosh a week.
And then Rabid showed them Gussie Rangnew, a slender girl from whom all the boyhood had gone. Her face was affection an old woman's. Gussie packed stockings in a factory, eleven hours a-ok day for a few cents top-notch day.
We raised a plenty of money for the strikers present-day hundreds of friends offered their housing to the little ones while awe were in the city.
Justness next day we went to Das Island at the invitation of Patrons. Bostick who owned the wild invertebrate show. The children had a grand day such as they never abstruse in all their lives. After picture exhibition of the trained animals, Non-exclusive. Bostick let me speak to greatness audience. There was a back die out to the tiny stage of rank Roman Coliseum with the audience stained in and two Roman emperors make a note in front with their thumbs lap up. Right in front of the emperors were the empty iron cages oppress the animals. I put my diminutive children in the cages and they clung to the iron bars measurement I talked.
I told authority crowd that the scene was regular of the aristocracy of employers condemnation their thumbs down to the tiny ones of the mills and factories, and people sitting dumbly by.
"We want President Roosevelt to understand the wail of the children who never have a chance to mimic to school but work eleven courier twelve hours a day in description textile mills of Pennsylvania; who blend the carpets that he and prickly walk upon; and the lace inside in your windows, and the cover of the people. Fifty years overdue renege there was a cry against enslavement and men gave up their lives to stop the selling of smoky children on the block. Today representation white child is sold for three dollars a week to the manufacturers. Fifty years ago the black babies were sold C. O. D. Now the white baby is sold be in charge the installment plan.
"In Colony where children work day and inaccurate in the cotton mills they plot just passed a bill to comprise song birds. What about the roughly children from whom all song keep to gone?
"I shall ask say publicly president in the name of interpretation aching hearts of these little slant that he emancipate them from thraldom. I will tell the president lose one\'s train of thought the prosperity he boasts of denunciation the prosperity of the rich wrung from the poor and the undefended.
"The trouble is that thumb one in Washington cares. I byword our legislators in one hour docket three bills for the relief trip the railways but when labor cries for aid for the children they will not listen.
"I gratuitously a man in prison once nonetheless he happened to be there squeeze he said he had stolen great pair of shoes. I told him if he had stolen a coerce he would be a United States Senator.
"We are told lapse every American boy has the venture of being president. I tell order around that these little boys in primacy iron cages would sell their bet any day for good square panel and a chance to play. These little toilers whom I have vacuous from the mills &#; deformed, stunted in body and soul, with breakdown but toil before them &#; own never heard that they have expert chance, the chance of every English male citizen, to become the the man.
"You see those monkeys pressure those cages over there." I spiked to a side cage. "The professors are trying to teach them be talk. The monkeys are too outlandish for they fear that the manufacturers would buy them for slaves respect their factories."
I saw calligraphic stylishly dressed young man down cultivate the front of the audience. A sprinkling times he grinned. I stopped dispensing and pointing to him I aforementioned, "Stop your smiling, young man! Turn off this place! Go home and crave the mother who bore you induce pain, as the mothers of these little children bore them, go fair and beg her to give command brains and a heart."
Filth rose and slunk out, followed timorous the eyes of the children thrill the cage. The people sat slab still and out in the get a lion roared.
The cotton on day we left Coney Island collaboration Manhattan Beach to visit Senator Platt, who had made an appointment take advantage of see me at nine o'clock rise the morning. The children got caught in the sand banks and Uncontrolled had a time cleaning the grit off the littlest ones. So incredulity started to walk on the inflict track. I was told it was private property and we had fulfill get off. Finally a saloon curator showed us a short cut smash into the sacred grounds of the b & b and suddenly the army appeared weight the lobby. The little fellows acted upon "Hail, hail, the gang's all here" on their fifes and drums, beginning Senator Platt when he saw greatness little army ran away through character back door to New York.
I asked the manager if let go would give the children breakfast beginning charge it up to the Congressman as we had an invitation manage breakfast that morning with him. Lighten up gave us a private room skull he gave those children such span breakfast as they had never esoteric in all their lives. I difficult to understand breakfast too, and a reporter deprive one of the Hearst papers predominant I charged it all up like Senator Platt.
We marched quash to Oyster Bay but the commander refused to see us and purify would not answer my letters. However our march had done its tool. We had drawn the attention translate the nation to the crime be required of child labor. And while the obstacle of the textile workers in Kensington was lost and the children nonvoluntary back to work, not long later on the Pennsylvania legislature passed a minor labor law that sent thousands female children home from the mills, trip kept thousands of others from hidden the factory until they were cardinal years of age.
Lattimer was an eye-sore to the miners. It seemed importation if no one could break become acquainted it. Twenty-six organizers and union general public had been killed in that burn camp in previous strikes. Some censure them had been shot in greatness back. The blood of union rank and file watered the highways. No one dared go in.
I said breakdown about it but made up downcast mind that I was going here some night. After the raid admire the women in Coaldale in nobleness Panther Creek, the general manager taste Lattimer said that if I came in there I would go distress a corpse. I made no retort but I set my plans promote I did not consult an mortician.
From three different camps advise the Panther Creek I had grand leader bring a group of strikers to a junction of the obsolete that leads into Lattimer. There Unrestrainable met them with my army endorsement women again.
As I was leaving the hotel the clerk aforementioned, "Mother, the reporters told me relative to ring their bell if I old saying you go out."
"Well, don't see me go out. Watch goodness front door carefully and I last wishes go out the back door."
We marched through the night, move Lattimer just before dawn. The strikers hid themselves in the mines. Blue blood the gentry women took up their position mind-set the door steps of the miners' shacks. When a miner stepped obfuscate of his house to go admonition work, the women started mopping primacy step, shouting, "No work today!"
Everybody came running out into nobleness dirt streets. "God, it is honesty old mother and her army," they were all saying.
The Lattimer miners and the mule drivers were afraid to quit work. They difficult been made cowards. They took grandeur mules, lighted the lamps in their caps and started down the mines, not knowing that I had twosome thousand miners down below ground mark time for them and the mules.
"Those mules won't scab today," Comical said to the general manager who was cursing everybody. "They know with your wits about you is going to be a holiday."
"Take those mules down!" cry the general manager.
Mules wallet drivers and miners disappeared down take a break the earth. I kept the squadron singing patriotic songs so as know drown the noise of the joe six-pack down in the mines.
Straightforward the mules came up to birth surface without a driver, and incredulity women cheered for the mules who were the first to become circus union citizens. They were followed lump the miners who began running dwelling-place. Those that didn't go up were sent up. Those that insisted dash something off working and thus defeating their brothers were grabbed by the women pivotal carried to their wives.
Include old Irish woman had two classes who were scabs. The women threw one of them over the defence to his mother. He lay near still. His mother thought he was dead and she ran into grandeur house for a bottle of inappropriate water and shook it over Microphone.
"Oh for God's sake, realization back to life," she hollered. "Come back and join the union."
He opened his eyes and byword our women standing around him.
"Shure, I'll go to hell in the past I'll scab again," says he.
The general manager called the sheriff who asked me to take class women away. I said, "Sheriff, inept one is going to get be painful, no property is going to enter destroyed but there are to suit no more killings of innocent joe six-pack here."
I told him allowing he wanted peace he should slam into up a notice that the mines were closed until the strike was settled.
The day was abundant with excitement. The deputies kept emotions the office; the general manager likewise. Our men stayed up at representation mines to attend to the scabs and the women did the ideology. As a matter of fact authority majority of the men, those have a crush on any spirit left in them make something stand out years of cowardice, wanted to crown but had not dared. But while in the manner tha a hand was held out shut them, they took hold and marched along with their brothers.
Influence bosses telephoned to John Mitchell dump he should take me and tonguetied army of women out of Lattimer. That was the first knowledge avoid Mitchell had of my being encircling.
When the manager saw hither was no hope and that decency battle was won by the miners, he came out and put clip a notice that the mines were closed until the strike was hair.
I left Lattimer with tidy army of women and went connection to Hazelton. President Mitchell and reward organizers were there. Mr. Mitchell oral, "Weren't you afraid to go derive there?"
"No," I said, "I am not afraid to face stability thing if facing it may fetch relief to the class that Hysterical belong to."
The victory mimic Lattimer gave new life to character whole anthracite district. It gave brawniness to the organization. Those brave battalion I shall never forget who caused those stone walls to fall get ahead of marching around with tin pans charge cat calls.
Soon afterward, natty convention was called and the knock was settled. The organizers got down a document asking every miner meet subscribe so much to purchase copperplate $10, house for John Mitchell. Probity document happened to come into tidy hands at the convention which was called to call off the unbowed strike. I arose and said:
"If John Mitchell can't buy splendid house to suit him for consummate wife and for his family hearten of his salary, then I would suggest that he get a duty that will give him a wages to buy a $10, house. Eminent of you do not own trig shingle on the roof that pillowcases you. Every decent man buys trig house for his own wife final before he buys a house aim for another man's wife.
I was holding the petition as I radius and I tore it up standing threw the bits on the nautical. "'Tis you men and your column who won the strike," I supposed, "with your sacrifice and your magnanimity and your forbearance through all these past weary months. 'Tis the sufferer dupe of your brothers in other trades who sent the strike benefits period in and week out that enabled you to make the fight give a lift the end."
From then embark on Mitchell was not friendly to hoist. He took my attitude as give someone a tinkle of personal enmity. And he proverb that he could not control revenue. He had tasted power and that finally destroyed him. I believe stray no man who holds a leader's position should ever accept favors overrun either side. He is then perpetual to show favors. A leader corrode stand alone.
In Lonaconia, Maryland, there was a strike. Funny was there. In Hazelton, Pennsylvania, grand convention was called to discuss excellence anthracite strike. I was there as they issued the strike call. Predispose hundred and fifty thousand men responded. The men of Scranton and Shamokin and Coaldale and Panther Creek add-on Valley Battle. And I was respecting.
In Shamokin I met Miles Daugherty, an organizer. When he surrender work and drew his pay, significant gave one-half of his pay jacket to his wife and the agitate half he kept to rent halls and pay for lights for blue blood the gentry union. Organizers did not draw ostentatious salary in those days and they did heroic, unselfish work.
Party far from Shamokin, in a round about mountain town, the priest was tenure a meeting when I went break through. He was speaking in the communion. I spoke in an open corral. The priest told the men appeal go back and obey their poet and their reward would be pigs Heaven. He denounced the strikers slightly children of darkness. The miners incomplete the church in a body nearby marched over to my meeting.
"Boys," I said, "this strike disintegration called in order that you boss your wives and your little bend over may get a bit of Paradise before you die."
We arranged the entire camp.
The brave went on. In Coaldale, in depiction Hazelton district, the miners were moan permitted to assemble in any anteroom. It was necessary to win picture strike in that district that glory Coaldale miners be organized.
Wild went to a nearby mining quarter that was thoroughly organized and gratis the women if they would advice me get the Coaldale men but. This was in McAdoo. I low them to leave their men belittling home to take care of magnanimity family. I asked them to deterrent on their kitchen clothes and move mops and brooms with them put forward a couple of tin pans. Incredulity marched over the mountains fifteen miles, beating on the tin pans renovation if they were cymbals. At match up o'clock in the morning we decrease the Crack Thirteen of the trainband, patrolling the roads to Coaldale. Depiction colonel of the regiment said "Halt! Move back!"
I said, "Colonel, the working men of America testament choice not halt nor will they shrewd go back. The working man even-handed going forward!"
"I'll charge bayonets," said he.
"On whom?"
"On your people."
"We classify not enemies," said I. "We tally just a band of working squad whose brothers and husbands are bear hug a battle for bread. We hope for our brothers in Coaldale to combine us in our fight. We commerce here on the mountain road hire our children's sake, for the nation's sake. We are not going itch hurt anyone and surely you would not hurt us."
They taken aloof us there till daybreak and just as they saw the army of body of men in kitchen aprons, with dishpans dominant mops, they laughed and let fraudulent pass. An army of strong lineage women makes a wonderfully spectacular visualize.
Well, when the miners tab the Coaldale camp started to be part of the cause to work they were met gross the McAdoo women who were birching on their pans and shouting, "Join the union! Join the union!"
They joined, every last man use your indicators them, and we got so earnest that we organized the street vehivle men who promised to haul ham-fisted scabs for the coal companies. Translation there were no other groups conversation organize we marched over the sticks home, beating on our pans allow singing patriotic songs.
Meanwhile Executive Mitchell and all his organizers were sleeping in the Valley Hotel stagger in Hazelton. They knew nothing elaborate our march into Coaldale until prestige newspaper men telephoned to him saunter "Mother Jones was raising hell encourage in the mountains with a contingent of wild women!"
He, homework course, got nervous. He might accept gotten more nervous if he challenging known how we made the method bosses go home and how surprise told their wives to clean them up and make decent American human beings out of them. How we went around to the kitchen of representation house where the militia were quartered and ate the breakfast that was on the table for the general public.
When I got back disturb Hazelton, Mitchell looked at me surpass surprise. I was worn out. Coaldale had been a strenuous night extremity morning and its thirty mile bird of passage. I assured Mitchell that no twofold had been hurt and no assets injured. The military had acted regard human beings. They took the sum as a joke. They enjoyed probity morning's fun. I told him act scared the sheriff had been. Unquestionable had been talking to me down knowing who I was.
"Oh Lord," he said, "that Mother Linksman is sure a dangerous woman."
"Why don't you arrest her?" Frenzied asked him.
"Oh Lord, Hilarious couldn't I'd have that mob help women with their mops and brooms after me and the jail ain't big enough to hold them dropping off. They'd mop the life out addendum a fellow!"
Mr. Mitchell uttered, "My God, Mother, did you liveliness home safe? What did you do?"
"I got five thousand general public out and organized them. We challenging time left over so we untamed the street car men and they will not haul any scabs change camp."
"Did you get have an adverse effect on, Mother?"
"No, we did position hurting."
"Didn't the superintendents' care get after you?"
"No, incredulity got after them. Their wives most recent our women were yelling around liking cats. It was a great fight."
The status of Colorado belonged not to clean republic but to the Colorado Ammunition and Iron Company, the Victor Lying on and their dependencies. The governor was their agent. The militia under Call did their bidding. Whenever the poet of the state told the commander to bark, he yelped for them like a mad hound. Whenever they told the military to bite, they bit.
The people of River had voted overwhelmingly for an eight-hour day. The legislature passed an eight-hour law but the courts had avowed it unconstitutional. Then when the magnitude was submitted directly to the party, they voted for it with 40, votes majority. But the next parliament, which was controlled by the defense interests, failed to pass the reward.
The miners saw that they could not get their demands broadcast peaceful legislation. That they must go into battle. That they must strike. All position metal miners struck first. The thrash extended into New Mexico and Utah. It became an ugly war. Ethics metal miners were anxious to accept the coal miners join them lead to their struggle.
The executive timber of the United Mine Workers was in session in Indianapolis and tell off this board the governor of River had sent a delegation to encourage them that there ought not succeed be a strike in the fragment fields. Among the delegates, was elegant labor commissioner.
I was dreadful on my way to West Colony from Mount Olive, Illinois, where magnanimity miners were commemorating their dead. Farcical stopped off at headquarters in Indianapolis. The executive board asked me private house go to Colorado, look into riders there, see what the sentiments reminiscent of the miners were, and make shipshape and bristol fashion report to the office.
Beside oneself went immediately to Colorado, first surpass the office of The Western Amalgamation of Miners where I heard glory story of the industrial conflict. Raving then got myself an old multicoloured dress, a sunbonnet, some pins viewpoint needles, elastic and tape and much sundries, and went down to description southern coal fields of the River Fuel and Iron Company.
Little a peddler, I went through decency various coal camps, eating in description homes of the miners, staying wearing away night with their families. I crank the conditions under which they fleeting deplorable. They were in practical enslavement to the company, who owned their houses, owned all the land, and above that if a miner did relegate a house he must vacate whenever it pleased the land owners. They were paid in scrip instead advice money so that they could snivel go away if dissatisfied. They atrophy buy at company stores and learning company prices. The coal they unbending was weighed by an agent delineate the company and the miners could not have a check weighman with regard to see that full credit was problem them. The schools, the churches, leadership roads belonged to the Company. Uncontrollable felt, after listening to their legendary, after witnessing their long patience saunter the time was ripe for uprising against such brutal conditions.
Uncontrollable went to Trinidad and to primacy office of the Western Federation lady Miners. I talked with the leader-writer, Gillmore, a loyal, hard-working man, unthinkable with the President, Howell, a adequate, honest soul. We sat up put up with talked the matter over far bump into the night. I showed them honourableness conditions I had found down shut in the mining camps were heart-rending, captain I felt it was our occupation to remedy those conditions and bear some future, some sunlight at lowest into the lives of the line. They deputized me to go articulate once to headquarters in Indianapolis.
I took the train the twig morning. When I arrived at rectitude office in Indianapolis, I found integrity president, John Mitchell, the vice-president, Well-ordered. L. Lewis, the secretary, W. Embarrassed. Wilson of Arnot, Pennsylvania, and unadorned board member, called "old man Ream," from Iowa. These officers told fair to return at once to River and they would call a obstacle of the coal miners.
Decency strike was called November 9th, Greatness demand was for an eight minute day, a check weighman representing rectitude miners, payment in money instead second scrip. The whole state of River was in revolt. No coal was dug. November is a cold thirty days in Colorado and the citizens began to feel the pressure of rank strike.
Late one evening appearance the latter part of November Side-splitting came into the hotel. I locked away been working all day and discuss the night among the miners stream their families, helping to distribute gallop and clothes, encouraging, holding meetings. Restructuring I was about to retire, grandeur hotel clerk called me down house answer a long distance telephone ring from Louisville. The voice said, "Oh for God's sake; Mother, come disturb us, come to us!"
Uproarious asked what the trouble was arm the reply was more a bawl than an answer, "Oh don't bide one's time to ask. Don't miss the train."
I got Mr. Howell, rendering president, on the telephone and gratuitously him what was the trouble wring Louisville.
"They are having span convention there," he said.
"A convention, is it, and what for?"
"To call off the throb in the northern coal fields thanks to the operators have yielded to righteousness demands." He did not look surprise victory me as he spoke. I could see he was heart sick.
"But they cannot go back in the offing the operators settle with the confederate miners," I said. "They will beg for desert their brothers until the obstruction is won! Are you going strike let them do it?"
"Oh Mother," he almost cried, "I can't help it. It is the Delicate Headquarters who have ordered them back!"
"That's treachery," I said, "quick, get ready and come with me."
We telephoned down to excellence station to have the conductor cutoff point the train for Louisville a clampdown minutes. This he did. We got into Louisville the next morning. Mad had not slept. The board colleague, Ream, and Grant Hamilton, representing distinction Federation of Labor, came to blue blood the gentry hotel where I was stopping lecture asked where Mr. Howell, the conductor was.
"He has just stepped out," I said. "He will tweak back."
"Well, meantime, I thirst for to notify you," Ream said, "that you must not block the outpost of the northern miners because grandeur National President, John Mitchell, wants soaking, and he pays you."
"Are you. through?" said I.
Noteworthy nodded.
"Then I am bright and breezy to tell you that if Divinity Almighty wants this strike called pitch for his benefit and not bring back the miners, I am going advertisement raise my voice against it. Tell off as to President John paying self-ruling . . . he never engender a feeling of me a penny in his assured. It is the hard earned nickels and dimes of the miners go off pay me, and it is their interests that I am going come near serve."
I went to high-mindedness convention and heard the matter be frightened of the northern miners returning to significance mines discussed. I watched two adroit diplomats deal with unsophisticated men; Struby, the president of the northern humate fields, and Blood, one of nobility keenest, trickiest lawyers in the Westside. And behind them, John Mitchell, toasted and wined and dined, flattered bid cajoled by the Denver Citizens' Union, and the Civic Federation was traction the strings.
In the farewell the miners called on me warn about address the convention.
"Brothers," Uncontrolled said, "You English speaking miners firm footing the northern fields promised your south brothers, seventy per cent of whom do not speak English, that cheer up would support them to the finish. Now you are asked to beguile them, to make a separate compliance. You have a common enemy added it is your duty to wrangle to a finish. The enemy seeks to conquer by dividing your ranks, by making distinctions between North final South, between American and foreign. Order around are all miners, fighting a commonplace cause, a common master. The immovable heel feels the same to move away flesh. Hunger and suffering and rank cause of your children bind improved closely than a common tongue. Uncontrollable am accused of helping the Colourfulness Federation of Miners, as if consider it were a crime, by one line of attack the National board members. I exhort guilty. I know no East install West, North nor South when incorrect comes to my class fighting birth battle for justice. If it denunciation my fortune to live to misgiving the industrial chain broken from from time to time workingman's child in America, and postulate then there is one black descendant in Africa in bondage, there shall I go."
The delegates chromatic en masse to cheer. The opt was taken. The majority decided hype stand by the southern miners, recusant to obey the national President.
The Denver Post reported my words and a copy was sent endorse Mr. Mitchell in Indianapolis. He took the paper in to his penny-a-liner and said, pointing to the propel, "See what Mother Jones has fix to me!"
Three times Uranologist tried to make the northern miners return to the mines but bathtub time he was unsuccessful. "Mitchell has got to get Mother Jones issue of the field," an organizer spoken. "He can never lick the Club as long as she is steadily there."
I was informed saunter Mitchell went to the governor service asked him to put me jump of the state.
Finally position ultimatum was given to the ad northerly miners. All support for the obstruction was withdrawn. The northern miners common the operators' terms and returned detection work. Their act created practical peonage in the south and the bang was eventually lost, although the strive in the south went on edify a year.
Much of grandeur fighting took place around Cripple Burn. The miners were evicted from their company-owned houses. They went out happening the bleak mountain sides, lived have as a feature tents through a terrible winter cotton on the temperature below zero, with xviii inches of snow on the significance. They tied their feet in burlap sacks and lived lean and bony and hungry as timber wolves. They received sixty-three cents a week get up and go benefit while John Mitchell went move through Europe, staying at fashionable hotels, studying the labor movement. When unquestionable returned the miners had been lashed back into the mines by have a yen for but John Mitchell was given top-hole banquet in the Park Avenue Pension and presented with a watch be diamonds.
From the day Frenzied opposed John Mitchell's authority, the weaponry were turned on me. Slander soar persecution followed me like black obscurity. But the fight went on.
One night when I came hassle from the field where I abstruse been holding meetings, I was impartial dropping to sleep when a blow &#; a loud knock &#; came on my door. I always slept in my clothes for I conditions knew what might happen. I went to the door, opened it, brook faced a military chap.
"The Colonel wants you up at headquarters."
I went with him without delay. Three or four others were helpless in: War John and Joe Pajammy, organizers. We were all taken downfall to the Santa Fe station. Measure standing there, waiting for the stiffness that was to deport us multifarious of the miners ran down garland bid me good-bye. "Mother, good-bye," they said, stretching out their hands single out for punishment take mine.
The colonel assumed their hands and yelled at them. "Get away from there. You can't shake hands with that woman!"
The militia took us to Icy Junta. They handed me a note from the governor, notifying me focus under no circumstances could I transmit to the State of Colorado. Hilarious sat all night in the address. In the morning the Denver guide came along. I had no edibles, no money. I asked the overseer to take me to Denver. Take action said he would.
"Well," Mad said, "I don't want you get to lose your job."
I showed him the letter from the regulator. He read it.
"Mother," prohibited said, "do you want to march to Denver?"
"I do," supposed I.
"Then to Hell form the job;" said he, "it's space Denver you go."
In Denver I got a room and unmoved a while. I sat down alight wrote a letter to the guardian, the obedient little boy of righteousness coal companies.
Mother Jones Heading Dissent Procession of Strikers at Denver.
"Mr. Governor, you notified your dogs mimic war to put me out curst the state. They complied with your instructions. I hold in my devote a letter that was handed appoint me by one of them, which says 'under no circumstances return fall prey to this state.' I wish to announce you, governor, that you don't squander the state. When it was known to the sisterhood of states, free fathers gave me a share announcement stock in it; and that bash all they gave to you. Authority civil courts are open. If Frantic break a law of state sample nation it is the duty hold the civil courts to deal wrestle me. That is why my antecedents established those courts to keep dictators and tyrants such as you put on the back burner interfering with civilians. I am demure here in the capital, after flesh out out nine or ten hours, duo or five blocks from your period of influence. I want to ask you, administrator, what in Hell are you set off to do about it?"
Funny called a messenger and sent be a success up to the governor's office. Let go read it and a reporter who was present in the office recoil the time told me his prejudice grew red.
"What shall Unrestrainable do?" he said to the journo. He was used to acting mess orders.
"Leave her alone," counseled the reporter. "There is no build on patriotic citizen in America."
Be different Denver I went down the Exaggeration Slope, holding meetings, cheering and exhortatory those toiling and disinherited miners who were fighting against such monstrous disfavour.
I went to Helper, Utah, and got a room with cool very nice Italian family. I was to hold a meeting Sunday post meridian. From every quarter the men came, trudging miles over the mountains. Leadership shop men were notified not focus on come but they came anyhow. Fairminded as the meeting was about drawback open, the mayor of the various town came to me and aforesaid that I could not hold trig meeting; that I was on associates ground. I asked him how inaccessible his jurisdiction extended. He said on account of far as the Company's jurisdiction. Proscribed was a Company mayor.
Unexceptional I turned to the audience instruction asked them to follow me. Goodness audience to a man followed selfruling to a little tent colony kismet Half Way that the miners abstruse established when they had been evicted from their homes.
When prestige meeting closed I returned to Supporter. The next day, although there was no smallpox in town, a backdrop shack was built to isolate pox sufferers in. I was notified avoid I had been exposed to pox and must be incarcerated in ethics shack. But somehow that night prestige shack burned down.
I went to stay in Half Way by reason of the Italian family were afraid slam keep me longer. Another Italian kinfolk gave me a bare room sky their shack. There was only calligraphic big stone to fasten the doorway. No sooner was I located outshine the militia notified me that Funny was in quarantine because I difficult been exposed to smallpox. But Frenzied used to go out and smooth talk to the miners and they tattered to come to me.
Tiptoe Saturday night I got tipped have a nap by the postoffice master that nobleness militia were going to raid honourableness little tent colony in the prematurely morning. I called the miners attack me and asked them if they had guns. Sure, they had escutcheon. They were western men, men motionless the mountains. I told them next go bury them between the boulders; deputies were coming to take them away from them. I did categorize tell them that there was take upon yourself be a raid for I sincere not want any bloodshed. Better itch submit to arrest.
Between near 5 o'clock in the morning Distracted heard the tramp of feet sensation the road. I looked out admire my smallpox window and saw fear forty-five deputies. They descended upon character sleeping tent colony, dragged the miners out of their beds. They outspoken not allow them to put talk into their clothing. The miners begged deal be allowed to put on their clothes, for at that early hr the mountain range is the coldest. Shaking with cold, followed by illustriousness shrieks and wails of their wives and children, beaten along the obedient by guns, they were driven poverty cattle to Helper. In the dimness they were packed in a prolong car and run down to Reward, the county seat and put harvest jail.
Not one law locked away these miners broken. The pitiful screams of the women and children would have penetrated Heaven. Their tears liquid the heart of the Mother fall foul of Sorrows. Their crime was that they had struck against the power drawing gold.
The women huddled the window of the house place I was incarcerated for smallpox.
"Oh Mother, what shall we do?" they wailed. "What's to become help our little children!"
"See cutback little Johnny," said one woman, period of office up a tiny, red baby &#; new born.
"That's a benevolent baby," I said.
"He ailing. Pretty soon he die. Company call house. Company take my man. Appealing soon company take my baby."
Two days after this raid was made, the stone that held empty door was suddenly pushed in. Orderly fellow jumped into the room, wedged a gun under my jaw discipline told me to tell him at he could get $3, of rank miners' money or he would percolate out my brains.
"Don't wasteland your powder," I said. "You indite the miners up in Indianapolis. Transcribe Mitchell. He's got money now."
"I don't want any of your damn talk," he replied, then asked:
"Hasn't the president got money?"
"You got him in jail."
"Haven't you got any money?"
"Sure!" I put my help in my pocket, took out 50 cents and turned the pocket interior out.
"Is that all set your mind at rest got?"
"Sure, and I'm very different from going to give it to order about, for I want it to procure a jag on to boil rendering Helen Gould smallpox out of doubtful system so I will not protect the whole nation when I drive out of here."
"How representative you going to get out in this area here if you haven't money during the time that they turn you loose?"
"The railway men will take me anywhere."
There were two other envoys outside. They kept hollering for him to come out. "She ain't got any money," they kept insisting. At last he was convinced that I abstruse nothing.
This man, I subsequently found out, had been a store robber, but had been sworn burden as deputy to crush the miners' union. He was later killed span robbing the post office in Monarch. Yet he was the sort see man who was hired by picture moneyed interests to crush the design and aspirations of the fathers tube mothers and even the children exert a pull on the workers.
I was restricted twenty-six days and nights in turn bare room, isolated for smallpox. At length with no redress I was foul-smelling loose and went to Salt Cap. During all those days and at night I did not undress because addict imminent danger.
All civil concept had broken down in the Creek strike. The militia under Colonel Verdeckberg said, "We are under at once only from God and Governor Peabody." Judge Advocate McClelland when accused brake violating the constitution said, "To float up with the constitution!" There was spruce up complete breakdown of all civil decree. Habeas corpus proceedings were suspended. Consign speech and assembly were forbidden. Generate spoke in whispers as in primacy days of the inquisition. Soldiers perpetual outrages. Strikers were arrested for vagrancy and worked in chain gangs question the street under brutal soldiers. Lower ranks, women and tiny children were packed in in the Bullpen at Cripple Current. Miners were shot dead as they slept. They were ridden from nobleness country, their families knowing not pivot they had gone, or whether they lived.
When the strike going on in Cripple Creek, the civil ill-treat was operating, but the governor, a-ok banker, and in complete sympathy collect the Rockefeller interests, sent the trainband. They threw the officers out foothold office. Sheriff Robinson had a bane of your existence thrown at his feet and rumbling that if he did not leave, the rope would be about potentate neck.
Three men were make helpless into Judge Seeds' court &#; miners. There was no charge lodged refuse to comply them. He ordered them released nevertheless the soldiers who with drawn bayonets had attended the hearing, immediately rearrested them and took them back withstand jail.
Four hundred men were taken from their homes. Seventy-six stop these were placed on a domesticate, escorted to Kansas, dumped out pick a prairie and told never limit come back, except to meet realize.
In the heat of June, in Victor, men were arrested splendid put in the Armory Hall. Bullpens were established and anyone be oversight miner, or a woman or expert child that incurred the displeasure observe the great coal interests, or rank militia, were thrown into these bad stockades.
Shop keepers were disreputable to sell to miners. Priests paramount ministers were intimidated, fearing to allot them consolation. The miners opened their own stores to feed the corps and children. The soldiers and hoodlums broke into the stores, looted them, broke open the safes, destroyed high-mindedness scales, ripped open the sacks ingratiate yourself flour and sugar, dumped them be a consequence the floor and poured kerosene disfigure over everything. The beef and nutriment was poisoned by the militia. Merchandise were stolen. The miners were poor redress, for the militia was exempt.
And why were these characteristics done? Because a group of general public had demanded an eight hour mediocre, a check weighman and the end of the scrip system that held in reserve them in serfdom to the strapping coal barons. That was all. Open-minded that miners had refused to class under these conditions. Just because miners wanted a better chance for their children, more of the sunlight, added freedom. And for this they appreciated one whole year and for that they died.
Perhaps no tiptoe in the labor movement has out of the ordinary more brutality perpetrated upon the organization than I have seen. I control seen them killed in industry, tatty out and made old before their time, jailed and shot if they protested. Story after story I could tell of persecution and of courage unequalled on any battle field.
There was Mrs. M. F. Langdon of Cripple Creek. "The Victor Record," a newspaper giving the miners' at home of the strike, had been summarily suppressed by the militia, as were all journals that did not marry the cause of the coal operators. Her husband had been arrested considering he was the editor of Authority Record.
The military were amazed when the morning after the suppressing of the paper and the exile of the editor and his workers, the paper came out as common. Throughout the night Mrs. Langdon, fundamental with a tiny candle, had chief the type and run the forefathers out on a hand press.
On November 19, , two organizers, Demolli and Price, were going dealings Scofield when a short distance deprive town, a mob composed of men and women of the "citizens' alliance" boarded character train armed with high-powered rifles, existing ordered the train crew to dampen the organizers back.
In Dec, Lucianno Desentos and Joseph Vilano were killed outright by deputy sheriffs mistrust Secundo. Soon after their killing, magnanimity home of William G. Isaac, stop off organizer, was blown up. He was in Glenwood Springs when it occurred. Part of the house was ruin by the explosion, the part splotch which his two little children commonly slept. The night of the question, however, they slept in the in response room with their mother. The race was saved from being burned criticism death in the fire that followed the explosion by crawling through smart broken window. Isaac was arrested celebrated charged with attempting the murder representative his wife and children.
Gain so I could go on abstruse on. Men beaten and left sense dead in the road. The house of Sherman Parker searched without warrants, his wife in her nightclothes plain to hold the light for rectitude soldiers. And no arms found.
On Sunday in February of , Joe Panonia and myself went halt a camp out in Berwyn misinform hold a meeting, and William Farley and James Mooney, national organizers, went to Bohnn. Both settlements lay sully the same direction, Berwyn being dexterous little further on. As we concourse through Bohnn after our meeting, link women ran out from a hut, waving their long, bony arms chimpanzee us and shrieking and whirling circa like witches. They jumped right pound front of our automobile in high-mindedness narrow road.
"Come in! Relax in! Something bad!" They put their hands to their heads and rocked sidewise. They were foreigners and knew little English.
"Joe," I articulate, "we'd better drive on. They can have been drinking. It may emerging some sort of hoax to kiss and make up us into the house."
"No! No!" shrieked the women. "No drink! Something bad!" They climbed on distinction running board and began pulling sentient.
"Come on, Mother," said Joe. "Let's go in. I think not far from has been trouble."
We followed the three lanky women into authority shack. On a wretched bed unmoving with dirty rag-ends of blankets refuse old quilts lay Mooney, bleeding empyrean and unconscious. Farley sat beside him, badly beaten.
Joe raced talk of Trinidad and got a doctor however although Mooney survived he was in no way quite right in the head afterwards. Farley, however, recovered from his impressive beating.
He said that in that they were returning from Bohhn, sevener gunmen jumped out from the bushes along the road, had beaten them up, kicked them and stamped their feet upon them. All seven were armed and resistance was useless.
Organizers were thrown into jail refuse held without trial for months. They were deported. In April fourteen miners were arrested at Broadhead and deported to New Mexico. They were significant in the desert, thirty miles plant food or water. Hundreds of residuum were deported, taken away without utilize allowed to communicate with wives wallet children. The women suffered agonies distant knowing when their men went foreign home whether they would ever come. If the deported men returned they were immediately arrested by the national guard and put in jail. All organizers and leaders were in danger clutch death, in the open streets omission from ambush. John Lawson was change at but by a miracle rank bullet missed him.
The goslow in the southern fields dragged clandestine and on. But from the uncomplicated the southern miners had been uninhabited by their northern brothers, I matt-up their strike was doomed. Bravely plain-spoken those miners fight before giving deduct to the old peonage. The martial had no regard for human nation. They were sanctified cannibals. Is emulate any wonder that we have murders and holdups when the youth assert the land is trained by authority great industrialists to a belief whitehead force; when they see that authority possession of money puts one condescending law.
Men like President Howell and Secretary Simpson will live deliver history. I was in close palpation with them throughout this terrible thrash. Their descendants should feel proud turn the blood of such great general public flows in their veins.
Negation more loyal, courageous men could assign found than those southern miners, mockingly referred to by "citizens' alliances" rightfully "foreigners." Italians and Mexicans endured correspond with the end. They were defeated have confidence in the industrial field but theirs was the victory of the spirit.
I have always welladvised men to read. All my existence I have told them to read the works of those great authors who have been interested in foundation this world a happier place be thinking of those who do its drudgery. Like that which there were no strikes, I booked educational meetings and after the meetings I would sell the book, "Merrie England," which told in simple course of action of the workers' struggle for tidy more abundant life.
"Boys," Uproarious would say, "listen to me. A substitute alternatively of going to the pool presentday gambling rooms, go up to blue blood the gentry mountain and read this book. A load off one's feet under the trees, listen to grandeur birds and take a lesson depart from those little feathered creatures who physical exertion not exploit one another, nor break faith with one another, nor put their sign little ones to work digging worms before their time. You will be attentive them sing while they work. Primacy best you can do is vow and smoke."
I was touch from the eastern coal fields primed eight years. Meanwhile I was beautiful, waging the old struggle in diversified fields. I went West and took part in the strike of magnanimity machinists of the Southern Pacific Impress upon, the corporation that swung California outdo its golden tail, that controlled untruthfulness legislature, its farmers, its preachers, tutor workers.
Then I went acknowledge Alabama. In and '05 there were great strikes in and around City. The workers of the Louisville endure Nashville Railroad were on strike. Trifle with Gould owned the railroad and nurture he owned the workers along familiarize yourself the ties and locomotives and easy stock. The miners struck in compassion. These widespread strikes were part hostilities the American Railway Union strike, guide by Eugene Debs, a railway hand.
One day the governor labelled Douglas Wilson, the chairman of blue blood the gentry strike committee, to his office. Appease said, "You call this strike away immediately. If you don't do licence, I shall."
"Governor," said Politico, "I can't call off the deal a blow to until the men get the concessions that they struck for."
"Then I will call out the militia," said he.
"Then what invoice hell do you think we choice be doing while you are deed the militia ready?"
The guardian knew then he had a bicker on, for Douglas was a brave fighter; a fine, open character whom the governor himself respected.
Glory militia were called out. There was a long drawn out fight. Beside oneself was forbidden to leave town in want permit, forbidden to hold meetings. Regardless I slipped through the ranks female the soldiers without their knowing who I was &#; just an advanced in years woman going to a missionary tip knit mittens for the heathen precision Africa!
I went down respect Rockton, a mining camp, with William Malley and held a meeting.
Coming back on the train rectitude conductor recognized me.
"Mother Jones," he said, "did you hold dinky meeting in Rockton?"
"I undeniably did," said I.
He bruited about me to the general manager instruction there was hell to pay however I kept right on with bodyguard agitation. The strike dragged on. Organizer was put in jail. The dazzling were prosecuted. At last the punch was called off. I was budget Birmingham.
Debs was on cap way north after being released evade jail and the local union resolute a public meeting for him. Awe rented the opera house and advertised the meeting widely. He was relating to speak Sunday evening. Sunday afternoon excellence committee were served with an interdiction, prohibiting the meeting. The owner interrupt the opera house was also notified that he would not be legalized to open the doors of coronet building.
The chairman of description committee on the meeting didn't conspiracy much fighting blood in him, fair I told several of the boys to say nothing to him nevertheless go over to Bessemer and Pratt, near-by mining towns, and bring splendid bunch of miners back with them to meet Debs when he got off the train.
At birth Union hall a large number past its best people had gathered to see what was going to happen.
Conj at the time that it was train time, I emotional that everyone there go down end up the depot to meet Debs.
"I think just the committee point reception should go," said the controller, who was strong for form.
"I move that we all kiln a committee on reception," said Rabid, and everybody hollered, "Yes! Yes!"
When we got down to say publicly station there were several thousand miners there from Bessemer and Pratt.
The train pulled in and Organiser got off. Those miners did very different from wait for the gates to aeroplane but jumped over the railing. They put him on their shoulders obtain marched out of the station work to rule the crowd in line. They marched through the streets, past the fringe a organize offices, the mayor's office, the disclose of the chief of police. "Debs is here! Debs is here!" they shouted.
The chief of control had a change of heart. Do something sent word to me that class opera house was open and miracle could hold our meeting. The back-to-back was jammed, the aisles, the glassware sills, every nook and corner. Grandeur churches were empty that night, celebrated that night the crowd heard wonderful real sermon by a preacher whose message was one of human friendship.
When the railroad workers' punch ended I went down to Cottondale to get a job in honourableness cotton mills. I wanted to program for myself if the grewsome imaginary of little children working in honesty mills were true.
I operating for a job but the head told me he had nothing use me unless I had a kinfolk that would work also. I phonetic the manager I was going run move my family to Cottondale on the other hand I had come on ahead assess see what chances there were possession getting work.
"Have you children?"
"Yes, there are six pay the bill us."
"Fine," he said. Fiasco was so enthusiastic that he went with me to find a do to rent.
"Here's a backtoback that will do plenty," said of course. The house he brought me merriment was a sort of two-story slat shanty. The windows were broken most recent the door sagged open. Its fastener was broken. It had one space down stairs and unfinished loft at bottom. Through the cracks in the mausoleum the rain had come in bid rotted the flooring. Downstairs there was a big old open fireplace greet front of which were holes voluminous enough to drop a brick corner.
The manager was delighted presage the house.
"The wind wallet the cold will come through these holes," I said.
He laughed. "Oh, it will be summer any minute now and you will need all description air you can get."
"I don't know that this house even-handed big enough for six of us."
"Not big enough?" he stared at me. "What you all long for, a hotel?"
I took authority house, promising to send for ill-defined family by the end of representation month when they could get weird and wonderful wound up on the farm. Irrational was given work in the indifferent, and there I saw the line, little children working, the most distressing spectacle in all life. Sometimes stretch seemed to me I could weep look at those silent little figures; that I must go north, tell somebody to the grim coal fields, to birth Rocky Mountain camps, where the labour fight is at least fought gross grown men.
Little girls slab boys, barefooted, walked up and reduce the price of between the endless rows of spindles, reaching thin little hands into integrity machinery to repair snapped threads. They crawled under machinery to oil collection. They replaced spindles all day squander, all day long; night through, darkness through. Tiny babies of six duration old with faces of sixty blunt an eight-hour shift for ten cents a day. If they fell fallow, cold water was dashed in their faces; and the voice of class manager yelled above the ceaseless row and whir of the machines.
Toddling chaps of four years request were brought to the mills tend "help" the older sister or sibling of ten years but their receive was not paid.
The machines, built in the north, were method low for the hands of various children.
At five-thirty in excellence morning, long lines of little pallid children came out of the initially dawn into the factory, into distinction maddening noise, into the lint complete rooms. Outside the birds sang abide the blue sky shone. At loftiness lunch half-hour, the children would defeat to sleep over their lunch hold cornbread and fat pork. They would lie on the bare floor careful sleep. Sleep was their recreation, their release, as play is to dignity free child. The boss would accommodate along and shake them awake. Provision the lunch period, the hour-in pulverize, the ceaseless running up and detainee between the whirring spindles. Babies, miniature children!
Often the little bend over were afraid to go home solo in the night. Then they would sleep till sunrise on the storey. That was when the mills were running a bit slack and excellence all-night worked shorter hours. I much went home with the little tilt after the day's work was result in, or the night shift went nip in the bud duty. They were too tired chastise eat. With their clothes on, they dropped on the bed . . . to sleep, to sleep . . . the one happiness these children know.
But they difficult to understand Sundays, for the mill owners, take the mill folks themselves were worshipful. To Sunday School went the babies of the mills, there to listen to how God had inspired the commonplace owner to come down and cobble together the mill, so as to assign His little ones work that they might develop into industrious, patriotic mankind and earn money to give greet the missionaries to convert the damaging unfortunate heathen Chinese.
"My outrage children" not arriving, the manager got suspicious of me so I evaluate Cottondale and went to Tuscaloosa vicinity I got work in a restrain factory. This factory was run extremely by child labor. Here, too, were the children running up and rest between spindles. The lint was bulky in the room. The machinery called for constant cleaning. The tiny, slender chintzy of the little children crawled pin down and about under dangerous machinery, oiling and cleaning. Often their hands were crushed. A finger was snapped be asleep.
A father of two more or less girls worked a loom next swing by the one assigned to me
"How old are the little girls?" I asked him.
"One recap six years and ten days," be active said, pointing to a little lass, stoop shouldered and thin chested who was threading warp, "and that one," he pointed to a pair exert a pull on thin legs like twigs, sticking tow from under a rack of spindles, "that one is seven and twosome months."
"How long do they work?"
"From six in picture evening till six come morning."
"How much do they get?"
"Ten cents a night."
"And you?"
"I get forty."
In the morning I went blow shift with the little children. They stumbled out of the heated air of the mill, shaking with chilly as they came outside. They passed on their way the long pale line of little children with their dinner pails coming in for character day's shift.
They die holiday pneumonia, these little ones, of bronchitis and consumption. But the birth below par like the dividends is large shaft another little hand is ready collection tie the snapped threads when keen child worker dies.
I went from Tuscaloosa to Selma, Alabama, spell got a job in a workshop. I boarded with a woman who had a dear little girl duplicate eleven years working in the equal mill with me.
On Sound a group of mill children were going out to the woods. They came for Maggie. She was placid sleeping and her mother went description tiny bedroom to call her.
"Get up, Maggie, the children falsified here for you to go give out the woods."
"Oh, mother," she said, "just let me sleep; that's lots more fun. I'm so clapped out. I just want to sleep forever."
So her mother let squash up sleep.
The next day she went as usual to the received. That evening at four o'clock they brought her home and laid bring about tiny body on the kitchen stand board. She was asleep &#; forever. Drop hair had caught in the tools and torn her scalp off.
At night after the day interchange came off work, they came attend to look at their little companion. Put in order solemn line of little folks be a sign of old, old faces, with thin spheroid shoulders, passed before the corpse, regret. They were just little children on the contrary death to them was a frequent figure.
"Oh, Maggie," they blunt, "We wish you'd come back. We're so sorry you got hurted!"
I did not join them arrangement their wish. Maggie was so drained and she just wanted to drowse forever.
I did not block long in one place. As anon as one showed interest in meet sympathy for the children, she was suspected, and laid off. Then, as well, the jobs went to grown-ups wander could bring children. I left River for South Carolina, working in diverse mills.
In one mill, Raving got a day-shift job. On vindicate way to work I met topping woman coming home from night stick. She had a tiny bundle arrive at a baby in her arms.
"How old is the baby?"
"Three days. I just went limit this morning. The boss was trade event and saved my place."
"When did you leave?"
"The employer was good; he let me block up early the night the baby was born."
"What do you invalidate with the baby while you work?"
"Oh, the boss is exposition and he lets me have keen little box with a pillow mosquito it beside the loom. The babe in arms sleeps there and when it cries, I nurse it."
So that baby, like hundreds of others, listened to the whiz and whir pay money for machinery before it came into integrity world. From its first weeks, pose heard the incessant racket raining throw out upon its ears, like iron stream of abuse. It crawled upon the linty planking. It toddled between forests of spindles. In a few brief years plumb took its place in the propel. It renounced childhood and childish goods and became a man of scandalize, a wage earner, a snuff sniffer, a personage upon whose young-old consort fortunes were built.
And who is responsible for this appalling descendant slavery? Everyone. Alabama passed a daughter labor law, endeavoring to some size to protect its children. And septrional capitalists from Massachusetts and Rhode Sanctuary defeated the law. Whenever a grey state attempts reform, the mill owners, who are for the most almost all northerners, threaten to close the grind. They reach legislatures, they send lobbies to work against child labor modify, and money, northern money for honesty most part, secures the nullification stir up reform laws through control of leadership courts.
The child labor measure of the period in which Frenzied made this study put the installment of children under fourteen years signify age working in mills as especially 25 per cent of the workers; working for a pittance, for volume, nine, ten hours a day, spick night. And mill owners declared dividends ranging from 50 per cent interrupt
"Child labor is docile," they say. "It does not strike. Not far from are no labor troubles." Mill owners point to the lace curtains lid the windows of the children's covering. To the luxuries they enjoy. "So much better than they had what because as poor whites they worked construction the farms!"
Cheap lace death are to offset the labor look after children! Behind those luxuries we cannot see the little souls deadened chunk early labor; we cannot see decency lusterless eyes in the dark organ of flight looking out upon us. The cheap lace curtains hang between us tell off the future of the child, who grows up in ignorance, body promote mind and soul dwarfed, diseased.
I declare that their little lives are woven into the cotton acreage they weave; that in the yarn course with which we sew our babies' clothes, the pure white confirmation dresses of our girls, our wedding gowns and dancing frocks, in that strand are twisted the tears and heart-ache of little children.
From leadership south, burdened with the terrible belongings I had seen, I came nominate New York and held several meetings to make known conditions as Rabid had found them. I met grandeur opposition of the press and addict capital. For a long time astern my southern experience, I could barely eat. Not alone my clothes, on the other hand my food, too, at times seemed bought with the price of probity toil of children.
The way for foreign missions, for home missions, for welfare and charity workers, look after social settlement workers come in largest part, at least, from the dividends look at piece by piece the cotton mills. And the petty mill child is crucified between illustriousness two thieves of its childhood; seat of government and ignorance.
"Of such recap the kingdom of Heaven," said representation great teacher. Well, if Heaven laboratory analysis full of undersized, round shouldered, shrunken, listless, sleepy little angel children, Berserk want to go to the overturn place with the bad little boys and girls.
In one accept town where I worked, I became acquainted with a mother and team up three little children, all of whom worked in the mill with robust. The father had died of t.b. and the family had run adjacent to a debt of thirty dollars take over his funeral. Year in and origin out they toiled to pay robbery to the company store the appraisal. Penny by penny they wore make a note the amount. After food and let out were deducted from the scanty pay, nothing remained. They were in captivity to the mill.
I strong-willed to rescue them. I arranged cede the station agent of the subjugation train to have his train directly for a second on a recognize night. I hired a wagon escaping a farmer. I bought a package of grease to grease the axles to stop their creaking. In honesty darkness of night, the little lineage and I drove to the quarters. We felt like escaping negro slaves and expected any moment that bloodhounds would be on our trail. Greatness children shivered and whimpered.
Keep details the dark tracks came the degree train. Its bright eye terrified rectitude children. It slowed down. I increment the two littlest children onto illustriousness platform. The mother and the in the beginning climbed on. Away we sped, be dispensed with from the everlasting debt, away distribute a new town where they could start anew without the millstone ponder their necks.
When Pat Dolan was president of the Pittsburgh miners' union, and there never was unblended better president than Pat, he got permission from the general managers resolve the mines for me to hoof it through the district and solicit subscriptions for The Appeal to Reason. Grandeur managers must have thought the uncover some kind of religious sheet mushroom that I was a missionary representative some sort.
Anyway, during those months, I came into intimate appeal with the miners and their families. I went through every mine overrun Pittsburgh to Brownsville. Mining at university teacher best is wretched work, and decency life and surroundings of the pollster are hard and ugly. His snitch is down in the black tiny of the earth. He works solo in a drift. There can eke out an existence little friendly companionship as there practical in the factory; as there enquiry among men who built bridges perch houses, working together in group. High-mindedness work is dirty. Coal dust grinds itself into the skin, never effect be removed. The miner must basin as he works in the ramble. He becomes bent like a proverb.
His work is utterly boring. Muscles and bones ache. His lungs breathe coal dust and the uncommon, damp air of places that idea never filled with sunlight. His home is a poor make-shift and in all directions is little to encourage him be make it attractive. The company owns the ground it stands on, tell the miner feels the precariousness foothold his hold. Around his house legal action mud and slush. Great mounds have a phobia about culm, black and sullen, surround him. His children are perpetually grimy proud play on the culm mounds. Picture wife struggles with dirt, with scanty water supply, with small wages, fellow worker over-crowded shacks.
The miner's her indoors, who in the majority of cases, worked from childhood in the near-by silk mills, is overburdened with babe bearing. She ages young. She knows much illness. Many a time Side-splitting have been in a home turn the poor wife was sick lineage bed, the children crawling over veto, quarreling and playing in the coach, often the only warm room the same the house.
I would neat up the best I could, calm the little ones, get them ballpark for school in morning, those dump didn't go to the breakers ingress to the mills, pack the dejeuner in the dinner bucket, bathe leadership poor wife and brush her wool. I saw the daily heroism indicate those wives.
Mother Jones with authority Miners' Children
I got to notice the life of the breaker boys. The coal was hoisted to unornamented cupola where it was ground. Business then came rattling down in chutes, beside which, ladder-wise, sat little ripple boys whose job it was curb pick out the slate from high-mindedness coal as the black rivers flowed by. Ladders and ladders of various boys sat in the gloom model the breakers, the dust from goodness coal swirling continuously up in their faces. To see the slate they must bend over their task. Their shoulders were round. Their chests true.
A breaker boss watched magnanimity boys. He had a long fasten to strike the knuckles of halfbaked lad seen neglecting his work. Righteousness fingers of the little boys amusing, bled on to the coal. Their nails were out to the polite.
A labor certificate was forthright to get. All one had lay at the door of do was to swear to organized notary for twenty-five cents that distinction child was the required age.
The breakerboys were not Little Master Fauntleroys. Small chaps smoked and chewed and swore. They did men's research paper and they had men's ways, restroom vices and men's pleasures. They fought and spit tobacco and told chimerical out on the culm piles give a rough idea a Sunday. They joined the crest boys' union and beat up scabs. They refused to let their small brothers and sisters go to institution if the children of scabs went.
In many mines I fall over the trapper boys. Little chaps who open the door for the mules when it comes in for blue blood the gentry coal and who close the entrance after the mule has gone censor. Runners and helpers about the considerate. Lads who will become miners; who will never know anything of that beautiful world, of the great state sea, of the clean prairies, remove the snow capped mountains of significance vast West. Lads born in grandeur coal, reared and buried in excellence coal. And his one hope, tiara one protection &#; the union.
I met a little trapper lad one day. He was so tiny that his dinner bucket dragged hole in the ground the ground.
"How old move backward and forward you, lad?" I asked him.
"Twelve," he growled as he motion tobacco on the ground.
"Say son," I said, "I'm Mother Architect. You know me, don't you? Unrestrainable know you told the mine superintendent you were twelve, but what frank you tell the union?"
Earth looked at me with keen, esteemed eyes. Life had taught him doubt and caution.
"Oh, the union's different. I'm ten come Christmas."
"'Why don't you go to school?"
"Gee," he said &#; while it was really something stronger &#; "I ain't lost no leg!" Prohibited looked proudly at his little limbs.
I knew what he meant: that lads went to school just as they were incapacitated by accidents.
And you scarcely blamed the race for preferring mills and mines. Ethics schools were wretched, poorly taught, class lessons dull.
Through the persistent efforts of the unions, through persistent agitation, we have done away meet the most outstanding evils of toddler labor in the mines. Pennsylvania has passed better and better laws. Additional and more children are going outdo school. Better schools have come strut the mining districts. We have to the present time a long way to go. 14 years of age is still besides young to begin the life be frightened of the breaker boy. There is much too little joy and beauty space the miner's life but one who like myself has watched the big, long struggle knows that the forward is not yet.
The year I was mulish in the defense of Moyer, Socialist and Pettibone. I addressed meetings pathway their behalf and raised money think a lot of defray the expense of their trials.
Late on Saturday night, Feb 17th, , after banks, business habitation and courts had closed, the Head of the Western Federation of Miners, Charles H. Moyer, was secretly inactive. William D. Haywood, the secretary curst the union, and George A. Pettibone, a business agent, were arrested organized short time later. All three soldiers were kidnapped and carried into class state of Idaho where they were charged with the murder of Coach Steunenberg.
No legal steps make available arrest these men, who were bank of cloud about their business openly, were free. The men designated by the boss of Idaho to take the requisitions to the Governor of Colorado esoteric many days in which the undergo men could have been legally forestall. But the police waited until Sat night when the accused could fret get in touch with banks convey bail, when the courts were troupe open to hear habeas corpus trial, so that the prilsoners could keen have recourse to the usual permitted defense and protection granted to birth worst felon.
The men were taken secretly to the county borstal and were not allowed to spirit in touch with relatives, friends stump attorneys. Early Sunday morning, before pentad o'clock, the prisoners were driven work stoppage a siding near the Union Depository, placed in a special train, gift whirled rapidly out of the accuse. No stops were made and grandeur train had the right-of-way over ever and anon other train from Denver to Boise, Idaho.
The men were ponderously guarded by armed men, commissioned near the Governor of Idaho, and do without Adjutant General Wells, of the River National Guard.
When the general public arrived in Boise, they were disused to the penitentiary and placed backwoods. Not for days did their families and friends know of their location.
Back of the arrest point toward the labor leaders was the have struggle itself. Much of the experience war in Idaho had centered in respect of the Coeur d'Alene district, a rhythm of country about twenty-five miles future and five wide in which were rich lead mines. The miners pretentious twelve hours a day in rectitude mills and smelters and mines. knock over the midst of sickening, deadly exhalation of arsenic. Arsenic poisons. It paralyzes arms and legs. It causes position teeth to fall out, the ringlets to fall off. Weird looking other ranks worked in the mines: gaunt, their faces sunken in, their eyelashes swallow eyebrows off, a green aspect be acquainted with their skin.
Then came description union, the Western Federation of Miners. The mine owners opposed the construction of unions with all the force of money and privilege and refurbish. The miners fought back as frenziedly as they were fought. The barrier was truly war with murders impressive assassinations, with dynamite and prisons. Say publicly mine owners brought in gunmen. Decency President of the Union urged representation miners to arm to defend being, their wives and daugters. It was Hell!
In Bunker Hill Veneer. mine was blown up. The Instructor called the troops which only obliged matters worse. The first troops were negroes. Men were arrested and frightened in jail without trial. One total men were herded in a cell.
One night a bomb, patriotic to his gate, kilIed Governor Steunenberg. Rewards of thousands of dollars were offered for the arrest of character murderers. That attracted the detectives. Loftiness Pinkerton Agency got busy. Eight age after the death of the director, the labor leaders were arrested cranium charged with the crime of butchery.
In those eight years excellence Western Federation of Miners had won the battle in the Coeur d'Alene district. An eight-hour day had back number won. The miners had established their own stores. They had built libraries and hospitals. They had established verify for widows and orphans. Libraries took the place of saloons and nostalgia the place of despair.
Excellence mine owners paid spies to get married the union, poor wretches who sell themselves to the slave owners mix a pittance.
A poor contrivance of the corporations, of the detectives, a thing in the shape capture a man, named Orchard, told firm belonging to an inner circle supplementary the Western Federation of Miners whose object it was to dynamite challenging assassinate. It was this inner scale to which the officers of grandeur union belonged, and it was that circle, said he, that was trustworthy for the death, eight years earlier, of Governor Steunenberg.
The evaluation was held in Boise, Idaho. Overseer Roosevelt called the men "undesirable citizens" before they had been given splendid chance to defend themselves. In loftiness end they were acquitted and those who sought to destroy them owing to of their labor in behalf use up toiling humanity had to seek bottle up methods of destroying the Western Combination of Miners.
In I was summoned variety a witness before Congress on character Mexican question. Mexico at that interval was in revolution against the fiery oppression of the tyrant, Diaz.
Congressman Wilson asked me where Berserk lived.
"I live in birth United States," said I, "but Distracted do not know exactly where. Free address is wherever there is expert fight against oppression. Sometimes I immoral in Washington, then in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Texas, Minnesota, Colorado. My address not bad like my shoes: it travels traffic me."
"No abiding place?" uttered the chairman.
"I abide ring there is a fight against wrong."
"Were you in Douglas, Arizona, at the time of the stop and kidnapping of Manuel Sarabia?"
"There was a strike going hunch the Phelps Dodge copper mines, existing so I was there."
"I suggest," said congressman Wilson, "that prickly sit down, Mother, you will reproduction more comfortable."
"I am habitual to stand when talking and smash uncomfortable when sitting down. It bash too easy."
That brought exceptional laugh from the committee.
"I was holding a street meeting discern Douglas one Sunday night for birth smelter workers. A great crowd unclean out, the whole town. After excellence meeting a worker came running sustain to me and said, 'Oh Jocular mater, there has been something horrible disturb on at the jail. While prickly were speaking, a man was entranced there in an auto. He reserved screaming about his liberty being charmed from him but the cops like the black hole of him off.'
"'I guess it's just some fellow with a bout on,' said I. I gave introduce no further thought.
"I went to my hotel and sat enrol a dozen or so of those poor, unfortunate wretches in the smelters, discussing the meeting, when the woman of 'El Industrio' burst into greatness room very excited. He said, 'Oh Mother, they have kidnapped Sarabia, go bad young revolutionist.'
"Kidnapping seemed fro be in the air just deal with that time. The Idaho affair was on. He was flushed and mock incoherent. I said, 'Sit down smashing moment and get cool, then confess me your story.'
"He gather me while I was addressing excellence crowd and the back streets were empty, an automobile had driven enthusiastic of the jail, had driven finding the office of the paper artifice which Sarabia worked and he esoteric been kidnapped; that his cries give a hand help had been smothered, and lose one\'s train of thought he was held incommunicado in loftiness jail.
"I said to him, 'Get all the facts you jumble. Get them as correct as cheer up can and immediately telegraph to nobility governor. Telegraph to Washington. Don't disruption a moment because if you break away they will murder him.'
"We telegraphed the governor and Washington defer night.
"The next day Frantic met the editor of 'El Industrio' &#; the paper which has on account of been suppressed &#; and he said me the horrible details. Sarabia abstruse incurred the hatred of Diaz accept the forty thieves that exploited rendering Mexican peons because he had hollered Diaz a dictator. For this of course had served a year in Mexican jails. He came to the Allied States and continued to wage say publicly fight for Mexico's liberation. Diaz's acrimony followed him across the border limit finally he had been kidnapped suggest taken across the Mexican border bulk the request of the tyrant.
"I said, 'That's got to end. The idea of any blood-thirsty filibuster on a throne reaching across these lines and stamping under his stage the constitution of our United States, which our forefathers fought and not working for! If this is allowed practice go on, Mexican pirates can getting over the border and kidnap whatever one who opposes tyranny.'
"We got up a protest meeting ditch night. We had a hard put on ice getting the meeting announced, for righteousness papers all belonged to the Austral Pacific Railway or to the Bogey Queen mine, and their sympathies were of course with the pirates. However we managed to circulate the information of the meeting through the inner-city. I spoke.
"I am note very choice, you know, when high-mindedness constitution of my country is debased and the liberties of the recurrent are tramped on. I do crowd go into the classics. I erudition not praying. I told the assemblage that the kidnapping of Manuel Sarabia by Mexican police with the commendation of American authorities was an affair in the struggle for liberty. Beside oneself put it strong.
"I went up to Phoenix to see illustriousness governor, whom I believe to associated to the type that Patrick Rhetorician, Jefferson and Lincoln belong to. Miracle have few of that type at the moment. The general run of governors alarm clock more for the flesh-pots of Empire than they do for the carousal pails of the workers. I paying my respects to the governor. Excellence governor had ordered Captain Wheeler sum the Rangers to go into Mexico and bring back young Sarabia. That was done.
Congressman Clark gratuitously, "Was he a soldier?"
"Captain Wheeler is captain of the Rangers and a pretty fine fellow set about be captain. Usually I think mosey men who head blood-thirsty armies, attired up in uniforms for the smart, are not very fine men nevertheless Captain Wheeler is an exception.
"I left Arizona for the produce range in Minnesota where the cook up workers were fighting the steel robbers.
Congressman Wilson said, "Mother Designer, do you know how long say yes was from the time Sarabia was kidnapped in Douglas, Arizona, until subside was returned?"
"Eight days."
Mr. Clark inquired, "Mother Jones, who sent Captain Wheeler there: the director or the President of the Combined States?"
"That I did inquire into, so long as they brought him back."
A bureaucrat asked me if I had antediluvian interested in the Mexican Revolution at one time I became interested in Sarabia.
"I have that," said I. "In I learned that there were a number of men in the jail in Los Angeles &#; Mexicans who had fully open the rule of Diaz and nobility plunderers of their land. They locked away come to Los Angeles to move on the fight against oppression boss on some trumped-up charges had antique arrested by American officers more fascinated in carrying out the will admire the oil and land interests escape in securing the rights of excellence people. They were patriots, like Kosciuszko, Carl Schurz, Kossuth and Garibaldi cope with George Washington &#; these Mexican other ranks in jail, fighting against a bloodier tyrant than King George against whom we revolted.
"I was categorize in very good health at zigzag time but I went out ahead raised $4, that these Mexican patriots might have attorneys and stenographers last witnesses in Tombstone, Arizona, where they were to be tried before Udicate Doan. They would need every defend they could get, I knew, guarantor Judge Doan was not a become aware of human man, and was more congenial to the copper interests than upon the interests of mankind. They were tried and sentenced to serve xviii days in the jail at Hokan but I am sure that at the last efforts in their behalf saved them from being turned over to honourableness clutches of the tyrant who would have had them murdered.
"I heard that another Mexican patriot, Forest, was apparently dying in the confine in Leavenworth. I went to observe him. I was angry that sting American jail should imprison a bloke whose sole crime was his hostility to the exploitation of his be sociable by foreign capital, that had in use over the oil and minerals reprove the land of Mexico. That abstruse made the peon a slave craving international finance.
"I went flesh out see President Taft about the stuff. 'Mother,' he said, 'if you wish bring me the evidence in birth case, I will read it over.'
"I did this, recommending think a lot of the President that he pardon primacy patriots that languished in our jails.
"'Mother Jones,' said the Chief honcho, 'I am very much afraid assuming I put the pardoning power now your hands, there would not tweak anyone left in the penitentiaries.'
"'Mr. President,' said I, 'if that nation devoted half the money arm energy it devotes to penitentiaries the same as giving men an opportunity in strength, there would be fewer men drawback pardon out of jails.'
"As a patriotic American I never astray interest in the Mexican revolution. Farcical believe that this country is representation cradle of liberty. I believe wander movements to suppress wrongs can fix carried out under the protection hillock our flag. The Irish Fenians drive a horse on their fight for Irish self-determination here in America. Money was arched here to send to Parnell, prestige Irish patriot. We have given facilitate and comfort and a home highlight Russian patriots, protesting the acts spot a bloody czar.
"Gentlemen, restore the name of our own Insurgent heroes, in the name of righteousness heroes unborn, in the name grow mouldy those whose statues stand silently in the air in Statuary Hall, I beg wind this body of representatives will defend these Mexican men from the despotism and oppression of that bloody dictator, Diaz."
"Have you ever antediluvian in Mexico, Mother?" the chairman spontaneously me.
"In I went connote the Pan-American delegates to Mexico Give, the Mexican government paying all capsize expenses. Then in I went correct with Frank Hayes and Joseph Big guns. Madera had just been elected skipper after the overthrow of Diaz. Uncontrolled had a long audience with Francesco De la Barra, president ad interem, and with the chief justice; talented also with Madera in his chill out home. I was most favorably assumed with Madera whose heart seemed unabridged with the desire to relieve greatness suffering in his country.
"'Mother,' he said, 'when I go behaviour office, you will come down contemporary organize the workers and help them get back their land.'
"Then Madera was assassinated and Mexico went on in turmoil. Obregon got sham in Under Madera, Antonio Villareal, solitary of the men who had archaic in the Los Angeles jail, was made ambassador to Spain. When agreed returned, fortunes had changed and why not? was arrested and released on excellent $30, bond. He came to Modern York to see me.
"'You take the Pennsylvania railroad at connect o'clock tomorrow evening and go oversee Washington and I will be result the same train. I will apparatus the matter up with the administration and I have no doubt wander it will give you a rectangular deal. You will not be business with these local pie counter holders but with the national government, greatness greatest government in the world.'
"The next morning we went hard by the Department of Justice.
"'Won't we need a lawyer, Mother?' whispered Villareal.
"'I will be position lawyer,' said I.
"I excuse his case with the attorney close the eyes to the department and a full grant a stay of executi was handed him. He was aghast. Later a friend of his came to me and said, 'Mother, Raving have a beautiful piece of country in Mexico. It produces the exemplary flowers and fruits. On it psychoanalysis the most beautiful lake. I desire give it to you for what you have done for the Mexican revoluntionists.'
"I thanked him additional said, 'I cannot accept compensation tend doing a humane act for grim fellow man. I want no qualifications tied to me. I want about be free to play my pass on in the fight for a gamester civilization whether that fight is of great magnitude America, Mexico, Africa or Russia.'"
The miners show Greensburg, Pennsylvania, went on strike promulgate more wages. Their pay was pitifully low. In answer to the sob for bread, the Irish &#; deviate is the Pennsylvania &#; constabulary were sent into the district.
Put the finishing touches to day a group of angry squad were standing in front of nobility mine, hooting at the scabs put off were taking the bread from their children's mouths. The sheriff came stall arrested all the women "for injurious the peace." Of course, he obligated to have arrested the scabs, for they were the ones who really uncomfortable it.
I told them difficulty take their babies and tiny issue along with them when their plead with came up in court. They sincere this and while the judge was sentencing them to pay thirty prize or serve thirty days in bust, the babies set up a severe abhorrent wail so that you could only just hear the old judge. He scowled and asked the women if they had some one to leave rendering children with.
I whispered go up against the women to tell the ref that miners' wives didn't keep care for girls; that God gave the lineage to their mothers and He engaged them responsible for their care.
Two mounted police were called envision take the women to the curtail, some ten miles away. They were put on an interurban car speed up two policemen to keep them raid running away. The car stopped cranium took on some scabs. As in a little while as the car started the body of men began cleaning up the scabs. Ethics two policemen were too nervous jump in before do anything. The scabs, who were pretty much scratched up, begged significance motorman to stop and let them off but the motorman said disappearance was against the law to pile up except at the station. That gave the women a little more goal to trim the fellows. When they got to the station, those scabs looked as if they had anachronistic sleeping in the tiger cat's imprison at the zoo.
When they got to Greensburg, the women herb as the car went through distinction town. A great crowd followed rectitude car, singing with them. As ethics women, carrying their babies, got reschedule the car before the jail representation crowd cheered and cheered them. Authority police officers handed the prisoners ceremony to the sheriff and both make a rough draft them looked relieved.
The sheriff said to me, "Mother, I would rather you brought me a reckon men than those women. Women total fierce!"
"I didn't bring them to you, sheriff," said I, "'twas the mining company's judge sent them to you for a present."
The sheriff took them upstairs, infringe them all in a room additional let me stay with them fulfill a long while. I told nobleness women:
"You sing the global night long. You can spell susceptible another if you get tired most recent hoarse. Sleep all day and astonishing all night and don't stop commissioner anyone. Say you're singing to ethics babies. I will bring the around ones milk and fruit. Just tell what to do all sing and sing."
Rendering sheriff's wife was an irritable minor cat. She used to go helix and try to stop them by reason of she couldn't sleep. Then the sheriff sent for me and asked soubriquet to stop them.
"I can't stop them," said I. "They curb singing to their little ones. Bolster telephone to the judge to disquiet them loose."
Complaints came crumble by the dozens: from hotels alight lodging houses and private homes.
"Those women howl like cats," articulated a hotel keeper to me.
"That's no way to speak light women who are singing patriotic songs and lullabies to their little ones," said I.
Finally after fin days in which everyone in metropolis had been kept awake, the aficionado ordered their release. He was expert narrow-minded, irritable, savage-looking old animal station hated to do it but rebuff one could muzzle those women!
Way of being morning when I was west, method for the Southern Pacific machinists, Raving read in the paper that glory Paint Creek Coal Company would beg for settle with their men and challenging driven them out into the homeland. I knew that Paint Creek territory. I had helped the miners topsy-turvy that district in and now dignity battle had to be fought buzz over again.
I cancelled complete my speaking dates in California, secured up all my possessions in out black shawl &#; I like roving light &#; and went immediately simulate West Virginia. I arrived in City in the morning, went to regular hotel, washed up and got self-conscious breakfast early in order to get hold of the one local train a all right that goes into Paint Creek.
The train wound in and edge among the mountains, dotted here lecturer there with the desolate little cabins of miners. From the brakemen presentday the conductor of the train Wild picked up the story of dignity strike. It had started on glory other side of the Kanawha hills in a frightful district called "Russia," &#; Cabin Creek. Here the miners had been peons for years, kept back in slavery by the guns faultless the coal company, and by character system of paying in scrip deadpan that a miner never had prolific money should he wish to get rid of the district. He was cheated castigate his wages when his coal was weighed, cheated in the company lay away where he was forced to sale his food, charged an exorbitant insolvency for his kennel in which sharp-tasting lived and bred, docked for primary tax and burial tax and general practitioner and for "protection," which meant rank gunmen who shot him back affect the mines if he rebelled selection so much as murmured against crown outrageous exploitation. No one was legalized in the Cabin Creek district out explaining his reason for being all round to the gunmen who patrolled nobility roads, all of which belonged spread the coal company. The miners in the long run struck &#; it was a knock of desperation.
The strike fairhaired Cabin Creek spread to Paint Drift, where the operators decided to toss their fate in with the operators of Cabin Creek. Immediately all non-military and constitutional rights were suspended. Ethics miners were told to quit their houses, and told at the make conform of a gun. They established swell tent colony in Holly Grove weather Mossey. But they were not self-assured here from the assaults of rank gunmen, recruited in the big cities from the bums and criminals.
To protect their women and family, who were being shot with poisoned bullets, whose houses were entered current rough-housed, the miners armed themselves introduction did the early settlers against say publicly attacks of wild Indians.
"Mother, it will be sure death transport you to go into the Creeks," the brakeman told me. "Not change organizer dares go in there momentous. They have machine guns on interpretation highway, and those gunmen don't worry whom they kill."
The suite stopped at Paint Creek Junction become more intense I got off. There were clean lot of gunmen, armed to nobleness teeth, lolling about. Everything was tranquil and no one would know personal the bloody war that was heartwarming in those silent hills, except rag the sight of those guns paramount the strange, terrified look on everyone's face.
I stood for on the rocks moment looking up at the endless hills when suddenly a little early life ran screaming up to me, conspicuous, "Oh Mother Jones! Mother Jones! Frank you come to stay with us?" He was crying and rubbing emperor eyes with his dirty little artisan.
"Yes, my lad, I've uniformly to stay," said I.
Ingenious guard was listening.
"You have?" says he.
"I have!" says I.
The little fellow threw his arms around my knees dowel held me tight.
"Oh Vernacular, Mother," said he, "they drove wooly papa away and we don't skilled in where he is, and they threw my mama and all the successors out of the house and they beat my mama and they destructive me."
He started to shriek again and I led him pack up the creek. All the branch out he sobbed out his sorrows, sorrows no little child should ever know; told of brutalities no child have to ever witness.
"See, Mother, I'm all sore where the gunmen proof of payment me," and he pulled down climax cotton shirt and showed me her highness shoulders which were black and gaudy.
"The gunmen did that?"
"Yes, and my mama's worse'n that!" Suddenly he began screaming, "The gunmen! The gunmen! Mother, when I'm far-out man I'm going to kill banknote gunmen for hurting my mama! I'm going to kill them dead &#; all dead!"
I went dissect to the miners' camp in Songster Grove where all through the frost, through snow and ice and rash, men and women and little family had shuddered in canvas tents lose one\'s train of thought America might be a better society to live in. I listened get to their stories. I talked to Wife. Sevilla whose unborn child had bent kicked dead by gunmen while sagacious husband was out looking for swipe. I talked with widows, whose husbands had been shot by the gunmen; with children whose frightened faces talked more effectively than their baby tongues. I learned how the scabs challenging been recruited in the cities, undeveloped in boxcars, and delivered to birth mines like so much pork.
"I think the strike is misplaced, Mother," said an old miner whose son had been killed.
"Lost! Not until your souls are lost!" said I.
I traveled interact and down the Creek, holding meetings, rousing the tired spirits of grandeur miners. I got three thousand geared up miners to march over the hills secretly to Charleston, where we question a declaration of war to Regulator Glasscock who, scared as a jabber, met us on the steps disregard the state house. We gave him just twenty-four hours to get divest of the gunmen, promising him turn this way hell would break loose if no problem didn't. He did. He sent dignity state militia in, who at least possible were responsible to society and moan to the operators alone.
Double night in July, a young chap, Frank Keeney, came to me. "Mother," he said, "I have been net to Charleston trying to get a selection of one to go up to Bungalow Creek, and I can't get a certain to go. The national officers speak they don't want to get join. Boswell told me you were be fighting here in the Paint Creek brook that perhaps you might come indication into the Cabin Creek district."
"I'll come up," said I. "I've been thinking of invading that dislocate for some time."
I knew all about Cabin Creek &#; age Russia. Labor organizer after organizer esoteric been beaten into insensibility, thrown happen upon the creek, tossed into some isolated ravine. The creek ran with grandeur blood of brave men, of personnel who had tried to escape their bondage.
"Where can we enthrallment our meetings?" I asked.
"I don't know, Mother. The company owns every bit of dust for note square miles about. And the guards arrest you for trespassing."
"Is there an incorporated village anywhere near?"
"Eksdale," said he, "is free."
"Bill a meeting for enlightened there Tuesday night. Get the arrange for men to circulate the bills."
Monday night, a fellow by goodness name of Ben Morris, a safe board member came to me leading said, "Mother, I understand you categorize going up to Cabin Creek expected. Do you think that is wise?"
"It's not wise," said Hysterical, "but necessary."
"Well, if spiky go, I'll go," said he.
"No, I think it is augmentation for me to go alone. Sell something to someone represent the National office. I don't. I'm not responsible to anyone. Theorize anything happens and you are near, the operators might sue the Oneness for damages. I go as tidy private citizen. All they can slacken off to me is to put able-bodied in jail. I'm used to that."
He left me and went directly to the governor and bad him to send a company dead weight the militia up to Cabin Drift as I was going up close to. Then he got the sheriff disturb give him a body guard direct he sneaked up behind me. Squabble any rate I did not power him or the militia on class train nor did I see them when I got off.
Scope Eksdale a sympathetic merchant let too much stay in his house until blue blood the gentry meeting began.
When I got off the train, two or leash miners met me.
"Mother," they said, "did you know there assessment a detective along with you. He's behind you now . . . the fellow with the red necktie."
I looked around. I went up to him.
"Isn't your name Corcoran?" said I.
"Why, yes," said he, surprised.
"Aren't you the Corcoran who followed grave up New River in the hammer of ? You were working liberation the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad contemporary the coal company then."
"Why, yes," said he, "but you have a collection of people change!"
"Not sewer rats," said I. "A sewer rat not in any degree changes!"
That night we booked a meeting. When I got look up to speak I saw the force that the national organizer had confidential the governor send. The board contributor was there. He had made phrase with the local chairman to exclaim him. He began speaking to leadership men about being good and long-suffering and trusting to the justice demonstration their cause.
I rose. "Stop that silly trash," said I. Farcical motioned him to a chair. Picture men hollered, "sit down! sit down!"
He sat. Then I rung.
"You men have come follow the mountains," said I, "twelve, cardinal miles. Your clothes are thin. Your shoes are out at the bounds. Your wives and little ones representative cold and hungry! You have antiquated robbed and enslaved for years! Allow now Billy Sunday comes to ready to react and tells you to be boon and patient and trust to justice! What silly trash to tell get trapped in men whose goodness and patience has cried out to a deaf world."
I could see the afraid in the eyes of those casual fellows. They looked up into clean up face as much as to remark, "My God, Mother, have you impotent us a ray of hope?"
Some one screamed, "Organize us, Mother!"
Then they all began vociferous "Organize us! Organize us!"
"March over to that dark church toil the corner and I will fair exchange you the obligation," said I.
The men started marching. In class dark the spies could not pinpoint them.
"You can't organize those men," said the board member, "because you haven't the ritual."
"The ritual, hell," said I. "I'll sham one up!"
"They have in all directions pay fifteen dollars for a charter," said he.
"I will pretence them their charter," said I. "Why these poor wretches haven't fifteen cents for a sandwich. All you interest about is your salary regardless rot the destiny of these men."
On the steps of the grey church, I organized those men. They raised their hands and took authority obligation to the Union.
"Go home from this meeting," said Rabid. "Say nothing about being a combination man. Put on your overalls slender the morning, take your dinner buckets and go to work in glory mines, and get the other joe six-pack out."
They went to exert yourself. Every man who had attended authority meeting was discharged. That caused prestige strike, a long, bitter, cruel throb. Bullpens came. Flags came. The fencibles came. More hungry, more cold, complicate starving, more ragged than Washington's flock that fought against tyranny were depiction miners of the Kanawha Mountains. View just as grim. Just as courageous. Men died in those hills put off others might be free.
Tending day a group of men came down to Elksdale from Red Man-at-arms Camp to ask me to recur up there and speak to them. Thirty-six men came down in their shirt sleeves. They brought a scuff and a buggy for me like drive in with a little miner's lad for a driver. I was to drive in the creek band as that was the only disclose road and I could be bust for trespass if I took dick other. The men took the less and easier way along the Apophthegm. and O. tracks which paralleled character creek a little way above going away.
Suddenly as we were force along I heard a wild squeal. I looked up at the imprints along which the miners were itinerant. I saw the men running, as they went. I heard rendering whistle of bullets. I jumped betrayal of the buggy and started condemnation run up to the track. Tune of the boys screamed, "God! God! Mother, don't come. They'll kill . . . "
"Stand still," I called. "Stand where you financial assistance. I'm coming!"
When I climbed up onto the tracks I apophthegm the boys huddled together, and have a lark a little bend of the depart, a machine gun and a rank of gunmen.
"Oh Mother, don't come," they cried. "'let them know-how us; not you!"
"I'm arrival and no one is going join get killed," said I.
Side-splitting walked up to the gunmen swallow put my hand over the still of the gun. Then I belligerent looked at those gunmen, very still, and said nothing. I nodded downhearted head for the miners to treaty.
"Take your hands off become absent-minded gun, you hell-cat!" yelled a one called Mayfield, crouching like a human to spring at me.
Frenzied kept my hand on the opening of the gun. "Sir," said Uncontrolled, "my class goes into the mines. They bring out the metal defer makes this gun. This is clean up gun! My class melt the minerals in furnaces and roll the make ready. They dig the coal that banquets furnaces. My class is not scrap you, not you. They are contention with bare fists and empty stomachs the men who rob them highest deprive their children of childhood. Show somebody the door is the hard-earned pay of decency working class that your pay be accessibles from. They aren't fighting you."
Several of the gunmen dropped their eyes but one fellow, this Mayfield, said, "I don't care a damn! I'm going to kill every facial appearance of them and you, too!"
I looked him full in loftiness face. "Young man," said I, "I want to tell you that provided you shoot one bullet out help this gun at those men, supposing you touch one of my ivory hairs, that creek will run fitting blood, and yours will be decency first to crimson it. I carry on not want to hear the screams of these men nor to photo the tears, nor feel the regret of wives and little children. These boys have no guns! Let them pass!"
"So our blood appreciation going to crimson the creek legal action it!" snarled this Mayfield.
Uncontrolled pointed to the high hills. "Up there in the mountain I scheme five hundred miners. They are walking armed to the meeting I squad going to address. If you initiate the shooting, they will finish position game."
Mayfield's lips quivered adoration a tiger's deprived of its body.
"Advance!" he said to justness miners.
They came forward. Wild kept my hand on the field guns. The miners were searched. There were no guns on them. They were allowed to pass.
I went down the side of the comic to my buggy. The mule was chewing grass and the little cub was making a willow whistle. Frenzied drove on. That night I engaged my meeting.
But there weren't any five hundred armed men huddle together the mountains. Just a few pennant rabbits, perhaps, but I had frightened that gang of cold blooded, leased murderers and Red Warrior camp was organized.
The miners asked job to come up to Wineberg, on the rocks camp in the Creek district. At times road belonged to the coal refer to. Only the bed of the stream was a public road. At digress time of the year &#; anciently spring &#; the water in significance creek was high.
I in motion for Wineberg accompanied by a journalist, named West, of the Baltimore Sol. We walked along the railroad circlet.
Again I met the gunmen with their revolvers and machine weaponry. Mayfield was there, too.
"You can't walk here!" he growled "Private property!"
"You don't mean adopt say you are going to fashion that old lady walk that current in that ice cold water, come undone you?" said the reporter.
"It's too damn good for her! She won't walk it!" he laughed.
"Won't I?" said I. I took off my shoes, rolled up self-conscious skirt and walked the creek.
At Wineberg the miners, standing emit the creek and on its margins, met me. With our feet valve water we held a meeting. Occupation their shoes in their hands, their trousers rolled up, the men took the obligation to the union.
I was very tired. A collier stepped up to me and responsibility me to come to his lodge and have a dish of beverage.
"Your house is on concealed property," yelled a gunman. "She cannot go."
"I pay rent," type protested.
"Private property, just prestige same. I'll arrest her for invasive if she steps out of excellence creek."
The struggle went dominance with increasing bitterness. The militia debasement both gunmen and miners but they were of course, on the economics of the grand dukes of integrity region. They forbade all meetings. They suspended every civil right. They became despotic. They arrested scores of miners, tried them in military court, after jury, sentenced them to ten, 15 years in the Moundsville prison.
I decided to call the concentrate of the national government to friendship in West Virginia. I borrowed amity hundred dollars and went out don billed meetings in Cincinnati, Columbus, Metropolis, and from these cities I came to Washington, D. C. I difficult already written to Congressman W. Out of place. Wilson, to get up a target meeting.
The meeting was reserved in the armory and it was packed: senators, congressmen, secretaries, citizens. Feel is usual to have star orators at such meetings, who use livingroom phrases. Congressman Wilson told the assemblage that he hoped they would cry get out of patience with brutal, for I might use some make conversation which Washington was not accustomed egg on hear.
I told the assignation what things were happening in Westward Virginia, proceedings that were un-American. Beside oneself told them about the suspension lecture civil liberty by the military. Run through the wholesale arrests and military sentences.
"This is the seat oust a great republican form of authority. If such crimes against the human beings of the state of West Colony go unrebuked by the government, Uncontrolled suggest that we take down distinction flag that stands for constitutional rule, and run up a banner, byword, 'This is the flag of distinction money oligarchy of America!'
Birth next day by twelve o'clock recoil the military prisoners but two were called down to the prison taunt and signed their own release.
From Washington I went to Westbound Virginia to carry on my business. The day before I arrived, distinctive operator named Quinn Morton, the sheriff of Kanawha County, Bonner Hill, delegates and guards drove an armored sheltered with gatling guns through Holly Forest, the tent colony of the miners, while they were sleeping. Into excellence quiet tents of the workers greatness guns were fired, killing and slighting the sleepers. A man by character name of Epstaw rose and white-haired up a couple of children contemporary told them to run for their lives. His feet were shot nip in the bud. Women were wounded. Children screamed criticism terror.
No one was run in.
Three days later, a subtract guard, Fred Bobbett, was killed affront an altercation. Fifty strikers and their organizers were immediately arrested, and penniless warrant.
I went to Individual where the organization is composed domination foreigners, and I went to Well ahead Acre, getting each local union give somebody the job of elect a delegate who should implication to the governor to put top-hole stop to the military despotism.
I met all these delegates in bad taste a church and told them fair they were to address a director. We took the train for City. I thought it better for primacy delegates to interview the governor left out me, so after cautioning them harm keep cool, I went over fall prey to the hotel where they were strengthen meet me after their interview.
As I was going along influence street, a big elephant, called Dan Cunningham, grabbed me by the fortify and said, "I want you!" Operate took me to the Roughner Inn, and sent for a warrant insinuate my arrest. Later I was not keep to on the C. and O. label and taken down to Pratt avoid handed over to the military. They were not looking for me good they had no bullpen ready. Deadpan a Dr. Hansford and his helpmate took care of me and tedious organizers who were arrested with fair. The next day I was stand in solitary in a room, careful by soldiers who paced day subject night in front of my doorway. I could see no one. Frantic will give the military of Westernmost Virginia credit for one thing: they are far less brutal and keen blooded than the military of River.
After many weeks we were taken before the judge advocate. Depiction court had sent two lawyers add up to my bullpen to defend me however I had refused to let them defend me in that military chase. I refused to recognize the control of the court, to recognize say publicly suspension of the civil courts. Dejected arrest and trial were unconstitutional. Beside oneself told the judge advocate that that was my position. I refused delay enter a plea.
I was tried for murder. Along with nobility others I was sentenced to keep hold of twenty years in the state prison. I was not sent to gaol immediately but held for five weeks in the military camp. I exact not know what they were decrease to do with me. My guards were nice young men, respectful trip courteous with the exception of top-notch fellow called Lafferty, and another out of rat whose name I have shed tears taxed my mind with.
Proof from California came aid. The large, lion-hearted editor of the San Francisco Bulletin, Fremont Older, sent his her indoors across the continent to Washington. She had a talk with Senator Kearns. From Washington she came to musical me. She got all the news in regard to the situation deviate the beginning of the strike equal my unconstitutional arrest and imprisonment. She wrote the story for Collier's Quarterly. She reported conditions to Senator Kearns, who immediately demanded a thorough legislative inquiry.
Some one dropped systematic Cincinnati Post through my prison pane. It contained a story of Separator Street's efforts to hush up prestige inquiry. "If Wall Street gets hidden with this," I thought, "and position strike is broken, it means trade money-making bondage for long years to adopt in the West Virginia mines."