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Friday February 9, 1906
Greensboro, North Carolina - Interview with Mother Jones

The Daily Industrial News of Greensboro published the following interview with Mother Jones in its February 7th edition:

MOTHER JONES TELLS OF HER MISSION IN LIFE
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Noted Socialist Visits Greensboro and Chats Most Entertainingly of Her Work,
Her Purpose and the Tactics She Invariably Pursues.
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"Mother" Jones, the noted socialist who is to speak in Labor Union Hall on tomorrow night, came to this city two days ago. She was seen by a Daily Industrial News reporter last night, and talked freely of her life and work.

So many people picture "Mother" Jones as a kind of Carrie Nation who wields her hatchet against governments instead of saloons that the sight of the real woman fairly takes away the breath.

The best description of "Mother" Jones is her own soubriquet "mother," and when to that wholesome-hearted out-reaching motherliness is added humor, even mischievousness, jollity, and "spunk" immeasurable the reality is almost approached.

To reach it quite, however, would be impossible, for "Mother" Jones is one of those indescribable little persons who always just eludes description and analysis. Classify her as a woman fighter and striker, and her tender, sweet gentleness comes up in contradiction. Classify her as the woman with heart so exquisitely sympathetic and pitying that it aches for every hurt suffered by a fellow creature and the picture of the intrepid woman marching at the head of a great army of workmen baffles one.

Personally Mother Jones is the very ideal of beautiful old age-the old age that follows a life unselfishly, happily, and wholesomely spent. She has delicate and fine features, though there is none of the super-finished appearance about them that is known as "aristocratic."

The eyes are the most striking feature of Mother Jones' face. Intensely blue and clear they look out at one merrily, frankly, and withal intrepidly. They are the eyes one instinctively trusts, knowing them to be utterly loyal; they are the eyes that see the humor in life and the good in humanity. It is these characteristics in Mother Jones' eyes that have kept all the tragedy and suffering, and the close view she has had of the brute struggle of man against his brother, from making them see things bitterly and from the narrow bias that makes the "crank." While Mother Jones chats gaily her eyes glint and dance, then suddenly she looks straight at one and they widen and darken, and one sees that with all their wide range of characteristics they are also the eyes of the quiet thinker who can retire inward to the very centre of the soul and there propound and answer questions on which acquired wisdom is ignorant indeed. Mother Jones proves that when one thinks and is happy one moves the world.

Her Nose Belies Her.

Mother Jones' nose is sensitive and delicate, the nose of the devotee, but right at its tip it has an ineffable little upward quirk that takes all the seriousness and fanaticism of the person with a "purpose" out of it.

Her forehead has the rounded out profile that denotes inspiration, though there is none of the great height that stands for intellectuality. Her chin is firm but gentle, determined but not too obstinate. Her mouth is small and gentleness here again prevails.

Crowned with her snowy hair; smiling at one through her gold-bowed spectacles there is nothing in all her small person to suggest anything other than the gentle, sweet, vivacious old lady who wins one's love with no bait except her lovableness.

Books Her Inspiration

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Mother Jones, when asked of the influences that turned her to her present unique career, pointed to the same source of inspiration that has been the awakening and light of most of the world's workers-books.

"I read Victor Hugo, Carlyle, Morris and Tolstoy in my girlhood," said Mother Jones, and this answer in itself proved that she is no unthinking emotionalist, striving to stir up sensations with no particular end in view.

[She said:]

Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables" has been my text book for many years...and no one can read that stirring work without becoming imbued with something of the revolutionary spirit. For the past twenty years I have read this book, once each year. As to other influences there is nothing more needed than just to see the suffering and misery in the factories and among so many of the laborers. It was not long before I saw that mankind was divided into two classes and that these two classes were arrayed in battle against each other.

When asked her opinion as to the remedy for this condition Mother Jones said, "There is always the warlike way and the peaceful way. I am first, last and always for the peaceful way. But when the other fellow makes me fight,"-this with an inimitable little 'perking up,' "I can always fight-there's nobody I couldn't stand up against."

But on investigation it turned out that this war-like show was all one big bluff, and that the hand that shook itself so valiantly in the enemy's face would not harm a fly.

"I have never in my life," said Mother Jones, "been responsible for the shedding of one drop of blood, or even a slight injury to any one." And apropos of this she told a tale that illustrated this characteristic completely.

Headed Her Little Army.

[She said:]

Out in a Western State once...there were five thousand men working under conditions that made a strike necessary. But for this they had not the courage. So in the district below I collected seven thousand men and women and said to them, "We'll go up and have those fellows out of that." So I collected my army, passed word to the saloonkeepers not to give any of the boys a drink-and after that not a drop was passed out-and off we started that evening.

Just as we left the city I saw a special train leave and I guessed immediately that there were troops on the train, but I said nothing to the boys, but just kept thinking what I would do when we got there and met them.

Well, we tramped all night through the mountains, and just at the first dawn we came face to face with the troops.

"Halt," cried the Colonel, and we halted. Then, "go back," he cried, but I said, "No, we won't go back. We are peaceful citizens making no disturbance and I intend to keep on."

Then the Colonel said, "If you don't turn back we'll charge bayonets."

"No," said I, "you won't. Let me tell you something Colonel. We are seven thousand strong and if it comes to shooting pistols and such we can wipe you off the face of the earth.

"The fact of the matter," Mother Jones confided to the reporter, "was that there was not a pistol among us, but it scared that big fellow just the same, and the first thing we knew the troops were turned back and we were following them and 'jollying' them all along the way."

"But did you get the five thousand men out of the shops?" was asked.

"You bet your life we did," said Mother Jones, emphatically.

"Why have you been discriminated against in the matter of not being allowed to speak in the court house? Debs was allowed to speak there."

Was Too Active In Strikes.

[Said Mother Jones:]

Because...I have been in active strikes mush more recently than Debs. Moreover he was in but one big strike, while I have been in many. But I have no enmity for the people who discriminate against me. They are merely doing what is natural for them to do in the present state of society.

And this was the keynote of all her talk-friendship for all because she comprehends the reason for the differing lines of action and believes with placid faith in the undercurrent of goodness that flows on below all the surface cross currents and that will finally steer all craft though wrecked and rudderless, into the great harbor of universal love and peace.

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[Photographs added.]

SOURCE
Daily Industrial News
(Greensboro, North Carolina)
-Feb 7, 1906
https://www.newspapers.com/image/63398280/

IMAGES
Mother Mary Harris Jones Seated, 1902
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004672082/
Mother Mary Harris Jones Standing, 1902
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2005688160/

See also:
Hellraisers Journal: Ban on Mother Jones in Forsyth County Aimed at "Women Agitators For Anything!" - by JayRaye
http://caucus99percent.com/content/hellraisers-journal-ban-mother-jones-...

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Do You Hear The People Sing - Les Miserable