The desire for revolution lives at the beating heart of anti-capitalism. There may be differing visions of how that revolution will be conducted and on exactly whose terms the new-born society will be ruled, but in the end our mission is to overturn the power of Capital and remake the world for the benefit of the masses.
*(this was inspired by a comment I made in OPOL's diary and the reactions it got)
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Thursday March 22, 1906
From The Boston Herald Archives: Report from 1904 on the Early Life of Mother Jones
The correspondent who travelled recently to West Virginia with Mother Jones, and whose report of that trip was featured in Tuesday's edition of Hellraisers, has reminded us of a similar report which was published in the Boston Herald's "Sunday Herald" of September 11, 1904. Hellraisers published part one of that article yesterday, continues with part two today and will republish part three in tomorrow's edition.
From the Sunday Herald of September 11, 1904:
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Tuesday March 20, 1906
New York, New York - A Reporter Tells of Travels with Mother Jones in West Virginia
From New York City, a reporter describes, for the Pittsburgh Evening Leader of Kansas, a journey with Mother Jones throughout West Virginia. The reporter describes a similar journey with Mother in 1901, back before Mother's break with John Mitchell, while she was still employed as an organizer for the United Mine Workers. Who sponsored this trip, the reporter does not say, nor is the identity of the reporter revealed, but what is made obvious is the love of the coal miners and their wives for Mother Jones, the Miners' Angel.
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Saturday December 18, 1916
From The Masses: "Do You Believe in Patriotism?" Part II
In the March issue of The Masses, various Socialist writers responded to the question, "Do you believe in Patriotism?" Yesterday Hellraisers featured the answers to that question from two prominent Socialists women, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Sara Bard Field. Today's edition features the responses of John Sloan and Charles Erskine Scott Wood:
From John Sloan
If I had to love a country I could love no country but this, nor could I find a fitter one to hate.
I put Patriotism with the other isms,-Militarism, Anarchism, Capitalism, Individualism, Socialism, Dogmatism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Rheumatism (I had almost written Catechism), but I am answering your question. I hope that social progress will eliminate all isms-though in the case of Futurism we have a hard one to catch.
Patriotism licks the boot of capitalism and until the earth-worms get the latter's carcass, he will need patriots. As the wage system will never enable the people of any country to consume all their products with a profit to the owning class, foreign markets are a necessity to be fought for. Patriotism is a potent means of providing the fighters. Conscription is another powerful persuader and Our Country has both (see Dick military law passed by congress in 1903 and 1908).
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Friday March 17, 1916
From The Masses: "Do You Believe in Patriotism?" Part I
In the March issue of The Masses, various Socialist writers respond to the question, "Do you believe in Patriotism?" Today Hellraisers features the answers to that question from two prominent Socialist women, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Sara Bard Field. Tomorrow's edition will feature the responses of John Sloan and Charles Erskine Scott Wood. K. R. Chamberlin also offers an artistic answer to the question:
Artist K. R. Chamberlain on Patriotism
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Sunday February 13, 1916
From the Northwest Worker: Kirkpatrick, Walker, and Seidel to Tour for S. P of A. Campaign
Thursday's Northwest Worker of Everett, Washington, reported that three prominent Socialist will be on tour across the nation to advance the 1916 Campaign for the Socialist Party of America:
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Sunday February 11, 1906
Greensboro, North Carolina - Mother Jones Speaks on Child Labor
From the Greensboro Daily Industrial News of February 9th:
"MOTHER JONES" ON CHILD LABOR
-----Socialist Declares That Factories Are Responsible
for Mental Degenerates
-----
LABOR AND CAPITAL ARE DULY COMPARED
-----
Laboring Man's Champion Speaks to a Small Audience
in Labor Union Hall But Holds Her
Hearers' Interest to the End.
-----Mother Jones talked in Labor Union Hall last night to an audience made unfortunately small by the inclemency of the weather. But the few people who were there were profoundly interested and were besides very greatly taken with the "spunky" little woman who tried to stir up in them the revolutionary spirit and to implant in them a firm purpose to benefit their brothers and help them forward to a higher civilization.
Mother Jones related first the history of the tool, told how it had become a machine, and how its change, and its ownership by the few had brought about the present economic conditions. She told about how young men used to go West to escape the servitude of labor, but now, she said, the conditions were the same everywhere.
Cuba appealed for relief from Spain, said she, and could have had it without war, but in the interests of capital war was brought about. Then capital went on to the Philippines, to work up that country. In the Far East, before the gates of Pekin, Militarism and Capitalism for the first time in history, joined their interests and worked together. The whole thing means that we are face to face with a competition as the world has never known it before.
Calls Child Labor Murder.
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Thursday February 8, 1906
Winston-Salem, North Carolina: Forsyth County Puts the Ban on Mother Jones
The Charlotte Daily Observer of February 6th reported the news:
Forsyth Commissioners Put Ban on
"Mother Jones."Special to The Observer.
Winston-Salem, Feb. 5.-The county commissioners, in session to-day, declined to grant an application for "Mother Jones" to speak in the court house Friday and Saturday, on the ground that the board is "opposed to the court house being used for continual agitation of socialism."
[Photograph added.]
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Wednesday January 24, 1906
From the Reading Times: Mother Jones Speaks to Large Gathering on Socialism
A large crowd gathered in Reading, Pennsylvania, Monday evening to hear Mother Jones speak. Tuesday's Reading Times reported the event:
LABORS' STRUGGLE FOR AN EXISTENCE
-----
THEME OF EARNEST APPEAL MADE BY "MOTHER" JONES,
BEFORE LARGE AUDIENCE IN THE COURT HOUSE.
-----
The main room of the Court House was scarce large enough to accommodate the crowd of citizens who gathered there last evening to hear "Mother" Jones expound her theories of socialism. The meeting was held under the auspices of Local Reading, of the Socialist party, and, although the meeting was announced for 8 o'clock, half an hour before that time men and women began to gather and before the hour of opening, every seat in the auditorium was taken and as many were standing as could crowd into the aisles. The space within the bar was also filled with men and women.
As the clock struck the hour of 8, T. J. Netheary, who presided during the session, called the gathering to order and briefly stated the purpose of the meeting. He felt highly honored by so large and intelligent an audience having gathered to hear live issues discussed. The meeting, he said, was being held under the auspices of Socialists, who had met to give vent to the opinions held by millions of people today. Socialism is the same the world over, and represents the only philosophy which, if put into practice, will bring relief to down-trodden mankind. To attain liberty and freedom is the goal of all well thinking people. The only difference is in the method to reach this end. The Socialist is not a pessimist, but verily believes the dawn is coming and is striving heartily to hasten that day.
