UMW Convention of 1916

Hellraisers Journal: John M O'Neill: "We want a civilization where man will no longer be on his knees."


The agitator through all the centuries of time
has blazed the trail for a higher
and grander civilization.
-John M O'Neill
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Saturday April 1, 1916
Indianapolis, Indiana - John M. O'Neill Address Convention of United Mine Workers

Hellraisers Journal: God Almighty wants me to live long enough to raise hell with you. -Mother Jones

“God Almighty wants me to live long enough to raise hell with
you and make a man out of you instead of a thief.”
-Mother Jones to a West Virginia mine owner.

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Tuesday February 1, 1916
Indianapolis, Indiana - Mother Jones Addresses Convention of United Mine Workers, Part II

Yesterday's Hellraisers presented part one of the speech delivered by Mother Jones during Saturday's afternoon session of the United Mine Workers Convention, now coming to a close in the city of Indianapolis. Today we are pleased to present part two of her speech wherein we hear her response to a mine owner who longs for her death.

Mother Jones Speaks to United Mine Workers Convention, Part II
January 29, 1916, in Indianapolis, Indiana
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Mother Jones UMWJ, Jan 21, 1915.png

You have made more progress in government, boys, in the last three years than you had made in 125 years prior to that. We have got more recognition in the last three years than in all that time. The Secretary of Labor, who is a member of the President's cabinet, was in Pennsylvania when the strike at Arnot took place. That was before the anthracite strike. I was sent for and went there. The men were going to work next morning. I addressed a meeting that afternoon. Nobody went to work next morning, but I was thrown out of the hotel at eleven o'clock at night—I was an undesirable citizen. I went up the mountain. I saw a light and kept crawling up until I got there. When I got to the house a man there said, “Did they put you out of the hotel?” I said, “Yes, but I will put them out before I get through with them.”

The president of District No. 2 worked day and night and gave ail he had to that strike. One night I sat in W. B. Wilson's house. He was there with his feet bare. About eleven o'clock at night we were talking about a move I was going to make when a knock came on the door. Wilson opened it. I left the room. Three men came in, sat down and discussed the strike. One of them said, “Say, Wilson, we can make it twenty or twenty-five thousand dollars if you go away and let this fight fall to pieces. You can take the old woman with you.”

Hellraisers Journal: A Poetical Tribute to Mother Jones as "The Peacemaker" at Miners' Convention

There is only one Mother Jones.
-Frank Hayes, Vice President,
United Mine Workers of America

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Sunday January 30, 1916
Indianapolis, Indiana - U. M. W. of A. Convention Pauses for a Poetical Tribute

Mother_Jones__Boston_Globe__Jan_30__1915.png

Before adjourning for the day on Saturday January 22nd, delegates at the Miners' Convention were entertained with a bit of poetry:

Delegate McAlester, District 12–Delegate Loftus has written a poem upon the occurrence here the other day and we would like to have him read it.
Delegate Loftus—Delegate McDonald's name and Delegate Germer's will appear. I would like to know if they have any objections to having it read. No objection being offered, Delegate Loftus read the following:

THE PEACEMAKER.

It was just a little resolution,
Didn’t amount to very much
Brought on a very wordy war
'Mongst the Irish, Scotch and Dutch.

They used many personalities,
Which I always deemed a curse;
Had Mother not just happened in
It might have been much worse.

We have thirteen hundred delegates
Who represent labor's cause,
And many joined in the chorus
By giving great applause.

When the battle raged the fiercest—
Words shot back and forth like stones—
In stepped a goodly lady,
Our splendid Mother Jones.

Hellraisers Journal: "Let this country prepare happy homes before they talk of defending them."

You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones

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Tuesday January 25, 1916
From the Chicago Day Book: Report on an Interview with Mother Jones

Mother Jones was recently in the city of Chicago and was interviewed by a reporter on various topics. Monday's Day Book gave the following account of what Mother had to say:


"MOTHER" JONES CALLS FOR HAPPY HOMES
IN AMERICA
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Mother Jones, Wilmington (OH) Daily News, Jan 24, 1916, alignd.png

There will be no strike in the soft coal fields if the present demand for soft coal keeps up, Mother Jones told a Day Book reporter Sunday. She says operators are expected to give in to the demands of the unions this spring. "Mother" left Chicago Sunday for Indianapolis, where last week she brought the two warring factions of United Mine Workers of America together.

[She says:]

The outlook is not so promising in anthracite fields...Operators are not expected to give in to demands of miners. Strike is likely.

Thousands of tons of coal have been stored away by railroads. Some industries have contracted for delivery for months in advance, fearing an industrial struggle.

Mother Jones is hopeful in general. She sees better wages and better working conditions for American workingman. She thinks the "little revolt" in Youngstown taught money kings a lesson. She expects more voluntary increases like 10 per cent raise in steel industry.

Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones at UMWA Convention; V.P. Hayes, "There is only one Mother Jones."

You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones

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Sunday January 23, 1916
Indianapolis, Indiana - Mother Jones Speaks at U. M. W. of A. Convention, Part II

Mother_Jones__Boston_Globe__Jan_30__1915.png

Friday's Hellraisers featured newspaper accounts of "Old Mother Jones" "storming" the stage at the Mine Workers' Convention, now ongoing in Indianapolis. Once on stage, Mother put an end to a bitter dispute between the international officers and Delegates McDonald and Germer of Illinois.

The acrimonious debate was fueled by the union's financial difficulties which no doubt stem from the long and hard fought struggles of the past four years, for example: brutal strikes in West Virginia and Colorado. Expenses continue to mount in Colorado due to legal cases involving more than 400 union men (John R. Lawson included) who are yet entangled in the courts of that state.

Mother called Duncan McDonald and Adolph Germer to the stage and, in the end, handshakes were exchanged all around.

Yesterday we presented part one of the speech given by Mother Jones and we conclude today with part two.

Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Storms Stage at United Mine Workers Convention, Ends Bitter Debate

My friends, it is solidarity of labor we want...
We must be together; our masters are joined together
and we must do the same thing.
- Mother Jones

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Friday January 21, 1916
Indianapolis, Indiana - Mother Jones Puts an End to Bitter Debate at Miners' Convention

Mother_Jones__Boston_Globe__Jan_30__1915.png

Newspapers across the nation are describing the dramatic confrontation at the United Mine Workers Convention when Mother Jones arrived to find the delegates embroiled in a bitter debate and hurling bricks at one another. The Tacoma Times declared:

OLD MOTHER JONES STORMS CONVENTION

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 20,-Mother Jones stampeded the convention of the United Mine workers today with an address of unpolished oratory.

She raised 1,500 delegates to a fury of enthusiasm and forced Duncan McDonald to the platform to shake hands with President White, ending a bitter struggle between the two which threatened to disrupt the organization for years.

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