You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Wednesday March 29, 1905
Denver, Colorado - Big Bill Haywood States Donations Were Used for Strike Relief
William D. Haywood has responded to the charges made against him and his union by the so-called journalist,
Walter Wellman. Haywood stated that the Western Federation of Miners placed funds donated in behalf of the Colorado strikers into a Relief Fund set aside for that purpose. Donations were not placed into the treasury of the Western Federation of Miners.
Haywood further stated that Mr. Gompers is needlessly excited about the upcoming convention of industrial unionists. The proposed industrial organization, to be considered by this convention, will take up the task of organizing that great mass of unorganized workers which the American Federation of Labor has, thus far, shown so little interest in organizing.
From today's York Daily of Pennsylvania:
HAYWOOD PLANS UNION OF ALL INDUSTRIES
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ON BROADER LINES THAN ANY NOW EXISTING
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Colorado Leader Declares Funds Contributed
For Strikers Were Not Turned
Into Miners' Treasury
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Denver, March 28.-William E. [D.] Haywood, secretary-treasurer of the Western Federation of Miners, denied emphatically today a statement attributed to him to the effect that he expected to replenish the treasury of that organization with contributions sent by other unions to aid the strikers in Colorado.
[Said Mr. Haywood:]
The Western Federation of Miners from July 1, 1903, up to January 1, 1905...received from sources outside the federation the sum of $182,628. Outside the United Brewery Workers and the United Mine Workers, the American Federation of Labor contributed a very small proportion of the sum named.
We have put into relief funds in Colorado and into the distribution of them practically the whole of the amount collected. My annual report, printed after the annual meeting of the federation board held here early in the year, gives a detailed statement of all receipts and disbursements.
President Gompers is needlessly excited over the plan to organize an international industrial union. We are merely planning a broader union than any now in existence. There are 20,000,000 wage-earners in the United States. Approximately 1,500,000 are members of a union. The unions limit the number of apprentices and then refuse a man a union card unless he has served an apprenticeship. We propose to organize the workers everywhere. We are not attacking the unions formed in skilled trades. In fact, they are not eligible to membership. Ours will be an industrial union, which will include in its membership all men working in any branch of a trade of industry.
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[Photograph added.]
SOURCE
The York Daily
(York, Pennsylvania)
-Mar 29, 1905
http://www.newspapers.com/...
IMAGES
Western Federation of Miners Button
http://www.nps.gov/...
Big Bill Haywood, 1904
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/...
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The January Conference of Industrial Unionist
Today we will cover day two of the Conference of Industrial Unionist. Our readers will remember that on day one, a committee was elected to "draw up and submit a plan of procedure for the conference." Elected to that committee were: Simons, O’Neil, Trautmann, Hagerty, Haywood, Sherman, Estes, Moyer, Smith, and Hall.
The Conference adjourned at 6.30 P. M. on January 2nd (day one) to reconvene at 12.30 P. M. of January 3 (day two). On the morning of January 3rd, the Committee on Methods and Procedures met at Wostas Hall. We can safely assume, I believe, that the following is a report on that meeting as prepared by George Estes:
Chicago, Ill., January 3, 1905.
George Estes
The Committee on Methods and Procedure to be adopted by the Chicago conference of Industrial Unionists called to order at 9 A. M. in Wostas Hall, 122 Lake street. W. D. Haywood elected Chairman, Geo. Estes, Secretary.
Moved by Simons, seconded by Hagerty, that the committee recommend the creation of a General Industrial Union, embracing all industries. Carried.
Moved by Smith that the proposed organization shall in form embrace the following principles: Craft autonomy locally; industrial autonomy internationally; working class unity generally. Seconded by Hagerty. Carried.
Moved by Hagerty, seconded by Hall, that the plan of organization be founded on the recognition of the class struggle and that the General Administration thereof be conducted in agreement with this recognition of the irrepressible conflict between the working class and the capitalist class. Carried.
Moved by Hall, seconded by Hagerty, that all power rest in the collective membership. Carried.
Moved by Hall, seconded by Trautmann, that local, national and general administration, including transfers, labels, buttons, badges, initiation fees and per capita tax shall be uniform. Carried.
Moved by Moyer, seconded by Simons, that transfers of membership between all unions, local, national and international shall be universal. Carried.
Moved by Simons, seconded by Trautmann, that all members shall hold membership in the local national or international union having jurisdiction over the industry in which they are employed. Carried.
Moved by Trautmann, seconded by Hall, that the General Administration issue a publication at regular intervals to all members representing the organization and its principles. Carried.
Moved by Hagerty, seconded by Estes, that a central defense fund to which all members contribute equally, shall be established and maintained. Carried.
Moved by Haywood, seconded by Trautmann, that a general convention be called at a date and place to be fixed by this conference for the purpose of organizing a movement along the lines herein set forth. Carried.
Moved by Trautmann, seconded by Moyer, that eligibility to participation in the convention include all who subscribe to the plans and principles set forth in the declaration accompanying the call. Carried.
Adjourned.
[Emphasis and photograph added.]
THE ARRIVAL OF MOTHER JONES
AFTERNOON SESSION, CONFERENCE OF INDUSTRIAL UNIONISTS,
CHICAGO, ILL., JANUARY 3, 1905.
Called to order at 1.50 P. M., W. D. Haywood in the chair. Pass word taken up.
Mother Jones present in addition to those specified heretofore.
Minutes of previous meeting read and approved. Report of Committee on Procedure read. (Report attached.) [See above.]
Moved by Bradley, seconded by Bohn, that the report be accepted and debated. Carried.
Moved by Swing, seconded by Bohn, that the report be debated seriatim. Carried.
Moved by Simons, seconded by Bohn, that the words “The” and “Of the World” in first paragraph be stricken out. Carried.
Moved by Bohn, seconded by Trautmann, that the first paragraph be adopted as amended. Carried.
[First—The committee recommends the creation of a general industrial union,
embracing all industries.]
Moved by Bohn, seconded by Simons, that the second paragraph be adopted as read. Carried.
[Second—That the proposed organization shall embrace the following principles:
Craft autonomy, locally; industrial autonomy, internationally; working class unity,
generally.]
Moved by Simons, seconded by Bohn, that the third paragraph be adopted as read. Carried.
[Third—That the plan of organization be founded on the recognition of the class
struggle, and that the general administration thereof be conducted in agreement
with the recognition of the irrepressible conflict between the working class and
the capitalist class.]
Moved by Hagerty, seconded by Simons, that the following be made the fourth paragraph:
[Fourth:]
“That this Union be established as the economic organization of the working class without affiliation with any political party.” Carried.
Moved by Shurtleff, seconded by Bradley, that clause five be adopted. Carried.
[Fifth—That all power rest in the collective membership.]
Moved by Bradley, seconded by Hagerty, that clause six be adopted. Carried.
[Sixth—That local, national and general administration, including transfers,
labels, buttons, badges, initiation fees and per capita tax shall be uniform.]
Moved by White that clause seven be adopted as read; seconded and carried.
[Seventh—That transfers of membership without additional initiation fee,
between all unions, local, national or international, shall be universal.]
Moved by Hagerty, seconded by Trautmann, that clause eight be adopted as read. Carried.
[Eighth—That all members shall hold membership in the local, national or
international unions having jurisdiction over the industry in which they are
employed.]
Moved by Swing, seconded by Shurtleff, that clause nine be adopted as read. Carried.
[Ninth—That the general administration issue a publication at regular intervals
to all members, representing the organization and its principles.]
Moved by Bradley, seconded by Shurtleff, that clause ten be adopted as read. Carried.
[Tenth—That a central defense fund, to which all members contribute equally,
shall be established and maintained.]
Moved by Bohn, seconded by Trautmann, that clause eleven be adopted as read. Carried.
[Eleventh—That a general convention be called at a date and place to be fixed
by this conference for the purpose of organizing a movement along lines herein
set forth.]
Moved by Sherman, seconded by Swing, that clause twelve be adopted as read. Carried.
[Twelfth—That eligibility to participation in the convention include all who
subscribe to the plans and principles set forth in the declaration accompanying
the call.]
Moved by Hall, seconded by White, that the date of the convention be the fourth Monday in June, 1905. Carried.
Place for holding the convention being under consideration, Hall nominated Chicago; Sherman nominated Milwaukee, White nominated Omaha. Vote resulted as follows: Chicago, fifteen; Milwaukee, six; Omaha, three. Chicago declared as the city selected for the convention.
Hall moved the election of a committee of twelve, Chairman Haywood to be ex-officio an additional member thereof, to draw up the Manifesto. Seconded.
Amended by Swing that the Committee on Procedure with two additional members draw up the Manifesto. Seconded by Hagerty. Amendment carried.
O’Neil nominated Bohn, Haywood nominated Mother Jones; both elected by acclamation.
Moved by O’Neil, seconded by Bohn, that the committee meet in Wostas Hall at 8 o’clock A. M., January 4. Carried.
Moved by Smith, seconded by Hagerty, that the conference adjourn until 1:30 P. M., January 4. Carried.
Adjourned.
[Photograph added.]
[Name of Mother Jones bolded. Mother was the 27th and final member admitted to the conference.]
Note: we will conclude our coverage of the January Conference of Industrial Unionist tomorrow.
SOURCE
Proceedings of the First Convention of the
Industrial Workers of the World
New York Labor News Company, 1905
(Can also be read here, scroll down about half for record of January Conference.)
https://www.marxists.org/...
IMAGES
George Estes
http://cdnc.ucr.edu/...
Mother Jones, the Miners' Angel
http://www.biography.com/...
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My Old Kentucky Home - Paul Robeson
We Will Sing One Song - Joe Hill
We will sing one song of the meek and humble slave,
The horn-handed son of the soil,
He's toiling hard from the cradle to the grave,
But his master reaps the profits from his toil.
Then we'll sing one song of the greedy master class,
They're vagrants in broadcloth, indeed,
They live by robbing the ever-toiling mass,
Human blood they spill to satisfy their greed.
CHORUS:
Organize! Oh, toilers, come organize your might;
Then we'll sing one song of the workers' commonwealth,
Full of beauty, full of love and health.
We will sing one song of the politician sly,
He's talking of changing the laws;
Election day all the drinks and smokes he'll buy,
While he's living from the sweat of your brow.
Then we'll sing one song of the girl below the line,
She's scorned and despised everywhere,
While in their mansions the "keepers" wine and dine
From the profits that immoral traffic bear.
We will sing one song of the preacher, fat and sleek,
He tells you of homes in the sky.
He says, "Be generous, be lowly, and be meek,
If you don't you'll sure get roasted when you die."
Then we sing one song of the poor and ragged tramp,
He carries his home on his back;
Too old to work, he's not wanted 'round the camp,
So he wanders without aim along the track.
We will sing one song of the children in the mills,
They're taken from playgrounds and schools,
In tender years made to go the pace that kills,
In the sweatshops, 'mong the looms and the spools.
Then we'll sing one song of the One Big Union Grand,
The hope of the toiler and slave,
It's coming fast; it is sweeping sea and land,
To the terror of the grafter and the knave.
-Joe Hill
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