All you've got to do is to look around you a little and you can plainly see
that there is a movement on foot to systematically
drain the resources of Organized Labor all over the country.
Look at the Ford & Suhr case in Calif.
the Lawson case in Colorado, etc.
-Joe Hill
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Thursday August 5, 1915
From the Chicago Day Book: Attempt Being Made to Discredit I. W. W.?
Herman Suhr
`````
Richard Ford
`````
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The Day Book of August 3rd reports the strange appearance of a puzzling sign on the South Side of Chicago:
"As Long as Ford and Suhr are in prison, beware California canned goods." This notice on a South Side fence puzzles. Socialists, union labor leaders and I. W. W.'s know nothing of it. May be attempt to discredit I. W. W.'s.
The August 3rd edition of the
Chicago Daily Tribune set out to solve the great mystery of the little sign on a South Side fence:
VEILED POISON THREAT IN I. W. W. CANNING POSTER
-----
A reporter is sent out to search the city for answers:
Who stuck the posters up?"
"I don't know," said John Fitzpatrick, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor.
"I don't know," replied Walter Lanfersick, national secretary of the Socialist party, in answer to the question.
William D. Haywood, national leader of the Industrial Workers of the World, was found in the organization's office.
"What has canned goods to do with hop fields?" he was asked.
Haywood speculated that whoever put the poster up might be calling for a boycott against California canned goods:
"All the business men and manufacturers of California are allied against the working men and against the release from unjust imprisonment of Ford and Suhr," he said. "Canned goods are the most important California export. Therefore declare a boycott against California canned goods."
~~~~~~~~~~
SOURCES
The Day Book
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Aug 3, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/...
Chicago Daily Tribune
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Aug 3, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/...
IMAGES
Richard Ford, 1913/14
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
Herman Suhr, 1913/14
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
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Letter from Joe Hill to Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
Salt Lake Cy
July 15-15
Gurley Flynn Chicago Ill.
Dear Friend & F.W.
Yours of July 8th at hand and I am always glad to get a line from you. Hope you will be able to get your well-deserved vacation, as you told me you had planned, and take your little boy out "to see a cow"--to use your own words. Yes Gurley, the motion for a new trial was denied and although I must admit that it jolted me a little when I first heard it, I am taking it more philosophically now. All you've got to do is to look around you a little and you can plainly see that there is a movement on foot to systematically drain the resources of Organized Labor all over the country. Look at the Ford & Suhr case in Calif. the Lawson case in Colorado, etc. You've got to hand it to "Kaiser Bill." He knew what he was talking about when he said that laws and treaties are nothing but "scraps of paper." He said a whole mouth full that time old Bill did. I see in the papers that Harry Thaw was declared "sane" and will be free pretty soon. Isn't that nice? If I could afford to have one of them "brain storms" maybe they'd let me go too, but them brainstorms are luxuries that us wobblies have to do without.
I dont know what the future got in store for me but I do know that I am ready to meet anything no matter what it is. There has been some talk about taking the case to the U.S. Sup. Court but I dont know what to think about. There has been enough of money expended on my case already. I certainly approve of publicity and "other methods" that you mentioned in your letter, however I asked Hilton to make a little write up just for that purpose copy of which you can have by asking Big Bill. Well Gurley dear, I am proud to have a Rebel Girl like you for a friend and in case you should not see me again I wish you all the luck in the world and hoping that you will live to see the day when Labor's Cause, for which you fought so splendidly, shall triumph, I remain,
Fraternally Yours,
Joe Hill
[Photograph added.]
~~~~~~~~~~
SOURCE
The Letters of Joe Hill
-ed by Philip S Foner
Oak Publications, 1965
https://books.google.com/...
IMAGE
Joe Hill, IWW
http://www.freedomarchives.org/...
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Dear Readers of Hellraisers,
This year for my vacation, Hellraisers will not be as scaled back as it was for the past two vacations. This happy change is due to my new & much faster computer and to the library of photos, songs, resources, etc, that I have built up over the past 2 and 1/2 years.
The big change that my readers will see, starting July 16th, will be the shorter length of the postings along with fewer links. I'm writing three Hellraisers per day right now and don't have the one or two hours extra that I usually take to find and put in the links.
When my readers find unfamiliar names, places, or events, please use the tags along with JayRaye (in diarist section of search feature). Or just leave a question for me in the comments and I will get back to you.
When I actually leave for Minnesota, I'll let everyone know. My access to computer will be limited while I'm away, probably about twice a week. But I will definitely be checking in.
Solidarity,
JayRaye
Note: Vacation has started! Until Aug 7th, I'll be able to check in about twice a day. From Aug 8-30th, I'll be checking in only 2 or 3 times per week. Hope everyone keeps on Raising Hell (with the corporate powers, not with each other) until my return from Minnesota.
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Tune for Overalls and Snuff
Overalls and Snuff
(From the December 1914 edition of the
Little Red Songbook.)
1. One day as I was walking
Along the railroad track,
I met a man in Wheatland
With his blankets on his back,
He was an old-time hop picker,
I'd seen his face before,
I knew he was a wobbly,
By the button that he wore.
I knew he was a wobbly,
By the button that he wore.
2. He took his blankets off his back
And sat down on the rail
And told us some sad stories
'Bout the workers down in jail.
He said the way they treat them there,
He never saw the like,
For they're putting men in prison
Just for going out on strike,
They're putting men in prison,
Just for going out on strike.
3. They have sentenced Ford and Suhr,
And they've got them in the pen,
If they catch a wobbly in their burg,
They vag him there and then.
There is one thing I can tell you,
And it makes the bosses sore,
As fast as they can pinch us,
We can always get some more.
As fast as they can pinch us,
We can always get some more.
4. Oh, Horst and Durst are mad as hell,
They don't know what to do.
And the rest of those hop barons
Are all feeling mighty blue.
Oh, we've tied up all their hop fields,
And the scabs refuse to come,
And we're going to keep on strikin
Till we put them on the bum.
We're going to keep on striking
Till we put them on the bum.
5. Now we've got to stick together, boys,
And strive with all our might,
We must free Ford and Suhr, boys,
We've got to win this fight.
From these scissor bill hop barons
We are taking no more bluff,
We'll pick no more damned hops for them,
For overalls and snuff,
We'll pick no more damned hops for them,
For overalls and snuff.
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