Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-17
BELIEVES IN BALLOT
MOTHER JONES PREDICTS CLASS
WAR IN THIS COUNTRY.
But States It Will Be Bloodless-An
ticipates Victory for Laboring ,.
Masses.

If the predictions of Mrs. Mary Jones,
familiarly known to every miner and coal
operator Of the entire United States as
Mother Jones. are fulfilled great change
will take place In this country within few
years. Mother Jones Is in the city for the
purpose of delivering an address before the
Bellamy Club this evening, and will be with
the people of the District but a short time,
Her work as organizer OF the United Mine
Workers OF America cempels her. she says,
to leave timorrow morning for the New
River soft coal region of West Virginia.
The situation there Is so appalling, accord
ing to Mrs. Jones, that she must buckle
down to work and allow nothing to inter-
fere with efforts in behalf of the toiler In
the mines.
No more optimistic labor leader than
Mother Jones ever lived, and it Is her hon
est opinion that the day Of reckoning for
all opponents of human liberty Is not far
distant. She declares that she expects to
live to see the day when the lahoring
masses Of the country shall be triumphant
entirely over their oppressors. Her hair is
ashen white, but her features are clean
cut and her eyes flash when she speaks OF
oppressed human beings.
Mother Jones' Views.
In an interview with a representative of
The Star today Mother Jones said:
THE majority of the people Of this coun-
try have queer conception Of the labor
movement; they believe that We are lot
Of rabble, and that we have worked so
long that we don't know how to do any
thing else. They are mistaken, as will be
plainly demonstrated at a date not far dis
tant when these unfortunate men and boys
who are compelled to work in the bowels of
the earth for a livelihood and under an op-
,trr iy,1y1 So Il,
and soul will strike blow and throw off
the shackles which now bind them.
''The working men Of this country are
step by step beginning to realize the grav-
Ity of the situation and doing every
thing in their power to lift themselves from
their lethargy. They are becoming to be
readers. investigators, and at last their
feeble eyes are being opened.
Some labor leaders say that labor and
capital must meet common grounds for
mutual benefit. Such statement furnishes
laughing stock. and is, without doubt, one
of the most absurd utterances / have ever
heard. Can the lion and the lamb lie down
together? No: the lion would devour the
lamb. Such is the practical example of
capital and labor. In my opinion, labor and
capital will never be brought together as
the interests OF both ere always opposing
each other. and it will be SO until the labor
people become thoroughly organized and
assert their rights.
Two Forms of Socialism.
Let no man, woman or child think that
there are not two forms of socialism 1t is
the capitaiistic socialism that has placed
the country in peril. This form Of socialism
is for the benefit and ACKNOWLEDGMENT of
few and the oppression Of the many. The
socialism OF the iaboring classes is more
liberal than that of the rich man. 1t Is for
the benefit of the entire country and places
every man on the same footing.
do believe that there will be a class
war? Most assuredly, but without blood
shed. 1t will be a peaceful class conflict
with the ballot, not with pistols. swords or
implements of war. All such weapons must
am unalterably opposed to the gaining Of
victory by force Of arms.
Il have no faith in either the democratic
or republican party, so fer as the people of
the country are concerned. Both have
grown to be pure and simple money cor
Germs, the only difference being that one is
in favor of trusts. the other against them,
Each has obviously demonstrated its atti-
tude toward the organized laboring people
of the country. Some years ago during
dered to Chicago to shoot down the labor
ing men; recently in the coal regions Of
Pennsylvania during the great anthracite
strike the shoot-to-k kill order was given"
Mother jones described the conditions in
the New River coal regions, where a strike
IL on. and said the scenes about the miners
camps are ptiful. She closed the interview
by saying:
to look fer legislation which Will alleviate
his situation. Through blindness n has
elected capitaEstic repTesea tatives to lock
after the interests of the states In Con-
gress. and as such they are going to study
the interests of the rich. The salvation
OF the working classes Hes in the ballot
and In the ballot alone.
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