St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1908-11-06
MOTHER JONES IN ALABAMA

II had been thirteen years since
bid farewell to the workers in Ala
bama, and went forth to other fields
to fight their battles. I returned In
1908 to see what they were doing
for the welfare of their children. Gov
ernor Conner, being the chief star OF
the state, went out to Abondale, on
the outskirts of Birmingham, to take
u glance at his slave pen. | found
there somewhere between five and
six hundred slaves. The governor,
who in his generous nature could pro
vide money for Jesus, reduced the
wages of his slaves first 10 per cent
and then 16.
As the wretches were already up
against starvation, few of them
struck, and I went with an organizer
and the editor of the Labor Advo-
cate to help organize the slaves in.
to a union of their craft. addressed
the body, and after | got through
quite a large number became mem.
bers of the Textile Workers union.
returned again inside of another
week, held another meeting with
them and another large number join
ed. | was also going to complete my
work on Monday, the 18th, but had
to leave for southern -...nois. lie
has not yet discharged any OF them
nor has he threatened to call an ex'
ira session OF the legislature TO pass
the yagrancy bill In case they struck
against the last reduction. or all the
God.cursed conditions that surround
any gathering slaves. or slave pen.
Comers mill district beats them all.
As you look at them you immediate.
iy conclude that they have been lash.
ID into fear. but they stlll have some
spirit Of revolt In them. 1hey work
all OF thirteen hours n day. They are
supposed TO 20 In at 9 In the morn
ing. but the machinery starts up soon
after five. and they have to be there.
They are supposed TO get forty.fiye
minutes for dinner. but the machin.
cry starts up again after they are on
Tor twenty minutes anu they have TO
DO at their posts.
When was In Alabama thirteen
,ears ara. they had no child labor
Jaw. Sure iaen ihcy passed very
llinc ,nc. sC.calltd. The. oyade the
law In this way: A child who has
i,,rsed his or her twelfth year can
take In his or her brothers or sisters
.irm six years on. and get them TO
work with him or her. They are not
IN the pay roll. but the pay for these
''le ones goes into the elder ones
ay. So that when you look at the
the pay roll you think this child
Takes quite a good bit when perhaps
there are two or three younger than
he under the lash. Then the COVER
nor runs pill peddler, who Ii his
lephew. There is two cents OF every
dollar knocked off OF the 600 slaves
10 pay this doctor. You see It's all
IN the family. Then they have
Sunday school. and the chief guy OF
he Sunday school has gold tooth
IN the front OF his mouth. and when
le IL talking about Jesus, you eau
see him open up the mouth TO show
he golden calf So the little ones
pay particular attention to what he
says. found them all suffering from
hills and fever and malaria; and
whatever change they have left goes
o the patent medicine doctor.
One woman told me that her
mother had gone into that mill ana
worked, aud took her four children
With her. She says, Il have been
n the mill since | was four years {
Id. | am now thirty-four," She
ooked to me as II she was sixty, q
She had kindly nature II treated
light, but her whole life and q
pirit was crushed out beneath the
hNtlo VI NohlNi bANNNs 'ANh 49,
hink of the little ones that this q
lother brings forth you can see how a
oclety is cursed with an abnormal v
uman being. She knew nothing but a
'hiz of the machinery in the factory y
S | talked To her with many Others
he said; 20 can you do something d
Dr. us?" The wives, mothers and
nd the children all 40 in TO produce C
ividends. profit, profit, profit. ihis Il
rutal governor is a pillar of the G
irst Methodist church in Birming- a
am. On Sunday he gets up and n
ngs 20 Lord will YOU have another "
ar for my crown when | get there? d
That a job God must have hiring d
echanics to make stars for that dl
Villains crown when bi
, gets there" saw the little ones &C
ing ON the bed shaking with ehills OF
Id | could hear them ask parent in
ID masters, what they were here SC
r; what crime they were brought tn
re and sold to the dividend auc-
,neer.