Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-07-14
"MOther" Jones Talks
Of Problems of Labor
And How to SOLpe Them
Famous Champion Of the
Working Classes Here for
Conference With Jerome
Jones, Editor Labor Journal

Mother Jones, the little, rotund,
white-haired woman who has given her
life to the cause of the laboring peo-
pie, and who is known to hundreds of
thousands of such as their ever-present
champion in times of trouble, spent
Tuesday in Atlanta. She came here
from Washington, as she said, Just on
little matter of business with Mr..
Jerome Jones'" the editor of the Atlanta
Journal Of Labor.
Your southern labor problem" said
the famous leader, in the sharp, decisive
manner in which she seems to say and
do everything, els certainly not so
acute as that of the north. You have
not the congestion here.
But you send your women and chill
dren into the mills-the sweatshops of
the south-to work their frail lives
away. Yes, you make them go. Your
churches make them go. Why? To get
the little money that they will give
from their skinny wages.
"If Christ were here today he would
not have that sort Of church. He would
take those women and little tots out of
the mills and give them what they
need.
"Is this great country not big enough
to supply those weaker citizens, those
helpless citizens, with sustenance, with
out making them kill themselves for 1t?
STATE SHOULD PROVIDE.
"A mother ought not to be allowed to
send a little child to work in mill or
factory If she can't run the family
without such support, the state ought
to provide for that family.
Il think it is the one duty of the
women of this country to try to make
life better for those poor people. You
talk about your missionary societies and
temperance unions and guildsl They
are all bosh. Why can't those women
turn their hands to the real work that
is needed so badly all around them?
"They tell me 1 ought to work on the
legislatures and governors. But I'm
working on the courts. It's the courts
that need the most reforming.
These judges we have are semi-auto-
Gratis who sit up there in fake dignity
and deal out anything but justice to the
poor devils before them.
"The justices of the peace are just
legalized pickpockets.
"a Judge should be the broadest mind
ed person that could be found, but IN
stead, they are the merest .bigots. If
we can get justice in the courts the
greatest weight on the poor men and
women will be removed.
"And it's coming. Before another gen.
Grafton is gone they'll be sending the
During the afternoon Mother" Jones
made a brief visit to the federal prison.
Conditions there are good" she said
afterwards. II found the warden very
nice man, and the officers are capable.
Those poor devils they have locked be-
hind the bars, though, don't get much
pleasure out of existence. A whole lot
of them ought to be out and those who
sent them there in their places.
What reason is there In building
homes for imbeciles and deformed peo-
pie and sending strong men to prison?
You ought TO build hospitals for them,
give them the nourishment and treat:
ment they need for month, and then
send them back to their wives and their
children. Every man who commits a
crime is temporarily insane. No man
deliberately plans to be criminal"
BORN IN THE WORK.
'TIow long have you been IN this work
for the laboring people?" she was asked.
81 was born in it. / have always