Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-12
''We've Won Out!''
Thought Consoing to ''Mother" Jones, but She Says
Labor Is Still Unprepared for Present Machine
Age, Despite Many Victories.
BY CLARA LOUISE JOHN.


the guide posts along a well beaten
country road 10 miles out of Washing
ton. 1t is likely that they will soon be
removed. In an upstairs room Of the
quiet farm house of Mr.. and Mrs. walter
Burgess lies Mother Jones. grand old
woman Of American LABOR with 100
years Of strenuous life to her credit she
is just about ready to start on the Great
Adventure. Stricken to her bed last
January from the sheer exhaustion of
age, her physical energy has gradually
ebbed away and now she no longer re-
ceives visitors,
Mother" Mary Harris Jones passed
her one hundredth birthday anniver-
sary May /, 1880. Until recently her
mind was as active as ever. Only few
weeks ago we found her resting amid
several big soft pillows, her head COW
cred abundantly with snowy white hair.
Mother Jones was particular about be-
ing "primped up" A warm and well
preserved hand had stretched out in
welcome from the folds Of a blue bor-
dered sheet. Her expression was a
paradox of tenacity and tenderness.
Her voice was strong and 1t took very
little prompting to draw from her ar
dent expressions of her opinions about
the things for which she had fought for
the greater part of a century. And
we've won out!" she said, when she
talked about the work that has always
laid closest to her heart-the laws
regulating child labor.
women can do so much If they only
realize their power!" The statement
was detached and deep and she chung
to the words in way to make one
feel that this Is the torch she wanted
to fling to other hands before letting
slip her hold on life.
Summarizes Modern Conditions.
Nobody takes dollar to the gravel"
she added, impressively, and then she
launched into fiery summary of her
opinions about modern conditions. For
even then Mother Jones was not think
ing about death, but about the indus
trial problems of the machine age in
relation to American labor. She re-
called Aristotle's prediction that the
time would come when an inanimate
object would do the work of dozen
slaves.
To-day" she said, modern methods
Of production have far outstripped the
power Of America to consume the pro-
duct of labor. And now that we're into
the machine age, neither the Govern
ment nor the people are preparing for
it. The only thing that can be done
now is for the Government to take hold
and reduce the working hours. A five
day week and a six-hour day would
mean work for everybody. But the
people don't get the idea. Also, the
President should sponsor more public
works. Why doesn't he get about
building that road to South America?
I believe Borah would md work for
everybody If he were President!
Prohibition Is one of the greatest
affiictions that has been laid on the
Nation. They can't ram it down peo-
pies threats.
"I'm more radical than ever was"
she snapped, with a hint Of her old
time energy. 1--WE had a lot of chance
to think lately. and the more think
the more radical get. The capitalists
are sim bunch Of high-class robbers
and burglars, and I'm for anything that
win keep them from inpoverishing the
people. And If the unemployment stu
alton gets much worse men are going
to do something about 1t. If they can't
get work and fair wages they viii
change the system 80 they can.
Now that we are in the machine age
what should be done with all the leisure
timer"
People should study! STUDY"
In Prison at 81.
How old were you the last time you
were In PRISON." The question sounded
inconzruous.
"Eiehty-seven," she said, defiantly,
after moments reflection. They kept
me In seven months"
She couldn't remember the number
Of times the Rockefellers had put her
In jail, but her most outstanding en-
counter with them was In connection
in the Colorado mines in 1914. As
might be expected, Mother Jones was
on hand. The guards sprayed the lit
tie tent colony Of striking miners and
killed IL men and 81 women and chill
dren. She held the Rockefeller inter-
ests directly responsible for the slaugh-
ter. AS result Of her agitations she
was put behind the bars for nine weeks.
AS IMPLYING cold capital the Rookie
fellers remained Mother Jones pet hate,
and she later disdained such things as
invitations to dinner from them on ac-
count Of her rigid principles.
Swearing, according TO Mother Jones,
Is the poor mans prayer. And with
her caustic tongue she has done . lot
Of her kind Of praying"
Il haven't been very discreet In my
language" she confessed. you've got
to talk language people can under
stand. The public is the sleepiest damn
bunch you ever saw. You've got to
Recalls Irish Revolt.
Mother Jones was born in Ireland In
1880. MY father" she explained, "was
one Of the leaders In o revolt against
England. I remember 1t all plainly. I
was only years old. sat by the win
dow and saw the soldiers come march,
ing down the street with human heads
stuck on the tops OF their bayonets. /
didn't know what it ali meant My
father and 81 other men fed and put
American flag. They came TO America
I was 6 when my mother and two
borthers and two sisters followed my
father here"
Mother Jones has drunk deeply OF
the cup of life. She married an iron
molder in Memphis, Tenn. She gave
birth to four children in five years. In
1857 the yellow fever took all four
children and also her husband. She,
herself, prepared their bodies for the
death cart and then sat alone in the
was lifted. Four years later she set
up dreesmaking shop Ia Chicago
The great fire destroyed It, As q fire
refugee. she began spending many OF
her evenings attending labor meetings
at the old knights of Labor Temple
there. Circumstances famed her In
teres. to O heat. Soon afterard she
started on her active career in behalf
of labor. Her first work was in Pitts
burgh, where she went TO aid a strike
on the Baltimore a. Ohio Railroad.
After that, whenever labor had a
hard battle to fight anywhere, Mother
Jones was more than likely to be there
and in the front ranks. The war be-
tween capital and labor in those days
was sometimes brutal and even bloody
Mother Jones often stepped IN where
other labor leaders had been killed
hut snnnehnw she was never injured