Mother Jones, a Communist or a Patriot? One could argue, this trailblazer was both.

 Mother Jones,  a Communist or a Patriot?

Was the late founding mother of the modern workday and workers' rights a communist, or was she a lover of the Constitution and an American patriot?  I argue this powerful woman was both.  She had strong anti-capitalist sentiments and deep reverence for the Constitution and our national heroes.  She frequently cited the constitution's protection of individual rights when convincing judges, governors, and senators to release protesters from prison, protect children from cruel labor practices, and put an end to the murder and abuses from big industries.  In the end, she used all the resources she could to save the victims of industry warlords--who dehumanized their workers and behaved in ways only seen on plantations in the Deep South and in totalitarian regimes. 

Historical Context Matters

It made sense to defend her rants against capitalism, given her experience with "the system" at the time as it was. Even if she is just speaking to the cruelties of "unregulated capitalism,"  it's all she knew in her time.  She saw essentially prison labor make huge profits for the wealthy elite while the workers/producers lived in squalor and agony, and if they tried to change their conditions, they were starved, murdered, or jailed.  If she is a self-described communist, it's because she saw no alternative to the oppressive system.  But many could argue that in some cases, she is no such thing; her asks were moderate,  such as a mere shift in the work schedule from a grueling 12-hour day to a more manageable 8-hour day.  She believed in a decent wage for men so women and children could stay at home. When she saw men being hung from trees for this ask, it may have very well pushed her into the belief that the larger "capitalist" system was too cruel to change, but she wavered between hope and pessimism, patriotism and communism, highlighting compassionate politicians who had her similar visions of a better tomorrow and of Americans living up to their ideals enshrined in the constitution. 

By: Ms. Taylor Nelson                

More on the details of labor practices during this time...

What types of atrocities occurred during this time period(late 19th century early 20th)?

• Children losing limbs working in the textile factories
• Families all working to simply pay for limited low-quality food and dilapidated housing
• Death and massacre for the families on strike in Colorado steal towns for example
• Loss of home for asking for change or participating in a strike
• Industries provided but also controlled housing, churches, and schools for their workers
• Talk of rats, insects, and disease among the workers
• Threats and intimidation by armed guards for speaking out

What industries did they occur in?

• Railroad
• Copper
• Coal
• Steel
• Textiles

Which states?

• Colorado
• Arizona
• West Virginia
• Pennsylvania
• Georgia
• Illinois(Chicago)
• Virginia
• Kansas

Briefly summarize Mother Jones's early life and what led her to union organizing?

    Mother worked in textiles as a teacher in Michigan and dressmaker in Chicago.  She marries George Jones, an iron molder and a union organizer. She moves to Memphis, TN, with her family, her husband, and children there; they all die of yellow fever(not uncommon at the time, half of Abe Lincoln's children died of similar widespread viruses and diseases). She moves to New York and resumes working in dressmaking. A fire destroys the factory she works for, and she becomes active in the labor movement. In 1895, she helped start the labor magazine Appeal to Reason. She then begins her work traveling and speaking at strikes and protests across the country. 

Give examples of Mother's political interactions? What tools did she use with which type of officials?

She shocked the media when she brought maimed children across the country for townspeople and government officials alike to see the horrors and cruelty of big industry, juxtaposing the large mansions with mutilated hands and feed to show crowds where their rich got their excesses.  

She used politeness, intellect, and idealism to plead with Governors, Mayors, and Judges in order for them to agree to her demands. She was persistent and tough, not responding to special treatment or distraction from her goals, immune to the corruption other organizers and politicians were so commonly susceptible to. She called out political hypocrisy and corruption when she saw it, reminding the New York City mayor, Seth Low, that the United States spent $45,000($1.5 million today money) to fill the belly of Prince Henry, a foreigner for three weeks and entertain him YET could not let American children the very people who built the country to enter "his" city, New York City.  Shame on him! Well, this persistent reasoning works again and again for Mother Jones.  Fortunately, unlike Steal mill owners, who work behind the scenes and respond only to their shareholders, politicians have to respond directly to public criticism, making her tactics more successful with this lot. 

When she points out nepotism to a judge in West Virginia, calling him the slur of the time, a "scab," the judge is pained by her remarks.  She calmly refers to the Constitution and the immortal Lincoln, citing they did not intend for such abuses of power to occur. He listens, feels remorse, and apologizes, letting her go and treating her with kindness.  Mother Jones shows with reason and intellectual backing for your arguments, some minds can be changed, especially when using a common standard such as the Constitution or a beloved political figure(here Lincoln). 

What can the lessons from Mother Jones teach us about Politics and organizing today?

Mother Jones was well-read and challenged organizing workers to read as much as they could about their history.  Beyond her intellect, Mother had unlimited bravery and courage, serving time in a rat-infested jail cell for refusing to leave a strike zone in Colorado or walking up to guardsmen pointing a pistol at her head to protect fleeing workers. She saw the long, hard road ahead and decided it was worth it to take this risk, and she was revered in response, inspiring thousands to channel similar levels of bravery. 

Next time we complain about the time it takes to write a letter to your Senator or attend a meeting, we should think about Mother and others like her who made similar sacrifices in order for us to have the privileges we have today.  The American project is not complete, but Mother shows us hope that we have the strength to keep pushing leaders to live up to their ideals.