The Revolutionary Journalism of Big Bill Haywood by Bill Haywood

Author:Bill Haywood
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781910885321
Publisher: Bookmarks

10

When the Kiddies Came Home

May 1912

After two months vacation in their temporary homes in New York, Philadelphia, Barre, Vermont, and Manchester, New Hampshire, the children of the Lawrence strikers, who had been involved for ten weeks in an industrial war with the master class of the woollen and cotton industries, returned to receive the greatest reception ever held at Lawrence. Most of the children were too young to appreciate what the wonderful demonstration of solidarity meant or the reason for their departure and their return under such changed circumstances. There were among their number, however, some who were strikers themselves and knew their home-leaving was to lessen the burden of their parents. The strikers understood it was not a matter of sentiment, but that this rigorous action was adopted as a war measure.

It was for the purpose of calling the attention of the world to the conditions existing in Lawrence, to the conditions of the thousands of children in the textile industry of the New England states that were slowly starving to death because their parents were unable to make a living wage, likewise for the purpose of relieving the Strike Committee of the burden incident to caring for so many little ones and to remove their emaciated and wan faces from the vision of their parents who were on strike.

Although this measure had never been adopted before in America, its significance was soon realised and the spirit of class consciousness became aroused in the working class everywhere. The children found excellent homes and the letters they wrote back to their parents were a comfort and an inspiration. At the same time it enabled those who cared for the children to take an active part in the struggle that was on at Lawrence. Ordinarily they would have contributed their quota to the strike fund, but in caring for the little ones of the striking textile workers, they not only gave many times what their contributions would have amounted to, but they took a big part in the real battle.

The strikers of Lawrence hold a feeling of deepest appreciation for those who have cared for their children. They know that their little ones were treated better than they could have been at home. From all reports, they were received as little guests, and when the time came for them to leave their “Strike Parents” there were many a tug at their little heartstrings. They had learned to love their new homes. They left Lawrence physically destitute, often ill-clad and without underclothes, wearing garments made of shoddy.

They were the children of parents who weave the cotton, linen and woollen fabric that helps to clothe the world.

They went to other cities to be clothed and returned to their homes well dressed with roses in their cheeks and laden with toys and other gifts.

Their arrival was made the occasion of a great demonstration in celebration of the millworkers’ notable industrial victory. More than 40,000 people thronged the streets, over half of them taking part in the monster parade.

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