Out of labor's struggle in Arizona came better conditions for the workers, who must everywhere, at all times, under advantage and disadvantage work out their own salvation
Mother JonesRead
I went West and took part in the strike of the machinists - the Southern Pacific Railroad, the corporation that swung California by its golden tail, that controlled its legislature, its farmers, its preachers, its workers.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the struggle against corporate power and the fight for workers' rights.
In this quote, Mother Jones reflects on her experience participating in a labor strike against the Southern Pacific Railroad, which symbolizes the overwhelming control that corporations had over various aspects of life in California. It underscores the need for collective action in the face of corporate influence and the importance of standing up for the rights and dignity of workers.
Themes
LaborStrikeCorporate PowerWorkers' RightsCalifornia
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a labor rights rally to inspire collective action among workers.
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All quotes →Some day the workers will take possession of your city hall, and when we do, no child will be sacrificed on the altar of profit!
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Injustice boils in men's hearts as does steel in its cauldron, ready to pour forth, white hot, in the fullness of time.
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I believe that movements to suppress wrongs can be carried out under the protection of our flag.
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Your ancestors fought for you to have a share in that institution over there. It's yours. See the school board, and every Friday night hold your meetings there. Have your wives clean it up Saturday morning for the children to enter Monday. Your organization is not a praying institution. It's a fighting institution. It's an educational institution along industrial lines. Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living!
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Little girls and boys, barefooted, walked up and down between the endless rows of spindles, reaching thin little hands into the machinery to repair snapped threads
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