I need to write a graduate history school paper on the Texas Rangers
as strikebreakers. Primary sources such as memoirs, letters, archival
materials, era newspaper articles and photographs, dairies are
preferred. I need at least the sources. There was a big oil field
labor strike in Texas in 1917. Any judicial involvement is a plus,
such as the failure to provide a writ of habeas corpus. Thanks. |
Clarification of Question by
publiuslex-ga
on
24 Feb 2005 10:12 PST
should read 10 sources, and there was a large strike in the 1930s that
the Texas Rangers repressed. a case out of it went to the U S Supreme
court. a lot of the writing on the Texas Rangers is romanticized and
folklore which is not what I am looking for. Eyewitness accounts as
reflected in primary sources is a premium.
|
Request for Question Clarification by
pafalafa-ga
on
24 Feb 2005 10:26 PST
Hi there.
I had a preliminary look into these, and did find some materials on
the darker side of the history of the Texas Rangers. But I didn't see
anything that was specific to a 1917 oil field strike.
How vital is that event to your research? Would sources that DON'T
mention this particular strike be useful if they discuss other labor
issues involving the Rangers?
If the 1917 strike is important to you, do you have any more of the
particulars about it? Any additional details would help.
Lastly, must the sources be online to be of use to you, or can you
accept references that you can get at a school library, or through
academic databases like Project Muse.
Let me know what you think.
pafalafa-ga
|
Clarification of Question by
publiuslex-ga
on
24 Feb 2005 12:24 PST
Any strikes are okay even without the 1917 strike. the sources can be
internet or library, and we have two univ. lib. in Houston. Here is
my idea: concentrate on the Texas Rangers as strikebreakers, evaluate
this against the statutes and constitution of Texas, determine whether
judicial determinations involving Texas Rangers' strikebreaking
activities repressed labor unions in Texas, and relate how the leaders
of organized labor reacted in terms of tactics and strategy. thanks.
|
Clarification of Question by
publiuslex-ga
on
24 Feb 2005 12:34 PST
i think the case that went to the U S Supreme Court was the Starr
County farm disturbances in the late 1960s, not the 19303.
|
Request for Question Clarification by
pafalafa-ga
on
24 Feb 2005 16:56 PST
I'm not sure how much in the way of primary source material I can turn
up for you on this, but you should probably have a look...for
starters...at this book:
Power at Odds: The 1922 National Railroad Shopmen's Strike (The
Working Class in American History)
It covers the use of the Texas Rangers in lieu of National Guardsmen
during the strike. The Rangers were then a rather small force -- only
47 strong, al told -- and considered by the feds to be incapable of
handling the situation. The feds threatened the Governor of Texas
with sending in federal troops.
I'll let you know what else turns up.
pafalafa-ga
|
Clarification of Question by
publiuslex-ga
on
25 Feb 2005 17:20 PST
Are there any manuscript collections or archives at the University of
Texas on the Texas Rangers? Anything in the Austin American Statesmen
newspaper? the universities and the state of Texas have archives, and
the Texas Rangers may have their own archives.
|
Request for Question Clarification by
pafalafa-ga
on
25 Feb 2005 17:53 PST
Hello once again.
Yes...there are certainly archives on the Rangers, and I'd be glad to
find out where they are and how to access them, if that is the sort of
information you need.
I am not in Texas myself, so I am limited to online resources about
the Rangers. Although there are plenty of materials available to me,
I haven't found a great deal on the specific topic at hand.
For instance, I searched the online Dallas Morning News Historical
Archive (1885-1977), and in contains a lot of articles about the
Rangers throughout history, but the only labor dispute I noticed was
the Denison dispute that was covered in the book I mentioned to you
earlier.
Perhaps the best service I can provide for you would be to point you
towards the archived resources about the Texas Rangers so you could
directly contact them about the type of information you are seeking.
This would include old newspapers, the Texas State Library, State
government resources, and university archives, among others.
Would that sort of pointer information meet your needs as an answer to
your question?
Let me know.
pafalafa-ga
|
Request for Question Clarification by
pafalafa-ga
on
25 Feb 2005 18:50 PST
One more thing. I did find a legal case from 1919 that is
relevant...it's possible there are other cases as well. Part of the
case write-up is as follows:
-----
The defendant further pleaded:
"(a) that at the time of the killing Pearce was a duly appointed and
acting ranger in the service of the State of Texas, and that he, with
a number of other rangers had been ordered by the governor of Texas to
guard appellant's shop grounds to prevent certain of its former
employees, including decedent, who were then out on a strike, from
invading or trespassing upon appellant's said property, and from
injuring and interfering with its employees; that the said rangers,
including Pearce, were under the command and subject alone to the
orders of H. P. Brady, a Texas Ranger, who was then acting as a
captain of the force of rangers that had been stationed in appellant's
shop grounds for the purpose of preventing the strikers from doing the
things above set out; that appellant had no authority to control, or
direct Pearce in the discharge of his duties as a ranger, [**7] and
never at any time, ordered, directed or commanded him to prevent
deceased and the other strikers from picketing its shop grounds, or
interfering with them in any way; that Pearce was not acting as a
servant, employee, or agent of the defendant, but was acting as a
ranger in virtue of his appointment and qualification as such, and
appellant was in no way responsible for him having shot and killed the
son of appellees; [*795] and (b) that in the event it should be held
that Pearce was an employee of appellant, appellees ought not to
recover against it because it never ordered, commanded or directed
Pearce, or any of the other rangers to interfere with, molest or
prevent plaintiff's son, and the other strikers from picketing its
shop grounds; that the sole and only purpose of the rangers in
guarding its shop grounds was to prevent the strikers from invading
its property or trespassing thereon; that at the time Pearce shot and
killed appellees' son decedent was not in the act of invading
appellant's shop grounds and was not trespassing thereon and the act
of Pearce in shooting and killing him was not done in the furtherance
of appellant's business and was not within the scope [**8] of the
authority of the said Pearce, real or apparent, as a guard of
appellant's shop grounds, and that appellant was not responsible for
Pearce's act in shooting and killing decedent."
-----
That sounds like just the sort of thing you're looking for, but I
doubt that I'll be able to find more than one or two cases that are
similarly relevant.
For the cases that I DO find, I can only provide citations for the
cases, along with some relevant excerpts. I may not be able to post
the full case if it is still protected by copyright.
Let me know your thoughts on all this,
paf
|
Clarification of Question by
publiuslex-ga
on
26 Feb 2005 12:02 PST
Yes, you are doing well. The case citations are great. I am a lawyer
and can go to the law library at the U H Law Center. As to primary
source material such as manuscripts, letters,diaries, journals,
photographs, newspaper articles the location of the public record
office such as the state capitol in Austin, a university archive, or
the archives of the Texas Rangers is fine. Sometimes it is digitized,
and if not, then I will have to go to the location. take a look at
the Walter Reuther Library at Wayne State univ. thanks.
|
Clarification of Question by
publiuslex-ga
on
28 Feb 2005 12:09 PST
dear researcher, i need to know something by midnight 03-01-05 for my
timeline. thanks.
|
Request for Question Clarification by
pafalafa-ga
on
28 Feb 2005 12:38 PST
publiuslex-ga,
I've been looking, but not really finding much yet.
I've been concentrating on legal cases, but apart from the one I
excerpted earlier, the other cases I'm finding have to do with Rangers
overstepping their authority -- in one case, killing someone -- but
not in the context of labor disputes, so I don't know if they would be
relevant.
Haven't looked into the archives yet, but hopefully I'll have some
time later on to do this.
Let me know what you think is the right move at this point...
paf
|
Clarification of Question by
publiuslex-ga
on
28 Feb 2005 18:40 PST
I think the archives are the way to go. thanks.
|
Clarification of Question by
publiuslex-ga
on
28 Feb 2005 18:54 PST
dear researcher, let's expand this inquiry to include the Texas
Rangers for Texas and the state militia in Arizona and Montana in the
mining strikes. The same questions but three states, Texas, Arizona,
and Montana. The general period will be 1890 to 1930. We can use the
1922 Shopmen's strike for the Texas Rangers. We can also use the 1919
case that cites the Texas Rangers. This should give us enough
material.
|
