This issue of The Masses, Vol. VI, No. 6, published in March 1915, delves deeply into labor struggles and industrial conflicts that marked the era. One significant topic is the Colorado Coal Strike of 1914, with the magazine shedding light on the plight of miners and their families in Ludlow, a small town in Colorado where violent clashes occurred between strikers and mine owners’ private security forces. The issue also features accounts of unemployed workers in New York, describing their struggle for resources and basic rights in the city.
Another prominent theme is the critique of capitalist figures and institutions. In this edition, John Barber’s illustration “De Gink” satirizes Elbert Gary, chairman of the U.S. Steel Corporation, who was involved in managing the homeless and unemployed population in New York City during that period. The magazine also critiques the industrial hearings of 1914-15, where prominent capitalists like John D. Rockefeller Sr. were questioned about their businesses’ treatment of laborers.
Overall, this issue underscores the socialist perspective on issues of economic inequality and labor exploitation during the early 20th century in America, using various forms of media to raise awareness and advocate for social reform.