The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1916-04-28
Trades Union Liberty League
Of Ohio.
To THE TRADES UNIoNIsT OF ONO


E ]. Keenan,, who styles himself
the President of a certain branch
of the Anti Saloon League, has
been urduly active in proclaiming
his fatherly interest in Organized
Labor, and extremely lavish In his
praise of the methods employed by
certain corporations whose crown
ing virtues (?) are to smash Labor
Unions and to crush the life blood
out of their unorganized workers
by the stop watch efficiency system
Although nothing can be learned
to show that this self-styled re-
deemer of the down-trodden labor
ing man has any af6liation with the
American Labor Movement, he has
taken it upon himself to dictate the
policy of living to the working men
of Ohio, and to read certain Labor
Unions out of the Ohio Labor
Movement.
What could possibly account for
this mans sudden AMI frenzied ac-
tivity IN trying to mulct from La
Dor the additional twenty percent
efficiency which certain industrial
barons are demanding?
Perhaps his brief career as an in
surgent against the bona fde Labor
Movement may have been the un-
derlying cause for his present ac-
tivities.
A few years ago an attempt was
made to organize the workers in
the Selby Shoe plant at Portsmouth
Ohio. The Selbys, it should be
borne in mind, are deeply interes-
ted in the success of the Anti Sa-
loon league and in the destruction
of Organized Labor One of the
Selbys holds high position IN the
Ohio Anti Saloon League, while
another member of the family is
interested in raising the $500, 000.-
90 authorized by the National An
Ii Saloon League, to finance the
Flying Squadron in its invasi n
Of Organized Labor.
Mr.. Keenan, was active in the
leadership Of the proposed shoe
workers organization, in the for
nation of which the jurisdiction OF
the Boot and Shoe Workers Union
the bona 6de shoeworkers union
was deliberately ign red. The dual
organization callel a strike with
keenan, as one of the leaders, with
Tue lSSull Ludl Liz StilhC, lOSSthSl
with The many benefits that should
have been secured, was lost by the
workers.
COULD it just be possible that the
insurgent organization was formed
to forstall any possible attempt on
the part of the Boot and Shoework-
ers' Union, the bona fde Union,
from gaining a foothold in Ports
mouth ?
Could it be possible that the
strike was deliberately pulled off
in order to intimidate the Selby
employees from joining any Labor
Union
Could it be possible that the
failure of the strike and the ellmin-
alton of shoe workers Union at
P rtsmouth has endeared Mr..
keenan, in the lasting good graces
OF the Selbys
Could it be possible that his
present attempt 10 stir up strife in
the Ohio Federation of Labor is
but an extension of his Union
smashing activities to the State at
large, in the interest of his Anti
Saloon League sponsors
It is highly important that Or
ganized Labor of Ohio be informed
as TO the reputation Of this man,
who, equipped with the propaganda
of frenz!ed reformers and efficiency
crazed corporations, is attempting
to assail the Ohio Federati n OF
Labor, which in the past, has free
ly given its material and moral sup
port In securing the uplift of all
toilers of cur Commonwealth.
AS the members of the Unions
composing our organization are
constantly assaiied by the hirelings
OF the institutions and organiza
tions, which, through such persons
as mentioned above, are now cen
tering their attack upon the Ohio
Federation of Labor, we invite your
moral co-operation In helnino 70