The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1921-07-29
MEN OF LABOR, ONWARD!
LABORS CHIEF MAKES STRONG AND EARNEST APPEAL TO
ALL WORKERS TO JOIN IN GREAT FORWARD
MOVEMENT
Says Through Organization Alone Can We Hope Every
Purpose and Defeat Undemocratc Purpose of Reaction

prison, to corrupt. They have sought
to injure and destroy by economic
might, by the passage of hurtful
laws, by the abuse of injunctions, by
the manipulation of wealth and by
the use of that portion of the public
press which customarily lends itself
to the uses of the unprincipled.
The trade union movement has
stood like rock through the storm
No assault of reaction at any period
of history was ever more successfully
withstood. No body of men and wo-
men anywhere at any time ever man
ifested a sterner spirit or stood more
unitedly than the American trade
union movement in the face of the
hostile attitude of aggressive and
ruthless organizations of employers,
bent upon breaking down the organi-
cations of the wage earners.
Our movement has now reached the
point in the struggle where it is not
enough to stand firm in resistance.
We have resisted at every point until
the drive of the labor hating opposi-
tion has been brought to a point
where it is without initiative, without
enthusiasm, without what may be
called driving power. This does not
mean that it is not still menace. 1t
is menace as long as it exists, and
it remains a menace which cannot be
lost sight of for moment. But it
has for the present been beaten out
of its initial momentum by the tre-
mendous effort of the trade union
movement.
The time has come for labor to as
sumo the aggressive. We have held
the line. Our positions are intact. 1t
is the hour for a great forward move
ment. With unity such as our move
ment has never excelled, with a spirit
of determination unequalled, let US
face the future prepared to take ad-
vantage of every opportunity which
the future offers.
The labor movement predicates the
success of every effort upon the right
eousness of it's position and on the
strength of its organization. The
principles of our movement have been
tried and found true. The great need
of the day is organization and more
organization-more unity and solidar-
ity. The necessity of trade unionism
always an necessity and hope of de-
liverance-must be carried to the un-
organized everywhere.
The organizers of the American
Federation of Labor, both those who
give their full time to the work and
those who serve as volunteers, the
officers of national and international
unions, of state federations, city CEN
tral bodies and local unions, have
ever been faithful and self-sacrifcing
but the movement calls upon them for
redoubled effort, for greater conse-
Grafton to the work and for more
energetic deliverance of the message
of organized labor.
In addition it should be considered
the sacred duty of every individual
member of the trade union movement
every member of the great rank and
file, to constitute himself an untiring
organizer of men and women for the
great tasks that lie ahead.
Labor Day this year should bt
made a red-letter day in the histor,
of organization work. Upon that da!
our movement everywhere should $,