ANTI-CATHOLIC ISSUE FLARES HIGH IN THE
SCHOOL BOARD FIGHT
Catholic and Protestant politicians
In Chicago are working hand in hand,
joined in the closest possible poiitical
unity, with the aim of getting enough
votes in the city council to confirm
Mayor Thompson's re-appointment
of Jake Loeb as a member of the
board of education today. Roger
Sullivan, Catholic and Democrat, last
week was active among alrermen of
his following urging them to confirm
the appointment of Loeb by Mayor
Thompson, Republican and Prptest
ant, who was swept into power in the
City Hall in a campaign featured by
sensational use of the Anti-Catholic
issue.
Pictures of Maclay Hoyne and
Roger Sullivan in last week's Men
ace, the leading organ of the Guar
dians of Liberty, go with a story
claiming that Hoyne's attacks on
Mayor Thompson and Former Police
Chief C. C. Healey are a Catholic at
tack on the Thompson Anti-Catholic
administration.
Sec'y Ed Nockels of the Chicago
Federation of Labor Saturday made
most serious charges that have yet
been brought against Chicago poli
ticians of treacherous handling of the
religious issues. The letter follows:
Chicago, 111., April 28, 1917.
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY
COUNCIL
GENTLEMEN: The members of the city council
are being subjected to tremendous
pressure to confirm the reappoint
ment to the board of educatiqp of
that arch-enemy of the' public
schools, Jacob M. Loeb, oppressorof
teachers and, through them, of the
'school children of Chicago.
Aside from the determination of
this man to crush union tabor, he is
unfit to serve on the board of educa
tion. A fighter is needed on the
school board, no dpubt, but a de
stroyer who runs amuck as this man
does, setting the elements of the -community
against each other and
keeping the city in turmoil of class
and personal hatreds, playing enmity
against enmity and foe against foef
is a positive menace to our school
system.
I charge:
1. That political manipulation of
the most brazen kind has been used
in Loeb's undignified scramble to re- 1
seat himself on the board of educa- x
tion.
2. That he has relit the fires of re
ligious controversy and is fanning
them into flame for his own aggran
dizebent "playing both ends against
the middle" in order to get for him
self both Catholic and Pjotestant
support.
3. That he is trying to work both
ends of the labor controversy in or
der to fool the unitiated into thinking
that his chosen, autocratic life work
is not (as we in the labor movement
know it is), a drive against organized
labor and its 'democratizing influence.
Among the political tricks turned
in Loeb's behalf was the work of Ja
cob Lindheimer, chief deputy to
County-Treasurer Stuckart and for
mer alderman of the Third ward.
When Rqger C. Sullivan was out of
the city last week, Lindheimer went
to Sullivan Democrats who are mem
bers of the city council and told them
that Roger Sullivan wanted them to
vote to confirm Loeb. I do not know
whether or not Sullivan endorses
Loeb, the labor-smasMer, or whether
he authorized Lindheimer to use his
name, but whether he did or not, the .
aldermen to whom Lindheimer did &
not makethe statement. and citizens
generally should know that Loeb is
seeking votes in that way.
Last winter, when Loeb sought the
aid of Morris Siskind, the West Side
Jewish labor leader, in connection
with Loeb's troubles at the Chicago
Hebrew institute. Siskind asked Loeb
.jammammmtjmmmtM