Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-12-18
NEW SOCIAL MOVEMENT
Features OF a Socialist Sunday
School In Boston.
eYMNAsTIo EXERCISES WITH MUSIC

VI M hollO EAhhUl6hS WIFE d USlU
DIR. Antoisette koniLow, Organizer
of Bo.ton's Socialist women. ,Iub.
Who Outlines Purposes of the
School, Says the Aim IL Not to Con-
nict With other DenominatIonaI
schools.
The tirst Socialist Sunday school es-
tablished In Boston was opened at the
headquarters OF the Socialist party. O9J
Washington street, the other day.
The school was organized by the So
ciaiist Women's club of Boston, which
has been in existence Il year. says the
Boston Globe.
Men as well as women will be in
structors and speakers. Among them
are several former teachers. Charles
Cooke, author of Ralph Waldo Emer
sons Life, Writings and Philosophy"
George Eliot. Critical Study" Poets
and Problems" and other well known
books, have promised TO be among the
speakers. Rev. John Ellis, an alumnus
of Harvard college and Socialist can
didate for the Massachusetts senate.
has also been invited TO speak and
teach in the Socialist Sunday school
The superintendent is an ex-secretary
of the Young Mems Christian associa-
ton. The school starts with sixty-fivc
persons, including a good number of
children. Mrs. Elizabeth Porter played
the piano. and the exercises began with
singing Marching Song" from the
Socialist Songs" compiled by Mr..
Charles ii. Kerr.
The following stanzas from the
Marching Song" give an idea of the
character of Socialist music:
In the shops and in the slums.
Working suffering day by day,
We are making wealth for millionaires TO
hold
But with Joy we pledge our faith
To the cause of all who toll
Till the better social order shall unfold.
In the days that are to be,
When the cause We love is won.
We shall labor for ourselves and for our
own,
Each for all and all for each,
And through many joyful years
We shall pluck the fruit that comra des
brave have sown.
A favorite song is James Russell
Lowelrs True Freedom" DR.. Antoi-
nette konikow, physician. graduate
of Tufts Medical college and organizer
of the Socialist Women's club of Bos.
ton. thus outlines the purposes of the
Socialist Sunday school: The Socialist
Womens club of Boston inaugurates a
movement which is entirely new in this
part of the country-namely, a Socialist
Sunday school.
The Socialist Sunday school is not
created to antagonize the Sunday
schools organized by different churches,
Not to come in conflict with them, we
chose the time for school in the after
noon. Socialism has just as little TO
do with religion as medicine. itera
ture or science. Like the state of to
day, it leaves religious education to the
individual and to parents.
'The chief aim of the Socialist Sun
day school will be to bring our chill
dren up in the ethics of Socialist prin-
ciples. For years we have had TO con
vert young men and women TO social
ism who were brought up in the eth
les and spirit of capitalism.
"We should not wait till our chill
dren imbibe wrong conceptions of cap
ttalist ethics, but instill into them the
right ideas of justice from their ear)i
est years. Unfortunately the working
man has but little time for his family,
and before he realizes it his children
have drifted away from him spiritual
ly. To fill out this gap, to bring
moral and spiritual tie between the
overworked father and mother and
their children. this school is organized
while we intend on one hand to
give our children through this school
the ethics or morals corresponding to
our conceptions of economies, on the
other hand we will try to give them
true knowledge of present and past
conditions.
However good our schools of today
are in comparison with the schools of
old times, they still stick to many old
methods of teaching. History is still
treated by them as succession of
heroes instead Of an evolution where
the method Of production played one of
the most important roles; some pages
of history are still mlsrepresented. cor
responding to the prejudices of the
class in power.
''The aim of our school. in short, will
be to develop in our children the broth.
erly love and comradeship taught by
Socialism instead of the narrowness
and conservatism which always follow
tradition because it is Of long standing
and accepted by many; to develop the
spirit of independent judgment and the
courage to stand up for the right prln
ciple. Whether we succeed or not will
partly depend upon our comrades. 1t
is new field, and we have but little
experience. We need the good will and
help Of every one"
At the close of DR.. Konikow's speech
to give the children rest from sitting,
all stood. and a few minutes were spent
in simple gymnastic exercises with mu.
sic.
A Champion Soda Drinker.
Miss Claudia Flint of Bethany. Kan,
OIL