Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1909-01-07
SOCIALIST YEAR BOOK
S57 East a4th St, Flatbush, Brookly
~. Y, Dec. 8, 1908.

Algcrnon Lee. member national
committee Socialist party for state of
New York.
Dear comradc: I enclos" herewith
a proposition, together with the mo-
tions necessary to give IL effect. and
If they meet the approval of your
Judgment request that they be trans
mitt"d by you to the national commit
tee and the national secretary of the
Socialist party
II seems to me that the Socialist
movement in America has long
needed what ! would name tho so
cialist Yearbook" and what might be
described as a Socialist almanac and
campaign book. That such book
should br issued at year intervals, and
that IN" national office should under
take tn" work. That the date of its
publication should be not later than
May 80 of each year, thus giving up-
pOrtunity To includ" official dvClara-
tions of tn" biennial national con-
vcntiuns. That the regular publica-
ton of such work would save the
Socialist party from tn" necessity of
providing "A campaign book on such
short motto" as to render its proper
preparation impossible and causing
its publication at such "A lat" day in
the campaign as to seriously curtail
its usefulness. That th"T" should br
no effort To make a profit from the
publication. but loss should be avoided
If possible, and in my opinion loss
could De avoided after tn" first is
sue, and probably even on that.
As you will see from the prospectus
enclosed. and which | would request
you Ia transmit TO the national sccrr-
tary and your fellow national COM
mitt"rm"n with this letter, IN" task Is
a great one. calling for the services of
h.. d. Ia l.1 a 4 In
many of thu subjects TO b" treated
data are available, but il is not in
statistical form, and will have to br
collected for the first time and at
yr, At labor. SO soon as tn" fret 500
cialist Yearbook is off tn" press an"
editor should begin work on IN" next
one. though the motions herewith
submitted provide only for the first
issue. The prospectus nevertheless is
drawn up In contemplation at series
of annual publications.
Many topics named in tn" prospcC-
tus suggest the names of comrades
who have mad" a special study there
uf, who ar" universally recognized as
thoroughly equipped To- treat IN" sub
jccts referred tn, and who's services,
ii possible. should br secured To pre-
pare the articles thereon for tn" year
book.
The general divisions and subdiyi-
sionS noted in the prospectus ar" of
course tentative. lt"fur" tho book
app, ars tshould il bv undertaken
they will hr subject tu chang. and
change again. IL must also h,' noted
that lack at tim" will MAX" 1t impus-
siblr tn prepare thu copy for ull tn
topics named and wur" they pr, par Il
lack at spac" would prevent Tia lr in
scrtiun i'm the first issue. Also that
subjects not named will hr treated.
both b"Caus" uf their special interest
and as d9ta com" To- light bvior" thr
date at publication.
The treatment at The Socialist m"N'-
mrnt of America and the world should
be- as full as is consistent with the
spaC" allowable. and great pains must
hr taken t. avoid error. An topics
must br dealt with stHtistically &c tn, ir
natur" viii permit IL, and whurv such
| treatment h. not possible us, must Lee
made uT abstracts, dtE,sts and short
articles. The Socialist N,urhuuk
should L." rather for prupauundists
than i'm itself uI "a primary pTupa-
sunda nature Much can hv dom in
! the way ut propaganda however, lN
| headlines (thUugh n,Nrr AT ia" ,N-
prnsv of accuracy tu th' subj cts
| treated, and 10y their iuNtrpusitiun
and complement ana contrast. II
viii lee the editors duty To- spr that
| III" book states facts and records
| events, and that nuthinu shall Iu In
serted therein for thu purpus, al help
| ing aud hmirriug either sid. too parry
| controversies.
! From liWr tu tim, subjects ul Lr.Ht
! though passing interest viii T.uutr,
| tr'ntm, mt IN ,NtruWp, tSurh gS IN,
! silver some years back. hJd 20 So, IU IiSI
! Yearbook hoou published uh,u Ih,
| war with spain, utr.D blhrr maui, rs
! will require extensive treatment lruW