The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1914-02-05
LOCAL MOUNTAIN VIEW
Open Letter 10 the Membership OF the
Socialist Party state Of
Washington.

Comrades: Considering the inn
mense Importance of the public
schools in relation to the class strug'
gle and our cause, local Mountain
View hereby submit 60 the member
ship throughout the state n PROPOSE
ton for the adoption of n clear, well
defined and up-to.date school program
In our state platform.
We presume that other comrades
with us have felt the detrimental and
demoralizing effect in our party activ-
ity resulting from the present dissent
ing and choatic views taken and held
by the individual members of the party
pertaining to schools and the whole
system of education.
Socialists favor vocational training
but some oppose It. Socialists fav
or medical and dental inspection and
treatment of all children in the public
schools-but some oppose 1t. Social
lists favor warm meals for the chill
dren in order to promote their ply
steal well-being and increase their
capability for learning-but some OPP
pose it. Socialists favor free school
material and text books-but some OPP
pose it. Socialists favor domestic
science-but some oppose it as reac-
tionary. Socialists favor consolida-
ton of districts and the graded school
but some prefer the little red school
house of our grandfathers-and so on
all along the line.
We fully appreciate the step taken
by our comrades in charge of our state
organization in forming "the Socialist
educational bureau" but we hold that
a well defined school program embody-
ing the Socialist attitude towards pub
lie education and the class interest of
the workers, together with an intel
ligent and united membership in re-
gard to school questions and united
membership in regard to school ques-
lions throughout the state-will be re.
quired to form the basis for this bu-
reau, that it may fill its place and ac-
company its so extremely important
function as a party institution. And
as we also hold that the public school
as an institution is essentially Social
list in its nature, reaching out over the
chasm of present class society into
the commonwealth for which we are
all striving, we believe stronger eff
fort should be made to meet and over
come the scheme of the capitalist ere
formers" to reduce the schools to
mere factories for producing meek
and submissive wage slaves for the
master class, and to build up an edu-
cational system that can insure the de-
velopment of an intelligent young gen.
GRAFTON capable of filling its place in
the coming society.
AS our present state platform con-
tains no school program, but simply
mentions the school in connection
with demand for social centers," a
vague middle class reform" express
sion-we will suggest that the secre-
tary of the Socialist educational bu
reau draft a school program to be pre-
scented to the Socialist teachers at
their institute or otherwise for them
to discuss and adopt with such altera-
lions as they see fit, that this school
program be published in our party
press in this state to give the entire
of the state an opportun-
ity to criticize and discuss the propo-
sition, and the secretary of the Social
list educational bureau to introduce it
as adopted by the teachers in the next
state convention for this body to act
upon with the view of having it adopt
ed in our party platform.
We believe this would be appre-
ciated by the comrades throughout
the state, and a step towards clearer
and more united stand in the class
struggle, and the building up of the
Socialist commonwealth.
Meeting held January IS, 1914.
MRS. PETRA LARSEN,
Chairman. |