The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915, 1915-05-27
STUDY OF 81 SOCIALIST SOCIALIST
CLASSES NEED OF
PRESENT HOUR

We publish herewith two communica-
lions from a member In good standing
of Local Republic. They are worth
reading, They are not printed In
these columns Just to let "Tamarack"
make a foolish exhibition of himself,
but as a solemn lesson TO comrades
who are tempted to fly off on tan.
gent because of their willful ignorance
of the very first principles of MARKHAM
economies. "''yL
"Proletaria Bill'' has done as much
as any man In Washington TO empha.
size the necessity for study of SO.
cialist economics and Socialist philo.
sophy on the part of our membership.
He has urged comrades to study at
least a few of our accredited Socialist
pamphlets, or books, dealing with fun
damental principles, Only last week
this comrade wisely said that the
questions which every Socialist must
study from authoritative generally ac-
cepted) Socialist writer's are these:
What determines history and poll
tics?
What determines money?
What determines value?
"Tamarack" Bowman, utterly ignor-
ant of the contents of even Marks lit
tie ten-cent treatise on value, Price
and Profit" with absolutely no ac-
quaintance with sound Socialist liter
ature or economics, roundly abuses
the editor of this paper for merely re-
stating a principle of political econo-
my accepted by all Socialist scholars,
of whatever school of thought or tao
tics. Only some lickspittle of the old
school would, or does, attempt to re-
refute Marks theory of value.
Such incidents as this "Tamarack"
display of temper and nescience gives
rise to the question of as to whether
or not man or woman should be
given vote on our party affairs be-
fore giving proof of at least superb
cial acquaintance with the smaller So
cialist classics; such as the work of
Marx mentioned above, also his little
scent pamphlet, "Wage-Labor and
Capital" to these should be added,
Engels' Socialism. Utopian and Sci
entific." the Communist Manifesto"
and Mary Marcy's SHOP Talks on Ec-
onomics." We wish here to mention
particularly, the 10-cent pamphlet,
Scientific Socialism Study Course"
published by Local Puyallup, for sale
by State Secretary Catterfeld, or by
this paper.
One is almost led 20 believe that
each applicant for a red card in our
party should be obliged to pass sort
of civil service" examination in at
least a few little Socialist classics be-
fore being given a full voice and vote
in the management Of party affairs.
We do not advise this, off-hand, but
feel that some sort of limitation
should be put upon the granting Of
important-yea, vital!--powers to
men or women wholly ignorant of
sound Socialist literature. OF course,
the organization always has the pro-
lection that comes from the small
number of such anti-Marxists within
our ranks. Nevertheless, the urgent
need of some provision looking to the
better education of would-be Socialists
in at least the basic principles of So
cialist economics stands out more
strongly in the light of Bowman's self
revelation.
We would be glad to get express
sions of opinion along this aspect of
our party work. Meanwhile, every red
card man or woman should realize
that it is his or her bounden duty to
read at least the few fundamental
works herein mentioned-or their
equivalents.