The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915, 1915-06-17
SOCIALISM FOR THE CHILD
by Mia TUPPER MAYNARD


suggestions be sent in answer to n
mothers question, How explain So
cialism to q boy of 1877"
Evidently the mothers have not
found II an easy question to answer,
as there has been no response.
No doubt there Is no royal road to
the learning of Socialism any more
than any other branch of education.
1t is the atmosphere of the home in
terests, the repeated references to and
application of Socialist principles
which will prepare the children of So
cialists to be intelligent members of
the great social army when they are
older, but the subject is well worth
the careful thought Of parents.
We want the best for our children,
and what is better than the conscious
ness of great cause waiting for their
service and of mighty comradeship
of which they may be loyal members
even as children?
Human nature delights In the chal-
lenge of the heroic and noble in his
toric crises, and youth hears the chal-
lenge with ears more sentitive and
with quicker heartbeat than maturity
They cannot be given too early the in.
SEPARATION of Socialist purpose and unit
ed fervor.
The schools drill systematically in
patriotism. Instead of America against
the world give the thought of America
as one of the many nations, each with
a mission for all the. world. Instead OF
the flag as fetish, teach the ideals
of freedom and equality for which II
is supposed to stand, and the great
task which remains before such ideals
are realized.
When war heroics catch the child's
fancy, teach the class war; that Is the
one and only warfare that now has
anything but murderous meaning for
humanity.
If the child could only be given a
sense of the class struggle in all Its
majestic meaning and mission!
And why not? AS soon as children
are old enough to understand anything
of history they can be shown the pro-
gress of humanity up through family
tribes and nations, through warning
bands and classes till the petty divi-
sions have all been merged in one-the
great class cleavage between the tool
owners and the tool users Show them
that no struggle in all the ages can
compare with this, for at last victory
is possible which will unite the inter-
ests OF all mankind. If the workers
win in their last vast, splendid strug-
gle they will make the saddest evils
of all time forever impossible.
WARFARE. POVERTY, SERvILE
DEPENDENCE, HAMPERED OP-
PORTUNITY-ALL THESE THINGS
EXIST BECAUSE THE WORKERS
OF THE WORLD HAVE NOT SEEN
THAT 1T RESTS WITH THEM TO
FREE THE WORLD.
The workers have the power to gain
whatsoever they will. They can say,
if they will, there shall be in all the
world no man who works that another
man may be idle, and no man who is
idle because he cannot work.
When the workers, united, decree
work FOR ALL, PROFITS FOR
NONE" the vast network of wretched-
ness, slavery, tyranny and crime which
now curses mankind will drop away
like the needless nightmare that they
are.
Cannot the child be given the splen-
did horizon of such a faith?
Surely it can.
There need be in it no bitterness or
passion against the enemy" in the
class war. The capitalists are only
Inflated in being born or trained in
the wrong side of this best of all
struggles.
Children are full of enthusiasm,
ideals and ardor. Let it all be turned
into the sweeping, swelling current
that is now bearing society into new
seas of economic freedom and result
ing human happiness and achieve
ment.