New-York tribune., 1919-04-28
De s Is TIL cir Hero
Teachers Tell Them Public
School Histories Are all
Wrong; Socialist Songs
Part of the Curriculum

tic United States government has
begun on Investigation of the teach
iags. The District Attorneys offices
IN New Yorh; County and in The
Bronr are cooperating IN indepen-
dent Investigations.
The clergy of the city hare BE-
como aroused to iohat they tern, the
menace Of the teachings, and on Sat
arday members of Plymouth
Chumh, the Beecher church, Brook
lya, receipod Il special appeal for
'ands, Que Of the purposes Of aohich
Is to combat Bolsherist propaganda
p. the Socialist Sunday school.
"Bolsheyiki' Why, sure, we're Boil
shsvisl Aren't you ?"
In surprised tones a small ten year
old hoy with copy of Tho CALI un-
der one arm and THE Socialist Song
Book under the other, thus addressed
Tribune reporter OH the stairway of
the brownsville Labor Lyceum yester.
day
What IS holshevistg 2"
"A helsheVist Is strong Socialist
That's what We ara. Ware little rebels,
and "a are gong ia night the eassas
Aren't We. Mary 2"
MafA, standing neafhf. was d brown
sYsd, intelligent girl ar thirteen. In
~ a. 4
had been attending Sunday school for
four years. and she knew a whole lot
about capitalists and economic verfere
and revolutionary leaders and "ma,
iyrs, like Eugene nebs. Lottie, q littln
Jewish girl, chimed in here and there
~ snow that she knew as much as
Mary.
They called this free country. !"
said lottie, "but when you opened your
mouth 20 speak you found yourself in
lali. Just like that great man, Eugene
pebs'
Eager for New Teachers
We're we socialstic7 Were we going
to teach them7 They were always
changing teachers. They had been
learning a whole lot about Lenine and
Trotzky, saviors of Russia and great
world leaders
Did they read "Thc CALI? Why. Of
course, they did. 1t was their favorte
paper. And. thereupon. the little wise
acres buried themselves behind the
pages of the Socialist organ until it
was time for their Sunday school
classes TO begin
The Brownsville Socialist Sunday
school Is the largest and most flourish
ing institution of It's kind in the city.
It's director is associated with the
Rand School of Social Science. At
least 200 children attend it every Sun
taught to ell but the tiniest tots
Even they, however, join in singing
the various red" songs.
In fact. they appear to have memo
rized them perfectly, although they
have not progressed much beyond the
lispng stage. An extremely inteli-
gent class of children attends these
Sunday schools.
When a Tribune representative com
mented on this to one Of the teachers
he retorted:
They come out of Socialist homes
that's why. They come in contact with
other Influences besides those Of the
church and public school. That's why
they expand more than ordinary chill
dren. We don't repress them in any
way"
The Advanced Class
The most advanced class of the
studying "Workers in American His
tory by James Oneal. Their ages
ranged from eleven to fifteen years.
The contents of the book may be
guessed az from the following extract
taken from the authors introduction:
THE writer may anticipate some
criticism5 that may be made regard
ing what Is said OF Penn, Washing
ton, Hamilton, Madison and other
heroic figures in American history.
Those who profit by the miserable
rnismanagement of society to-day use
the great men of the past as yalu-
able asset in appeals for support OF
Their rule The distorted history
which our schoolbooks present has
also given us sone historical tradi-
tlons that have no basis in fact. To
topple both over and present these
men and these traditions IN their
true perspective is service in be
half OF the sweatcd millions Of to-
day. ln thig connection we may here
quote what Wendell Phillips said Of
Webster, in 1853, as it applies to
this hero worship which is SO much
cultivated by the masters who rule
ave seek only to be honest men,
snd speak the same Of the dead OF
-l'F it'4LE Al tisr avs Si@N i''HS
their bodies could swallow also the
evil they haze done and the example
they leave, we might enjoy at least
the luxury of forgetting them. But
the evil that men do lives after
hem; example acquires tenfold au-
Aority when il speaks from the
grave
Children Discuss the Book
The children alternately read para
graph from tbis book, which frankly
fspnc'ates the testimony Of all the &C
ssp.ed histories in the English Ian
ysagc. They discussed 1t freely, and
ssth the direct conclusions Of the child
Fssaer than the studied logic Of the
sssl., hitched j. 70 immediate histori-
szs happenings With strange results
Their teacher briefly sketchcd for
.sha the history Of feudaIism, the fight
~ TIE yassal for freedom. II was that
.ssy fznt that they were carrying on
e-day against their oppregsors-a fight
"a The pursuit Of happiness, oppor-
s1slty and freedom
"A parallel might we'll be drawn be-
sssea sociai conditions before and after
as American War Of independence
~ social conditions before and after
~ war, said the teacher. In every
f Tor commercial gain some class
xsps1fd at the expense of the working
.asspiny up the analogy. The follow
-. paragraph Was culied from Oneal' n