The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-05-26
YOUTHS LEARN TREASON
IN SOCIALIST SCHOOLS

New York Tribune: Bolshevik?
Why. sure. We're bolsheviki- Aren
tyou?"
In surprised tones small ten year
old boy with a copy of The Calf'
under one arm and The Socia list
addressed Tribune reporter on the
stairway of the Brownsville Labor
Lyceum yesterday.
What is bolshevist?"
a bolshevist is a strong socialist.
That's what we are. We're little
rebels. and we are going TO fight the
classes. Aren't we, Nary"
Mary. standing nearby, was a
! hrown-eyed, intelligent girl OF thir-
teen. Immediately she grew discur-
sive. She had been attending Sun
day school for four years, and she
knew a whole lot about capitalists
land economic warfare and revolu-
tionary leaders and martyrs" like
Eugene Debs. Lottie. little Jewish
girl, chimed in here and there to
show that she knew as much as
Mary.
They called this free country"
said Lottie, ''but when you opened
!your mouth to speak you found your
iself in jail Just like that great man
Eugene Debs.'
Were we socialistic? Were we going
TO teach them? They were always
changing teachers. They had been
learning a whole lot about Lenine and
Trotsky, saviors of Russia and great
world leaders.
Did they read 'sThe Calf" Why, OF
course, they did. 1t was their favorite
lraper. And, thereupon. the little wise
Iacres buried themselves behind the
pages of the socialist organ until it
was time for the Sunday school
classes to begin.
! The Brownsville socialist Sunday
school is the largest and most flour
fishing institution of its kind in the
city. Its director is associated with
the Rand School of Social Science At
least 200 children attend it every
Sunday morning, and straight social
ism is taught to all 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
Gsping stage. An extremely intelli-
Igcnt class of children attends these
Sunday schools.
When a Tribune representative
commented 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
irv-o ~
children. We don't repress them in
lany way"
The most advanced class of the
brownsville school was yesterday
Is.udying Workers in American His
TORY by James Oneal. Their ages
ranged from IL to Is years. The con
tents of the book may be guessed at
from the following extract taken from
the authors introduction:
| THE writer may anticipate some
criticisms that may be made regard
ing what is said OF Penn, Washing
item, Hamilton, Madison and other
heroic figures in American history.
Those who profit by the miserable
nismanagemento of society today use
the great men Of the past as a valu.
able asset in appeals for support OF
their rule. The distorted history
which our school books present has
also given us some historical tradi-
sions that have no basis in fact. To
topple both over and present these
men and these traditions in their
| true perspective in a service In be-
half of the sweated millions of today.
In this 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
lby the masters who rule:
I'VE seek only TO be honest men,
and speak the same of the dead as of
the living. If the graves that hide their