The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-05-14

Thousands of books appear an
nually, but they have no message
they bear no torch-they are simply
the slaves of customers. The books
published are handled by the trade;
they are regarded as harmless The
pulpit does not object; the young
person can. read. the. n,onotonous
pages without blush--or thought.
On the title pages of these books
you will find the imprint Of tn.
great publishers--on the rest OF the
pages, nothing. These books might i
be prescribed for insomnia"
Ingersof.
| Not so, this new book, just at hand,
''The Russian Workers Republic"
by H. N. Brailsford, published by
Harper's Bros. N. Y. Here is sane
book, a brave book. An inspiring
book--a book worth the while. In
this wide world of physical facts
and social fictions the hungry hearts
do vastly and sadly outnun1ber the
hungry mouths. To feed the mind is
as essential as to feed, clothe and
house the body. Brailsford's book is
a mental tonic, bracing and invigor-
ating,-let us share our pleasure with
the many thousands of "Toiler"
readers.
KINDNESS AND COURTESY.
The author spent two months in
the autumn of 1920 in Red. Russia.
He wasn't arrested, jailed or hit by
a "Plug Ugly" his travelling was
less uneventful and less uncomfort-
able than he found it in Poland,
Austria, and Germany the year be-
fore. He "met invariably with kind
ness and courtesy and made many
acquaintance, who represented every
phase Of opinion"
He didn't spend all his time hob
nobing with the big Reds; he gave
many of them the go-bye, and hiked
through the working class districts
and peasant villages, and saw, talk
ed, and broke bread with real Rus.
: sia,-the workers, peasants and sol
! diers who have played such brave
) part in the greatest Of world dramas
, the Proletariat Revolution. What
, greater honor can come to a mar
than to associate with the plain folk
who made and continue to defent
5 their revolution. 4
" VLADIMIR.
, Vladimir is in the country, quaint
curious, and $50 interesting" thai
he remained for two weeks" Hs
5 learned more about Russia in twt
$ weeks than in the other six of course
: To be sublime, keep close to thu
6 grass. Ethel Snowden when in Rus
sia, was surprised at not finding
God; Brailsford believed with Tol
e stoy that "where love is there Coo
e is ALSO" In the ancient little tow
n of Vladimir, he found real men ant
women, the flesh, blood and soul O
y the present day Red Russia. On tn
;, edge of forest vast cotton fac
e tory had been built. Before the re
volution, 10000 employees were KEEP
. busy making cotton garments. Th
cheapness and abundance Of labo
II were the attractions that had draw
t capital to this place. No trade union
: were tolerated before the revolu
i ton. Vast barracks dimly lighted ant
. not over clean in fact filthy,--r form
of association for education or re
e creation were allowed. These human
e were mere "tools," machines" VIII
y ground out profits for the owners o
the mill. "The will Of one irrespon
. sible man backed by State, Church
/ and police had ruled the lives Of thi
IS community. In servitude and degra
4 dation it had made wealth for strang
:. ers." The Bolshevik revolution Q
Nov. 1917 changed all this. TIL
company which had owned Sobink
IS vanished like a fiction. The big bos
J. fled to some haunt Of exiles. TIL
= workers government, with its re
guards, stood now behind the work
ers. Here in this lonely clearing !
le the forest the herd Of workers bt
W came self-governing communit!
II made plans. II acquired a colles
:, tive will. AS the new manager
= former artizan) and his expert head
y OF departments recounted its histor,
% the positive meaning Of the revolt
b ltion was made clear to Brailsfor'
4, | The belief is well nigh UNIVERSAL
!" thunks to our bourgeois slave educl
y tion-that the workers are incspah
1t Of governing themselves, Of conduc
ing their own affairs. Revolutional
socialists have always declared thI
H. What party has ever sent II