The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-21

exchanged swift glanceS.
The boy spoke louder:
The memory of the assassination
of our Comrade Gutierrez by the
present leaders of the government
is too fresh and painful in our hearts
to let US be so easily soothed by a
silver loving cup"
The minister rose to protest, ex-
claiming What is this!" A child
began to cry, and the mother took
it outside. One of the agrarians said:
Let the boy speak. We are all peo-
pie"
The Minister sat down. The room
was quiet again. The boy went on
talking, in a calmer voice:
Tomorrow morning | return to
San Pedro with my comrades. I
have studied here for two years. At
the governments cost? No. Comrade
Gutierrez taught us that it is the
workers and peasants who bear the
burden of these institutions
The minister started to protest
again. but he only whispered very
angrily to the head of the experts:
"Your surprises!"
Il shall teach our agraria S and
those of other pueblos."
Outside it began to rain. and a
slight wind started up. Rafael be-
gan shouting in strained voice:
They shall know what a fraud
the education of this so-caIled reyo-
lutiorary government is. have essen
it The director of state education
who seduces the schoolteachers. then
fires them. The synthetic inspector
who barely knows how to sign his
name. Your experts! They do moth
ing up to a couple Of days before
the arrival of the minister. Then the
social worker cleans out somebody's
kitchen; the professor of small in
dustries begins canning and picking
everything he can get hold of; the
agricultural engineer tears up the
red clay of the plaza and buries a
few flower pots. II is thus that you
tear up our hearts,
He was shouting wildly. His voice
had sad, broken sound.
And the President of the Republic.
He also is our friend even in our
struggles against the Church and
Yankee imperialism. So they say.
But he sends his two sons to Cath
oils college in the United States
Here an old agrarian shouted from
the extreme rear of the room:
And they are taking our lands
from us! Our crops bring us moth
ing! The youngsters are running
away looking for work which is not
to be found"
The minister was furious. He
jumped up to protest to the NUM-
cipal authorities. But it was raining
very hard now, and cold wind had
commenced to blow. The people
first of all, the women with their
bundles of children-instinctiv abb
andoned the room and hurried to
their homes before the storm might
catch them. The head of the experts
had the gasoline lamp taken down
to light the minister's way to his
room. The agrarians went to their
quarters across the plaza. The boy
W sawith them.
In a little while the wind died
down. But 1t rained harder than
ever. 1t splashed down on the red
clay Of the plaaz. No one remained
in the schoolroom. 1t was very dark
there. The doors had been left open
on all sides, and the rain soaked
everything. even the sign scrubbed
In chalk on the blackboard: 1.-THE
teacher comes to bring only light,
| only loce."
1t rained hard all night. The min
lister wept in the arms OF the pale
youth who had come with him from
the city.
Pafore dawn, the agrarianS to-
get,-cr via Ref7cl, ect OFT on tier
horses for San Pedro. which was