“I never did and never will advocate the vicious, horrible and bloodthirsty ideas of the Anarchists, that made it so hard to argue the Socialistic question before the people,” concluded the Professor, in evident disgust; “and I again repeat that I never will attend another meeting where such ideas are advocated.”
As the speaker took his seat, he was warmly cheered by a number present, but there was a loud murmur of dissent from the rear of the room, where Mrs. Parsons sat surrounded by her friends.
The most conspicuous feature of the propaganda of the Internationale in Chicago to-day is the Sunday school movement. There are now four of these schools in successful and established operation, and a number of others are fairly started.
AN ANARCHIST “SUNDAY SCHOOL.” Teaching Unbelief and Lawlessness.
The first was opened in the spring of 1888, at Lake View, by the “Socialistic Turn-Verein.” The second was begun in August, 1888, at Jefferson, by the Turn-Verein “Fortschritt.” The third was commenced in September, at “Thalia Hall,” by the “Arbeiter Bildungs-Verein” of the Northwest Side, and the fourth was started at 58 Clybourn Avenue, by the “Arbeiter Bildungs-Verein” of the North Side. The school at Lake View is frequented by about 190 children; the school of the Turn-Verein “Fortschritt” has from forty to fifty pupils; the school of the Northwest Side was visited on Sunday, December 9, 1888, by 230 children, and this Verein will have to rent another hall, as the present one is not large enough to accommodate all the pupils. The North Side school was attended by about 100 children on the same day. All schools are under the supervision of the one organized on December 9, 1888, at Aurora Turn Hall. The main mission of this school is the organization of others. It can easily be seen that the schools now established are prospering, because the number of pupils is increasing from day to day. The schools are of Socialistic and Anarchistic origin. Nothing is taught relating to dynamite or bombs. The German language is used in all the schools, and all the ordinary branches of education are embraced in the curriculum, but underneath and above all is the spirit of contempt for law and religion. The children are instructed that religion is nothing but a humbug; that there exists no God and no devil, no heaven and no hell, and that Christianity is only a preventive system adopted by the capitalists to rule the working people and keep them under. After this they are to be taught the spirit of revolution. In all, the main point is agitation for Socialism and Anarchy.
As showing the spirit of the Anarchist Sunday schools, I append the following appeal for Christmas presents from the Arbeiter-Zeitung of December 7, 1888. It seems to me that it leaves very little to be said, except perhaps to point out that 58 Clybourn Avenue is a low-class groggery, and that it was in the very room in which the school is held that the Anarchists who were to carry out Engel’s plan on the 4th of May, 1886, secured their supplies of dynamite and bombs:
Christmas Presents for the Scholars of the Sunday School of the North Side.