Posted on 05/25/2015 12:54:48 PM PDT by ProgressingAmerica
Dublin, N.H., July 14, 1905.
To the Editor of Harper's Weekly
Sir, - I observe in a recent number of your valuable journal an expression of surprise that my name should be united with others in the formation of an "Intercollegiate Socialist School" which "aims to imbue the minds of the rising generation with socialistic doctrines." This last phrase is your own, for I at least am connected with no organization for the purpose you here state. As to the names with which mine is united I am not concerned; as Theodore Parker used to say "I am not particular with whom I unite in a good action." As to the object in view it is clearly enough stated in the call itself: the movement does not aim to produce socialists, but to create students of socialism.
It is based on the obvious fact that we are more and more surrounded by institutions, such as free schools, free text books, free libraries, free bridges, free water-supplies, free lecture courses, even free universities, which were all called socialistic when first proposed, and which so able a man as Herbert Spencer denounced as socialism to his dying day. Every day makes it more important that this tendency should be studied seriously and thoughtfully, not left to demagogues alone. For this purpose our foremost universities should take the matter up scientifically, as has been done for several years at Harvard University, where there is a full course on "Methods of Social Reform - Socialism, Communism, the Single Tax." etc., given by Professor T.N. Carver. This is precisely what the "Intercollegiate Socialist School" aims at; and those who seriously criticise this object must be classed, I fear, with those medieval grammarians who wrote of an adversary "May God confound thee for thy theory of irregular verbs!"
I am, sir,
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
The ISS which was a student organization became the LID which appealed to socialists throughout society.
Later a student group split off from LID: SLID. This ultimately became the SDS.
Meanwhile LID is still around, but parts of it combined with the Socialist Party to become SDUSA a "social democratic" organization.
Although LID did some good things like support the Solidarity movement in Poland this seems more in support of trade unions and in keeping with the American trade union tradition of strong opposition to communism.
The really interesting thing is that neoconservatives played a major role in LID and even SDUSA. This may explain why neocons are right with regard to communism, but wrong with regard to pretty much everything else.
But at what cost? Increased tyranny and decreased economic progress
Thanks for the BEEP!
Their lineage that goes from ISS to LID to SDS is a most fascinating thing and its why I keep going back to them.
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