Socialist Readings for Children

New York: The Woman's National Progressive League, 1909. First Edition. Cloth. Edward Scholl. Early indoctrination for the children of Communists, Socialists and leftists in the early 20th century, pre-First World War and pre-Russian Revolution. This copy curiously has the decorative bookplate of E. H. Harriman, one of the most well-known Robber Barons of the Gilded Age. One could certainly understand and even expect a major capitalist reading what might be appealing to his laborers in the spirit knowing the enemy. But we wouldn't expect the capitalist to paste into a book like this, which also was produced cheaply, a decorative bookplate used for his personal library. 8vo. 24 by 18.5 cm. 132 pp. Chapter titles include "The Meaning of May Day", "A Little Talk about Karl Marx", "The Red Flag", "A Little Talk on Evolution", "The Socialist Meeting". How funny is the book's last chapter, "A Short Catechism"? The atheist belief system appropriating the pedagogical tool of Catholicism. The book is quite scarce, we think, for the institutional interest one would think it was have attracted. OCLC First Search lists only seven institutional copies -- of the physical book, that is. In commerce, there are only print-on-demand copies as of the day of this listing. Cover has some rubbing, discoloration and light soiling. Rear board with two small ugly abrasions along edges. Front hinge cracked, first blank leaf loose, with small tear/chip. The leaves, being of a cheap and acidic pulp paper, are heavily age toned and a bit brittle. (Inventory #: 20239)