Mores news of 1913’s summer of activities by a busy Y.P.S.L. branch in a vibrant upstate New York Socialist Party local.

‘The Young People and Socialist Movement in Rochester’ by Kendrick P. Shedd from Buffalo Socialist. Vol 2 No. 54. June 14, 1913.

Rochester Letter Telling of the Activities of the Y.P.S.L. and the Movement in General–Young People to Put On a New Play.

Is there to be no end of letters from the Flower City? Why not give some other place a chance? Do we imagine that Rochester is the only burg on the map? Aren’t we just a little bit conceited? What’s the matter with us anyhow!

To all of which we make no reply. We just forward another letter and let the questions remain unanswered.

When we write from here we write about the Young People, of course. Not that there are no old people here, for we have some of those, too, and we are fond of them as long as they behave themselves. But we are just naturally interested in the kids, younger and older, and can’t help it. See! So we I write about them, for it is a lot more interesting to write about what you especially like.

The Young People and the Local.

I was talking with Comrade Schmidt the other day. He is one of the old-timers who stays young. He is the Assistant Organizer of our Local, the First Assistant Superintendent of the Sunday School, and general Pack-horse-in-chief of the movement in Rochester. But you will be around here a long time before you hear anything about the doings of Schmidt from his modest lips. He is one of the most self-effacing men I ever met. He works all the time and gets others to work, and whether he ever gets any credit for his work or not does not matter to him one whit. Quite a Comrade, don’t you think so!

Our Debates.

In our last letter you read something about some Intro-League Debates, which we are holding. About two weeks ago we had one of them, and it was a “hummer” (Hummer” is the German for “lobster,” but we aren’t talking German now!) The subject was: Resolved that Socialism will benefit humanity more than Capitalism has or can. There were four debaters on each side, all of whom believed firmly in Socialism, hence it is plain that half of them were talking contrary to their own convictions. And that’s where the fun came in. With the most serious faces they stood up there before the big audience and trotted out the foolish arguments (if such they may be called) of Davie Goldstein and Petie Collins, and as each point was made against Socialism, the speakers were applauded to the echo. It was really as funny as a mud-turtle trying to get over on to his belly again. The debaters were all from our League membership, four women and four men, or as I like best to call them, four boys and four girls. They all did magnificently. I won’t take the space. to name them, except the two whom the judges decided upon as those who had done the best debating on the two sides, namely Bertha Vossler for the Affirmative, and Morris Weis for the Negative. The judges also decided that on the whole the affirmative had best succeed. ed in. maintaining its position.

That debate served as a real stimulus to our young people, so that many of them are now willing to enter the lists. We are to have another debate one week from tonight (the eleventh of June). The question at issue this time is to be: Resolved that the advent of woman suffrage will retard the coming of Socialism. It is a good question with two real sides to it, and another bunch of our enthusiasts are working hard to get it ready. We’ll tell you about it later.

Socialism and Safety Razors.

You might think, at first blush, that there is no connection between these things, but there is. Only a day or two ago we had the pleasure of getting acquainted with two young Comrades from New York, who were on their way to the Pacific coast. They entered our town with about ten cents and a grip full of safety razors. They are husky fellows and have stomachs, and consequently have to eat every now and then. They also are forced to sleep every little while. In order to be able to accomplish these very commendable and necessary things it is necessary for them to sell safety razors.

Now, unfortunately the beard of the man-animal has a way of growing, and must be mowed or the owner would get lost in the bushes, so to speak. So these two young comrades are taking advantage of that fact. They sell all the razors they can at a dollar a piece and throw in soap and brush for good measure. Many of the Comrades buy, and surely get the worth of their money. This makes it possible for our two New Yorkers to go on to the next place. It’s great “beezness.” They have a splendid opportunity of studying the movement at all points as they proceed westward. I envy these two chaps their trip and their most valuable experience. What a bunch of memories they will have at the end of their long trip. All success to Comrades Tuvin and Rubin. If you see them anywhere take them by the hand and say that magic word “Comrade.” It will help them on their way.

Swain Again.

Since our last letter we have heard Charles Swain again, this time on “The Five Pillars of the Socialist Movement.” It was fine. We recommend him and this lecture to the Comrades all over. They ought to hear it. Swaim has the goods. He’s a Rochester man, and we have a slogan here that “Rochester made means quality.” I am not sure that Swaim was Rochester made, but I am sure that he understands Socialism and the Socialist Movement from A to Z, and then some. Just ask him to tell you the difference between Socialism and the Socialist Movement. You’ll know after he is done with you. You will also understand the difference between direct and indirect action.

The New Play.

We are about to put on a new play, entitled “The Soapboxer.” It consists of three acts, and will take something like an hour and a quarter to play. It is a Socialist play through and through, and does not pretend to be otherwise. The world of Socialism (or as Swaim would have us say, possibly, the Socialist Movement) is rich with possibilities along the line of good play-material.

This is a good play. I ought to know. I wrote it myself! Do you think I would be so foolish as to write a bad play, when these is so much good stuff in the world? Well, not so that you could notice it. Our play is to be presented on the 27th of the present month. There will be about a dozen actors in the cast, all, of course, from among our own League membership. When we want to see others play we can go to a vaudeville show somewhere also. See!

The Sunday School Festival.

On the 28th of this month our school is to hold what we are calling a June Festival. The word Festival may suggest “eats” very strongly, but that is not the purpose of ours, after all. We are to have a final program for the year. We close our school in July and Aug, and reopen in September. So at the close of June, what more natural than to have a good program for the benefit of the work? It will consist of songs, dances, recitations, and a few short playettes, if we may call them so. If you feel the need of exercise on that day, why, just take a walk down (or) up) to Rochester, and we’ll let you in for nothing. Just tell the Comrade at the door that you are from Pumpkin Hook (or wherever else it may be) and it will be O.K. Try it. The Kiddies will be glad to see you. You can reckon on that.

Last Sunday we had a Comrade from New York, by the name of Boyd, who seemed to enjoy himself among us very much, and I am certain that we enjoyed him. He told a story to the children, which was well received. Let him come again soon, and while he is about it, let him bring his friends and relatives with him. There’s room for them all. We have a roomy meeting place.

The Buffalo Socialist was a weekly published in Buffalo New York by the Buffalo Socialist Publishing Company from 1911-1915 and aligned with the Socialist Party of America. Edited by Max Sherover, the company also produced a weekly women’s newspaper, New Age, from 1915.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/buffalo-socialist/v2n54-jun-14-1913-Buf-Soc1.pdf