This school messed with the wrong children. Five girls from what is now a suburb of Cleveland are suspended for wearing Socialist Party buttons to their Royalton Center School. The children’s mother happened to be Hortense Wagenknecht, acting State Secretary of the Ohio Socialist Party, acting for her husband and their father Alfred Wagenknecht, just out of prison for opposing the draft, and about to be a leading figure in the formation of the Left Wing who received the highest for of any candidate nationally in the 1919 N.E.C. elections, meaning had the results not been ignored by the right wing minority, Wagenknecht would have rightly been the Socialist Party’s National Secretary. In September of 1919 he became the first Chair of the Communist Labor Party. The writer of this article being their uncle, Hortense’s brother Elmer T. Allison, editor of the Ohio Socialist and like all three, veteran national figures of the S.P. to be founders of the C.L.P. six months after this.

‘Socialist Party Emblems Barred From Public School’ by Elmer T. Allison from Ohio Socialist. No. 56. February 19, 1919.

Socialists’ Children Denied Access to Public Schools by Kasier-Like Officials. Hand of Persecution Seen in Disgraceful Misconduct of Teacher and County Superintendent, Yawberg.

If you are a Republican your children may wear the emblems of the Republican party to school at Royalton Center, Ohio.

If you are a Democrat your children may also wear to school the emblems of your party.

If you are a Socialist and believe in fair play and equal rights, your children are prohibited from wearing Socialist emblems to school in this district.

This is so because Supt. Tuttle says it is. It is so because his superior, County Supt., Yawberg, wishes it to be so. True, there is no legal justification for this arbitrary decision and rank discrimination against Socialists, but such little things as legality are not allowed to clutter the path of those would-be imitators of the late Kaiser in their determination to persecute Socialists.

For wearing Socialist Party emblems to school the five little girls of Alfred Wagenknecht, State Secretary of the Socialist Party of Ohio, who is now at Chicago undertaking his new duties as Director of Propaganda and Organization of the Socialist Party of the United States, were suspended from the public school of Royalton Center, O., on February 17.

The first cloud that betokened the coming of the storm that broke over the peaceful countryside of Royalton Center, a little village 12 miles from Cleveland, appeared on Friday last week when Supt. Tuttle took from the dress of one of the little girls a Socialist emblem that she had worn continuously for many months. This was followed with a reprimand and a number of impertinent questions concerning family affairs which were put with all the sneering impudence of a country gossip. The girl was forbidden to wear the emblem again to school. At noon a note from the child’s mother was dispatched to Prof. Tuttle containing the information that Socialist emblems were not prohibited by law and that if he wished to learn further of the families’ affairs he should inquire of some grown member. The emblems were continued to be worn.

Is Tuttle Tool of Higher Ups?

This note was the cause of Prof. Tuttle throwing one of those explosive fits that characterize the mentally unbalanced.

In a voice that drew the attention of the entire school on all floors, Prof. Tuttle proceeded to give the girls a lecture during which he let the cat out of the bag to the extent of boasting that the county, state, lawyers and “the judge” were behind him and that the Socialists were of such insignificant numbers as to count for nothing. He boasted that the parents could carry the case higher up but that they could do nothing. No buttons were, however, snatched off on this occasion. Perhaps this opportunity was overlooked. If so the writer wishes to extend the Prof. a standing invitation to attempt the same on the button he wears whenever the Prof. feels an uncontrollable desire to commit any more skull-duggery of that character.

On Monday following the storm broke over the heads of the five little criminals who had the hardihood to stand up loyally for their rights. At noon the Prof. informed the girls they must remove the Socialist buttons from their dresses before they returned to school. No socialist buttons were to be allowed in the school, he said.

Mrs. Hortense Wagenknecht, mother of the children and Acting State Secretary of the Socialist Party of Ohio, told the children that each one must now wear a button as their legal rights were not to be trampled upon. Also the children were to inform the Prof. that if he had any further concern in the matter their uncle, the writer, would be up to see him.

Mr. Tuttle is Touchy.

Five little Socialists, each wearing a red button, was too much for the Berserker temper of Mr. Tuttle. He completely lost a very bad temper at this sight. “I have no time to talk to your uncle,” said Mr. Tuttle, “besides it is too late to do anything. You are all suspended from school. I am going to call up the lawyers and you go home and don’t put your feet inside this school yard with a Socialist button on.” We are wondering if Tuttle also called up the “judge,” whom he apparently imagines is going to rule in favor of his impudent and Kaiser-like tactics? A threat to have the mother jailed and the girls sent to a reform school terminated this interview with Tuttle.

Tuttle Slaps School Board in Face.

Though Mr. Tuttle received his present job from the local school board he has probably forgotten it for it may as well not exist, so far as he is concerned. A visit to Mr. Bert Searles, school board member, brought to light the fact that the board was in ignorance of Mr. Tuttle’s actions. No instructions, he stated, had been given Mr. Tuttle concerning the wearing of Socialist buttons to school. A call upon the clerk of the board, Mr. Dolezl, confirmed this fact. If Mr. Tuttle had expelled the children it had been done without the consent or knowledge of the board, said Dolezl.

These board members are apparently well-to-do farmers, fair-minded and congenial people. They exhibited no bitterness against Socialists as such, but maintain an open mind and would talk to you about Socialism the same as any thing else. The same may be said of the other four teachers. Their conduct has been exemplary. Mr. Dolezl stated that the matter would probably be aired at the regular meeting of the board on the 22nd of the month.

SOURCE OF AUTHORITY REVEALED

At the hour of going to press Supt. Yawberg was gotten on the phone, when asked by what authority Socialist’s children were discriminated against in the wearing of political emblems, he said first, Mr. Tuttle and secondly himself.

Discipline of the school he said had been interfere with on, account of the wearing of the buttons because of the prejudice against Socialism and Socialists. This was the first intimation of such alleged interference that has been made.

In reply to a question if he would prohibit a democrat’s child wearing that party’s emblem if it was in an unpopular minority, Supt. Yawberg said “No we would find a way to adjust matters.” Supt. Yawberg stated at this time that unless the children were in school the following day the parents would find themselves before the juvenile court.

Is this entering wedge of persecution?

All indications point that this arbitrary, illegal action of these officials is but the entering wedge that is to act as a means of Socialist persecution. If this is so, the Socialist party will pick up the gauntlet that has been cast before it. No persecution’s of Socialist’s children in the public schools of this state are to be tolerated. Our children have equal rights with others. These rights will be held against any interference on the part of petty politicians and shyster professors.

The entire mater bears the earmarks of a frame-up. Other higher up are using Tuttle and Yawberg as catspaws with which to pull chestnuts from the fire. The expected connivance of the local school board with their schemes for hounding Socialists and persecuting their children will not materialize. These farmer school board members are not concerned with the schemes of those who are at the bottom of this ugly and petty persecution, nor will they allow themselves to be used as tools of oppression.

DISGRACE A NOBLE PROFESSION

Prof. Tuttle and Supt. Yawberg have disgraced the noblest profession to which one can be called. They have set an example before the children of this school that is unsurpassed for intolerance, lack of fair play, and have outraged every sense of justice that lies in the bosom of every normal man and woman. They may be either autocrats or “tools” of higher ups. Their actions bear evidence that they are a combination of both.

And because of these five Socialist children are suspended from school until such time as they and their parents will knuckle down and bow the knee to as rare a pair as ever dishonored a state’s educational institutions.

***

‘Socialists Win Equal Rights’ from The Ohio Socialist. No. 57. February 26, 1919.

A signal victory for Socialists’ children was the result of a meeting hastily called by County Supt. of Schools Yawberg at Royalton Center, O., on Friday of last week. As related in last week’s Ohio Socialist, the children of Acting State Secretary H. Wagenknecht were suspended from school on Mr. Yawberg’s orders for persistently wearing Socialist Party emblems to school.

Although Supt. Yanberg threatened to bring the parents into court if the children were not immediately sent to school minus the emblems, he saw fit to call a public meeting at the schoolhouse instead. About fifteen heads of families were present. The meeting opened with an apology to Mrs. Wagenknecht from Principal Tuttle for his impertinent questions regarding family affairs. Teachers and patrons were questioned regarding the breaking of the discipline of the school and an attempt made to prove that a continued wearing of the pins would have proved disastrous, though they were compelled to admit that no pupil so far had been disciplined by the teachers on account of the buttons. No teacher had been compelled to speak to the school regarding the matter.

While professing only a desire to maintain the discipline of the school Supt. Yawberg exhibited an attitude throughout the meeting calculated to keep aroused the antipathy of those present and to uphold the prohibition of the buttons. By several “patriotic” flights of speech and by refusing to use his influence to conciliate the two factions and thus send the Socialists away scorned and repulsed he showed his animosity to the Socialists.

In this matter, however, he was completely outwitted. He at one time called for a hand-raising vote as to whether the buttons were to be allowed.

Though the vote was unanimous against the emblems, the Socialists stated that the vote was without effect. That we would continue to stand our ground against discrimination and unfairness was made plain.

We emphatically protested against the attitude of the superintendent in egging on the opposition to greater absurdity instead of adopting an attitude more conciliatory. We declared that we wouldn’t allow a precedent to be established here that would in all probability be used in other districts to persecute and discriminate against Socialists’ children. We declared that our objections were not based upon a right to wear the emblem as such, but was solely against persecution and discrimination. Equal rights privileges for all children, we declared, was the basis of our fight.

When at last the ground was dug from under Supt. Yawberg and the school patrons won to a better understanding of us and a more tolerant attitude, Mr. Brunner, who had evidenced a broad mindedness in the affair, proposed as a basis of settlement that all political emblems be barred from the school grounds.

This proposition was perfectly satisfactory to the Socialists as it was equal in application to all.

An amicable settlement was quickly made and all present, with possibly the exception of Supt. Yawberg, seemed satisfied.

We are quite certain that in future Supt. Yawberg will look before he leaps into a Socialist fire.

The Ohio Socialist, published by the Left Wing-dominated Socialist Party of Ohio in Cleveland from January, 1917 to November, 1919. It was edited by Alfred Wagenknecht Wagenknecht spent most of 1918 in jail for “violation of the Conscription Act.” The paper grew from a monthly to a semi-monthly and then to a weekly in July, 1918 and eventually a press run of over 20,000. The Ohio Socialist Party’s endorsement of the Left Wing Manifesto led to it suspension at the undemocratic, packed Socialist Party Convention in 1919. As a recognized voice of the Left Wing, the paper carried the odd geographical subheading, “Official Organ of the Socialist Parties of Ohio and Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia and New Mexico” by 1919’s start. In November of that year the paper changed to the “labor organ” of the Communist Labor Party and its offices moved to New York City and its name changed to The Toiler, a precursor to the Daily Worker. There the paper was edited by James P. Cannon for a time.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/ohio-socialist/056-feb-19-1919-ohio-soc.pdf