"Why, of course not. Who said they did?"
"But they are Socialists!"
And the other put down his work and laughed heartily. "Where did you
pick that up?" he asked.
"Why," stammered the boy, "I've read everywhere that Socialists
believe in free love!"
"Wait till you get well going in this reform of yours!" laughed the
young lawyer, "and then see what you read about yourself!"
"But," gasped Samuel, aghast, "don't Socialists believe in free love?"
"Some of them do, I suppose," was the reply. "I know one who believes
in ghosts, and one who believes in the Pope, and one who believes in
Adam and Eve. How can I help what they believe?"
There was a pause. "You see," explained Everley, "we are a political
party; and we can't keep anybody from joining us who wants to. And
because we are an advanced party, all sorts of wild people come to us.
How can we help that?"
"But," exclaimed Samuel, "you are against religion!"
"We have nothing to do with religion," replied the other. "I told you
we are a political party. Some of us have found it necessary to leave
the capitalist churches--but you will hardly blame us for that!"
"N-no," admitted the boy; then he added, "But don't you want to
destroy the Government?"
"On the contrary, we want to strengthen it. But first we have to get
it away from the capitalists."
"Then, what DO you believe?" asked Samuel in perplexity.
Pages:
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235