t, 1901:

"When the gods are dead to rise no more, man will begin to live.
After the end of the gods, when there is nothing else to which we
may turn, nothing left outside of ourselves, we shall turn to one
another for fellowship, and behold! the heart of all worship is
exposed and we have omnipotence in our hands....

"There will be no more priests, no rulers, no judges, when
fellowship comes and the gods are gone. And when there are neither
priests, nor rulers, nor judges, there will be no evil on earth,
nor none called good, to stand over against others called evil."

John Spargo, a former Socialist of considerable renown in the United
States, and until recently very popular with the party, speaking of
education in "Socialism, A Summary and Interpretation of Socialist
Principles," touches upon the question of parochial schools in the
Marxian commonwealth:

"Whether the Socialist regime could tolerate the existence of
elementary schools other than its own, such as privately conducted
kindergartens and schools, religious schools, and so on, is
questionable. Probably not. It would probably not content itself
with refusing to permit religious doctrines or ideas to be taught
in its schools, but would go farther, and as the natural protector
of the child, guard its independence of thought in later life as
far as possible by forbidding religious teaching of any kind in
schools for children up to a certain age....

"This restriction of religious education to the years of judgment
and discretion implies no hostility to religion on the part of the
state, but neutrality[16]." ["Socialism, A Summary and
Interpretaion[17] of Socialist Principles," by John Spargo, page
238 of 1906 edition.]

"The Call" does not fail to publish among its many poems those that are
violently anti-religious. In confirmation of this we shall transcribe
several, all of which furnish excellent proofs of the existence of the
conspiracy against religion. The first poem that will be quoted appeared
in the November 19, 1911, edition, and reads as follows:

"When all the choric peal shall end;
That through the fanes hath rung;
When the long lauds no more ascend
From man's adoring tongue;
When overwhelmed are altar, priest and creed;
When all the faiths have passed;
Perhaps from darkening incense freed,