John Dewey served as President of the League for Industrial Democracy

Robert Rothman collection of John Dewey, 1935-1959 | Manuscripts

Biographical Note
John Dewey was born on October 20, 1859 in Burlington, Vermont and graduated in 1879 from The University of Vermont. Although he taught and remained primarily at Columbia University, he also taught or lectured at the University of Chicago, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of California, Imperial University in Tokyo, National University in Peking, and the University of Mexico. He retired from active service, and was appointed as Professor Emeritus of Philosophy in Residence at Columbia University in 1930. He also worked for the Turkish government and as an educational ad visor for the Barnes Foundation, served as chairman of the Committee for the Defense of Leon Trotsky and was elected president of the League for Industrial Democracy.

This is from Southern Illinois University.

For those who may come upon this at random, John Dewey is widely regarded as the Father of Modern Education in the United States.

The League was a very radical group in the early progressive era. Later on in it's existence, the LID's student wing would change it's name and become Students for a Democratic Society.

This is one of those things I'd written about before, but merely as a footnote when it should've gotten a greater focus.

In doing some additional digging for a timeline, I found out when Dewey was nominated as it's president: 1939. Dewey's involvement with the LID leadership has been written about by several of his biographers. Jo Ann Boydston, Molly Cochran(above timeline link), and Alan Ryan. Here is Dewey's welcome address as President of the group.

http://tinyurl.com/99dx6rd

Did Woodrow Wilson read the book Philip Dru: Administrator?

As I noted yesterday, Woodrow Wilson did indeed read the book Philip Dru: Administrator. He read it while on a trip to Bermuda.

I initially found this information while digging through the 1998 revised edition of Philip Dru, which is up to read on the Robert Welch University's website. Here's what it says:

Wilson eagerly embraced the Dru blueprint. Immediately after his election in 1912, Wilson sought refuge in a cottage in Bermuda "to do a lot of thinking." His mediations were guided by a copy of Dru. Professor Walworth points out that "Many of [Dru's] prescriptions for reform ran parallel to those set down in Wilson's The New Freedom: A Call for the Emancipation of the American People."

This paragraph completes with the following information:

That Wilson employed Dru as a policy template was attested by Franklin K. Lane, Wilson's Secretary of the Interior, who wrote in a letter to a friend that "All that book has said should come about... The President comes to Philip Dru in the end."

I quote the 1998 Dru revision because it's available online and quotable. Walworth's book isn't so easily accessible. (Arthur Walworth was awarded a Pulitzer for his Biographical work with Wilson) But at least what you see on page 288 of his book:

While resting in Bermuda after the election and reading Philip Dru, Administrator

That's how the paragraph opens. The revised copy of Philip Dru is accurate.

The quotation of Franklin Lane is also accurate. On page 297 of The Letters of Franklin K. Lane, this is written:

Colonel House's Book, Philip Dru, favors it, and all that book has said should be, comes about slowly, even woman suffrage. The President comes to Philip Dru in the end. And yet they say that House has no power....

Philip Dru is a book that has been entertained by at least one U.S. President, and parts of it according to his own inner circle were implemented. That makes it a pretty important book to become familiar with in the history of progressivism.

For anybody wishing to gain insight into the Wilson years, Philip Dru is a great place to start. In addition to that, one can't help but see a little bit of Dru in Barack Obama as well.

Here is the transcript and audiobook of Philip Dru.

It truely is a shame that the book Philip Dru has become so popular amongst crackpot conspiracy theorist websites, it's not a book filled with black helicopters. It's filled with progressivism.

http://tinyurl.com/8typ8sz

'Remarks about Guiseppe Mazzini' and 'Further Remarks in Genoa' by Woodrow Wilson

Before I get to the transcript, here are a few notes:

Giuseppe Mazzini was a revolutionary, as is noted by Woodrow Wilson's very own former home, Princeton University: (second paragraph)

Mazzini was an original, if not very systematic, political thinker. He put forward principled arguments in support of various progressive causes, from universal suffrage and social justice to women's enfranchisement. Perhaps most fundamentally, he argued for a reshaping of the European political order on the basis of two seminal principles: democracy and national self-determination.

What's that you said, Barack Obama Woodrow Wilson? Fundamental transformation?

Mazzini's ideas had an extraordinary appeal for generations of progressive nationalists and revolutionary leaders from his day until well into the twentieth century: his life and writings inspired several patriotic and anticolonial movements in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as the early Zionists, Gandhi, Nehru, and Sun Yat-Sen.

Of course, Princeton uses the most flowery verbiage it can. Mazzini participated in the Arab Spring Spring of Nations of 1848(though he earned nothing but scorn from Karl Marx), and is cited on page 1 of Philip Dru, Administrator - that book written by Wilson's main advisor, Edward House. Dru is a manuscript/blueprint for progressivism.

The following words are often times written about under the headlines "Remarks about Guiseppe Mazzini" and "Further Remarks in Genoa". In a publication called The World Court, Volume 5, page 28, Woodrow Wilson's comments are recorded: (1919)

Speaking at the monument of Mazzini, in Genoa January 6, President Wilson said:

"I am very much moved, sir, to be in the presence of this monument. On the other side of the water we have studied the life of Mazzini with almost as much pride as if we shared in the glory of his history, and I am very glad to acknowledge that his spirit has been handed down to us of a later generation on both sides of the water.

It is delightful to me to feel that I am taking some part in accomplishing the realisation of the ideals to which his life and thought were devoted. It is with a spirit of veneration, sir, and with a spirit, I hope, of emulation, that I stand in the presence of this monument and bring my greetings and the greetings of America with our homage to the great Mazzini."

ACCEPTS MAZZINI'S WORKS

In accepting the gift of Mazzini's works from the municipality, President Wilson said:

"Mr. Mayor, it Is with many feelings of a very deep sort, perhaps too deep for adequate expression, that I find myself in Genoa, which is a natural shrine for Americans. The connections of America with Genoa are so many and so significant that in some sense it may be said that we draw our life and beginnings from this city.

You can realize, therefore, sir, with what emotion I receive the honor which you have so generously conferred upon me in the citizenship of this great city. In a way it seems natural for an American to be a citizen of Genoa and I shall always count it among the most delightful associations of my life that you should have conferred this honor upon me and, in taking away this beautiful edition of the works of Mazzini, I hope that I shall derive inspiration from this volume, as I already have derived guidance from the principles which Mazzini so eloquently expressed.

It is delightful to feel how the voice of one people speaks to another through the mouths of men who have by some gift of God been lifted above the common level and, therefore, these words of your prophet and leader will, I hope, be deeply planted in the hearts of my fellow countrymen. There Is already planted in those hearts, sir, a very deep and genuine affection for the great Italian people, and the thoughts of my nation turn constantly, as we read our history, to this delightful and distinguished city.

May I not thank you, sir, for myself and for Mrs. Wilson and for my daughter for the very gracious welcome you have accorded us, and express my pride and pleasure."

AT THE COLUMBUS MONUMENT

In a short speech at the Columbus monument President Wilson said:

"Standing in front of this monument, sir, I fully recognize the significance of what you have said. Columbus did do a service to mankind in discovering America, and it is America's pleasure and America's pride that she has been able to show that it was a service to mankind to open that great continent to settlement, the settlement of a free people, of a people who, because they are free, desire to see other peoples free and to share their liberty with the people of the world. It is for this reason no doubt, besides his fine spirit of adventure, that Columbus will always be remembered and honored, not only here in the land of his birth, but throughout the world, as the man who led the way to those fields of freedom which, planted with a great seed, have now sprung up to the fructification of the world."

In order to make this easier to read, I put Wilson's words in quotation marks, and I also corrected a misspelling of Mazzini's name.

There is certainly the usual Presidential fluff and generosity within this speech, that all Presidents put into their speeches as a way of fostering international good will. But don't mistake that for the truely progressive ideological honesty on part of Wilson, the parts which I've bolded. Particularly when it comes to Wilson emulating a revolutionary. An honest look at the Wilson years will show that this is an accurate description of his presidency.

Whether or not Wilson had previously read various works of Mazzini isn't specifically mentioned here. But Wilson was clearly influenced by him, as he says. If not his written words, then Wilson was influenced by Mazzini's actions, that being Mazzini as a revolutionary in the 1848 Spring of Nations. Wilson taking cues from Mazzini's actions would... well... bring us right back to the book Philip Dru. A progressive blueprint for revolution. It's all in there.

I hope people won't think I'm projecting and simply drawing an imaginary line that doesn't deserve to be there. "Ed House was Wilson's advisor, who wrote Dru. So what? That doesn't necessarily have to mean anything." According to Woodrow Wilson's biographer Arthur Walworth(Who got a Pulitzer for his Wilson Biographies) Wilson did indeed read the book Philip Dru, Administrator. See page 288 of Walworth's book "Woodrow Wilson". Woodrow Wilson read Philip Dru while on a trip to Bermuda.

Here is the audiobook version of Philip Dru, Administrator.(And transcript) It was my first recording, so take that for what it's worth.

http://tinyurl.com/8ha8urh

America's first experiment into progressivism was a failure

In "The History of Plimoth Plantation", William Bradford writes the following: (Pages 135-136) [I have chosen to stick with Bradford's actual writing. If you find the following excerpt painful, there is a translated version on the University of Chicago's website that you'll probably prefer to read]

The experience that was had in this comone course and condition, tried sundrie years, and that amongst godly and sober men, may well evince the vanitie of that conceite of Platos & other ancients, applauded by some of later times; - that ye taking away of propertie, and bringing in comunitie into a comone wealth, would make them happy and florishing; as if they were wiser than God. For this comunitie (so farr as it was) was found to breed much confusion & discontent, and retard much imploymet that would have been to their benefite and comforte. For ye yong-men that were most able and fitte for labour & service did repine that they should spend their time & streingth to worke for other mens wives and children, without any recompence. The string, or man of parts, had no more in devission of victails & cloaths, then he that was weake and not able to doe a quarter ye other could; this was thought injuestice. The aged and graver men to be ranked and [97] equalised in labours, and victails, cloaths, &c., with ye meaner & yonger sorte, thought it some indignite & disrespect unto them. And for mens wives to be commanded to doe servise for other men, as dresing their meate, washing their cloaths, &c., they deemd it a kind of slaverie, neither could many husbands well brooke it.

This is pretty clear, even though it's written in a "foreign" form of English. Redistribution was considered to be slavery and an injustice by early "Americans". (They would've been British subjects at this time) On the prior page, Bradford gives details about the result of a freer society in which individuals pursued their individual best interest:

So they begane to thinke how they might raise as much corne as they could, and obtaine a beter crope then they had done, that they might not still thus languish in miserie. At length, after much debate of things, the Gov (with ye advise of ye cheefest amongest them) gave way that they should set corne every man for this owne perticuler, and in that regard trust to them selves; in all other things to goe on in ye generall way as before. And so assigned to every family a parcell of land, according to the proportion of their number for that end, only for present use (but made no devission for inheritance), and ranged all boys and youth under some familie. This had very good success; for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corne was planted then other waise would have bene by any means ye Gov or any other could use, and saved him a great deall of trouble, and gave farr better contente. The women now wente willingly into ye feild, and tooke their litle-ons with them to set corne, which before would aledg weaknes, and inabilitie; who to have compelled would have been thought great tiranie and oppression.

I bolded two things: progressivism and wealth redistribution sow discontent, while individual pursuits don't sow discontent.(at least, one is greater and one is lesser)

Even in the early 1600's, progressivism just didn't work. Unsurprisingly, progressivism doesn't work today either. The last quoted line is the pièce de résistance, in that once the people were afforded the contrast and choice between the two different models, they looked at compulsion back into collectivism as tyranny and oppression.

It is my hope to share this story for Thanksgiving this year, and I hope others will share this with their families as well. Be thankful for plenty, and be thankful you know how to get it.(and also how to squander it)

Translating George Washington

"There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit" - Ronald Reagan

I have not had a lot to say in quite a while, and I have explained much of why that is here. Transcribing takes up a lot of time.

In addition to the transcription, the other major project that I have been putting time into is getting a speech from one of the Founding Fathers translated into Spanish. I have a full transcript of one of George Washington's speeches up on my Original Sources blog, along with a sample clip of the audio recording, for those interested in either one. It is my goal to make some sort of visual presentation for this, and I'm already in contact with a few people who I'm sure can make that happen.

We have got to be able to reach more people with the best information. Original source material. This is certainly a good way to do it. http://tinyurl.com/8f5ust2

My first book transcription: Fabian Freeway

The more I have read through this book, the more I keep thinking to myself how well it lays things out with regard to the close relationship between the early progressives and Fabians. Especially in the footnotes. Anybody can say anything they want, it's when you footnote and prove the things you are saying to be true.(and yes I have taken random footnotes here and there and went hunting, I can verify a lot of them)

By transcribing the book, I am continuing a goal for myself that I have always held to be important: easier information access. The book itself - Fabian Freeway - High Road to Socialism in the USA - is up on the Mises Institute's web servers in PDF format. I have referenced it several times for numerous things, but during this process I noticed that much of the content of the book does not show up in a search engine if you set out to find it. This is compounded by the book's original content. Whomever owned the specific copy of the book that ended up getting scanned wrote in it with a pen, and computer software isn't very good at separating pen marks from explicitly typed book text.

I made it a point to ask members of the Mises community, as well as email people within the Institute who would know, as to the status this book's copyright. I have several reasons for doing this on the freecapitalists.org blog instead of here on my main site, many of which I explain here. One more reason is the issue of copyright; This blog site is explicitly tied in with the Mises Institute.

The book transcription is complete. It shouldn't take long for the book's contents to be easy to search or find in any search engine or search the contents with a browser. There are some visual issues with the Appendices. Being as I used a combination of software, internet tools, and manual typing, the lists of names do not have consistency. But they do match the contents of the book. If you are someone who is actively reading the book, or planning on do so, I will fix any errors you find if you just contact me and let me know about it.

------------------------------------------------

Fabian Freeway - High Road to Socialism in the USA
By: Rose L. Martin

Western Islands, Boston, MA, 1966

Foreward and Preface

Chapter 1-Make Haste Slowly!

     Part 1 - Great Britain

Chapter 2-Sowing the Wind

Chapter 3-The Dangerous Fabians

Chapter 4-A Chosen Instrument

Chapter 5-Sedition Between Two Wars

Chapter 6-Dirge For An Empire

Chapter 7-Trial By Ordeal

Chapter 8-Tomorrow, The World?

     Part 2 - The United States

Chapter 9-The Fabian Turtle Discovers America

Chapter 10-Putting The Silk Hat On Socialism

Chapter 11-The Professor Goes To Washington

Chapter 12-The Perfect Friendship

Chapter 13–Left Hands Across The Sea

Chapter 14-The More It Changes...

Chapter 15- ...The More It Stays The Same

Chapter 16-By Any Other Name

Chapter 17-Fabian Face Cards in the New Deal

Chapter 18-Secret Weaponry

Chapter 19-Power and Influence

Chapter 20-More Power and Influence

Chapter 21-The Commanding Heights

Epilogue: The Moving Finger Writes

Appendices

Table of contents

http://tinyurl.com/ah69n7r

Hillsdale's Constitution 201: Have you signed up yet? It's about progressivism.

I signed up for the lecture series last night, and I'm very excited about it. The page for the Constitution 201 program describes it this way:

"The Progressive Rejection of the Founding and the Rise of Bureaucratic Despotism"

In a word, Administrators. Hillsdale has nailed it: Bureaucratic Despotism. I think going in that the whole series will be top notch. Hillsdale is one of those institutions that has been on the forefront of defending American ideals, history, traditions, and liberty for a very long time. I can't help but notice already which sections will (based on the schedule) be the most interest to myself, those are sections 2, 3, and 5.

Especially 5, which is "FDR's New Bill of Rights"; The lecturer is William Morrisey. I've been wanting to write something about the Second Bill of Rights for a long time now, but have refrained while I have gotten to other things. I would think that using a Hillsdale lecture as a basis for what I have already as a potential outline would be outstanding.

Constitution 201, progressivism vs the Founding Fathers is at least in it's proposals everything that I've wanted to make the progressingamerica project into. But they have resources which I don't, from audio/video production to a team of researchers.

You should sign up. Right now.

http://tinyurl.com/8da4hg5