Daily national Democrat., 1858-12-10
Practical Emects OF soc,allst,e THEORIES.

features of that plan. The Shakers, or Uni
ted Society of Believers were organized a
quite an early period of American history, b!
a somewhat extraordinary woman, nance
Ann Lee, who claimed to have revelations
directly from Heaven, and who exhibited, We
believe, many of the qualities now character
istic of what are known as Spiritual Medl
ums" In addition to having all labor and
all property in common, they require celiba
cy among the sexes. a violation of this rule
ifpersisted in, at once banishes the offender
from the community. They are divided into
eighteen societies, and their total number i:
four thousand. They are strictly religion,
people, their religion being founded on the
Bible. Their central point is at New Leba-
non, in the State of New Yolk. The Oneida
Community, established at Oneida n Y, u.
we are informed by the Social Record, pub
lished at Cincinnati, was founded about fif
teen years ago by the Rev. j. IL Moves has
two hundred members, the property being
all in common, and their religious belief
founded on the Scriptures There is an Asso-
citation of Swiss, called the Swiss Communi
ty," at Bishop HILL in Illinois, which was al
so established about fifteen years ago, and
POUNDS its religion upon the Bible 1t mum
bers eight hundred members, and is in flour
ishing condition. The "Zoarites" are Ger
man Community, organized upon the same
plan as the Swiss, and numbering, perhaps
about the same force. Their location is in
the Northeastern portion of Ohio. The
Rappite Community, (as we learn from the
statistics before us) are situated on the bank
of the Ohio river, below Pittsburg. They
are Germans. and possess great wealth, ali
equally enjoyed by the members. The lea
rian Community, at Nauvoo, Illinois, are
French, and, we believe, infdel in their no.
tions. They are not, as far as we can Judge
from the data before us, in very fiourishing
condition. Indeed, their theories are, for the
most part ofan almost wholly impractcable
character
Besides these Communities on an extensive
scale, there are numerous smaller Assoca.
tions, scattered over different portions of the
country, such, for instance, as the association
of families, perhaps dozen or two located
one mile south of Moores Hill, Dearborn CO.,
Illinois. They have farm of 220 acres, so
acres being in woods, and the balance under
cultivation 80 acres in wheat a large portion
covered by an orchard of apple and peach
trees, and a considerable portion in meadow.
A large frame house accommodates the entire
Community, and they have every thing that
is comfortable around them They recognize
the binding obligations of the married rela
tion and believe in the Christian religion.
although every individual is allowed the ut
most liberty of conscience,
There was, year or two ago 1--WE do not
know whether it is still in existenee) a Social
Community in Monmouth county, New Jer.
sey, who lived in the most perfect harmony
in one large establishment, which was divi
ded off into apartments for the accommoda.
ton of the separate families. They had one
large parlor in which social gatherings were
had at convenient periods. In fact, it was
open at all hours pretty much as hotel par
lors are, and those who felt sociablv inclined
could go there and while away their leisure
time. They had n regular government, and
everything was done upon system. The mar.
riage tie was held sacred, and, so far as We
have been able to learn no innovation at
tempted upon the usual obligations of that
relation. The organization was called the
North American Phalanx," and was verv
careful in the admission of new members.
their applications being passed upon by a
Council of Electors who took the neophytes
in on three months probation, after which
time, if they had conducted themselves pro
perly, they were admitted to all the rights
and privileges of the society.
1t is contended by these Communities, that
they can live at much less expense of money
and labor than they could in an isolated con
dition, after the present manner of the rest of
the world, and that they are also much hap
pier, on account Of the certainty that no indi-
vidual among them can possibly suffer for
any of the wants of life, will be taken care of
in sickness, and is employed ct such avoca.
tions as are suitable to his physical and men
tai constitution. As to the economical por.
tion of the arrangement, probably an idea
might be formed of it by noticing the effect of
what is quite common in places where the
socialistic theory is not thought of, to wit
the living together of two or more families
in the same house and Humping together their
expenses.
There is certainly something very fascna-
ting in the idea of an extensive social system.
in which, while all the sacred relations of life
are scrupulously maintained, there is the alb
solute assurance that every indiyidual, with
out exception, is to be as successful and as
prosperous and as happy as his brothers; no
such thing as poverty known every child
well fed and clothed and properly educated,
and universal concord existing from the fact
that each person has all that he desires and
cannot envy his neighbor But, however
well this system may work in isolated cases,
and on the comparatively limited scale upon
which it has been so far tried, it is greatly to
be doubted whether the entire fabric of socie.
ty, as at present existing, can ever be so
wholly changed as to admit of anything like
universally in the practice of the Fourier or
Owen theory. However this may be, there
can be no harm in organizing such social sys.
tens, provided they do not run, as some of