, 1860-09-26
EXPOSE OF THE AFFAIRS OF THE
LATE k.UNlTAnX F1OUSEHOLD,,s


Pfogreas and Prrhpects OF the FREQ
kOFEtH-
From the Il. i. Tis.es.l
Some five years ago. tic bold a!titude assum.
ed bT the Socialists OF tt is ctF, drew public at.
tentou to them, and the iniq1itous deeds If that
extrene sec:iun which ceue to be known as
d Free Loyer7," were exposed from lime 10
lime il the columns Of tic Daily Prtss. Tbs
frs: local development Of Socialism, however,
da:ca back through period Of twenty ysars.
Free 1.cve, the bo!des AMI more immndest phase
Of the Fourierite philof ophy, is comparatively
recent Its progress has BEEN remarkably r1p.
id,-:l,her because the license which it permits
is peculiarly suited to the disposition Of the
loE+r Glasses exietent in great city, or, IS
pietis:s sail contend, from the proneress Of
ma,.kiEd 10 commit wieks dness. Be the rca-
son wfst i nay, the groEth Of tins ulcerous
a6ou1in*tioa OF unreasrained lust is cars.aut,
aud ,a virtually unchecked by legal eua:'mcnt
or by thc general condemnation OF the coe,Esu.
nifty.
Tue msaim 1fthis creed was EXPRESSED in tie
farsnHla that " sttFac,icrs are proportional to
deAtinies,''-ln osLer and simpler words, TIA.
"!i.eree ef the se1.s" should he The rule of
society. The pro3sts IS Of the new doctrine be.
rame rapid. AssociatiEpP, ba,ed upon the
b:oadest foundations Of liee1se. spranE into life
1t different points, from Massachusetts to Wis
cnnsin. Tie costly unt unfortunate experiment
II Brook Farm was tiled in the former State;
q similar but lsss pretentious establishment
,sas o-gau:z:d LII Wss:ern New York cthtrs
were founded in Ohio. Pennsylvania ard New
jersey The suse survivor Ct tLse communities
i8 the North American PAaacx, in kew Jersey,
now used chiefly as sort Of hospital tor lacu.
rabies.
Almost simultaneously with the appearance
Of Mrs Cove Nichols bad book. The Fee Love
"L.at tue" wes formally organized. Renders of
the Times do not need TO lie 1e minded how this
remarkable organization :ped and louriEhed,
M: row 1t Was broh en- up by force on the night
ct the 18th Of 0c:ober, 1855. The 4 League"
Lyndon stopped; just ID Nary Lyndon took
ore step ho!d r tleu toe. nf auy thing which had
preceded it. -Hary lyodon advieed the most
protniEcupIs intercourse Of the sexes, the utter
ab7osat:on If the marriage tie, the sundsring
Of family relations. The projectors Of the
"Leagut" reduced ell this theory 10 practice.
The headquartezs, at No. sos Broad~ay. hc-
GUS. and its immortality WAS finally carried to
such pitch that, in difference to the sentiment
Ct Tn Outraged community, exasperated by lhe
tiG.ely acd fearless exposures OF lis character,
given in the columns If The respectable press,
the heery hand Of the law was laid upon it, and
it ceased to he.
The inherent vitality Of in;qaisy, however,
about tha: Free Love took q new shape-a
shape more srecious, but eTen more obnoxious
and ba!efUl. Three years alter the explosion
in Broadway, new establishment was opened
in StEy vesant strect- 4 period Of silent, hut
aetna preparation had been passed by tie
Ffec.LoTers in the organization and equipment
Of a copcern to ~hich Wah given tie name Of
"The Unisary uousehold." T.e new expert.
meat was formrlly inaugurated early ia lhe
month Of May, 1858. From this point dates the
latest and mist repulsige development Of the
Free. Love eysteu.
Great paias had been taken 10 preserve the
secret ct tt,s establishment from the knowl-
edge Of The public. The meetings at which tie
measures pre:iGinery 10 its organization were
discussed and adcpHd, we're strictly private.
None but thcse woo were known to be posi-
t.yety 1ndoctrinatea with the Few theories were
permitted to take paEt in the arrangements OF
the leaders. No Whisper Of the project found
bre2th, 80 well was the eecret preserved, uutii
the house bad been in tIll op ration far more
shan month. The first public <1poss CT the
Free. Lore revival was nude On the 2ad Of June,
1855. in 81 article published under the beadicg
off, Practical Socialism in New York" 1tsub-
sequen.ly appeared thst certain respectable
persons were really teduced into giring coun-
1ea.nce to the iniqaity, from the aAsterinE pros
pects Of cbeap living which were astiduously
netd out, and from The studious concealment Of
nocett parties soon discovered their error, and
we're not slow in mixing their exit from the
"Home." Othcr vici,uls we're similarly en-.
trapped. a year later, in the establishment on
East Fourlse1th street. OF that concern NC
Ehafl speak p1eEently. Batb in Stuyreean
element was deceived by epe1ious pre:euce, sud
taken in ty p!auti 5le Argument The reAl En-
rure Of the Institution renamed th. same
throughout.
Itwas to te expected that a field which Of.
fered such rich pnrdeE would not be destitute
Of occupants. Nor was tie first "Unitary
Hoahehoto" falure pecuniarity OF experiment.
ally. As finauc!al operation, It proved to be
decidedly profitable; as an experiment in the
practical application Of Free-Lore doctrine, it
WAS more than success .tui; It was a positive
triumph Of Last Men aud women whu thew
aside tho decent forms Of society Hotkrd to the
doors, TO SEEK admittarce to the full delighta Of
that which seemed to :htm an earthly Paradise,
and none we're turned away who approved
membership. But few months elapsed before
the small house in S:u5resant street bscame
too restricted for the occ1mE1odutinu Of daily
applicants; and then bo1der step \ as resolved
upon. In the spring Of 1859, tnderhil], who
continued to administer the affairs Of the
Home" announced ,hat he had leased four
houses on East Fourteenth street, directly op.
wards the establishment in StuyEesant street
WAS broken up, sad ita inmates transferred to
the MGR: sumptuous quai ters provided Tor
them. From this point, we have the record Of
ser:es q disgusting abominations, eliminating
in a disastrous cotanot;oa and general col
lapse.
The speci-us pretext of the economy Of esso-
cia:sd etlort Was the lure held out to The gener-
nj public al the start OF this new experiment.
That it was an effective lure, had bten ahuud-
aatly tho~n By the result in Stuyvesaut street;
for, although many victims had retired from
The first concern. their failure to enligtt~n the
community as to IL. results Of their experience
left clear field for the renewed practice OF a1ts
s;ciiar to those hY which they themselves had
mo-: tempting fashion. 4 printed "Circulsr"
vss seu; out 10 give inforhs:ion Of the t,an
aad its oti:cts; md 10 this circu ar was IT.
tacned u see!e OF prices which Was to obsain in
the table arrangements ~ the "uousehold"
Meats we're to be furnished q 10 satss, 8: the
very moderate price Of to cents per plate;
vegetables at from 10 3 cents per plsle bread,
fsf, cents; fish, 1 70 cents. The aggregate
weekly rent Of The four buildings was 10 be as-
scssed upon the different Apartments, public as
we'll aB private; the general expenses of the
household Were to be assessed pro Tdt1. In
this way, it was argued, the coat Of family
would Ee fcduCeu 10 0oelnlfQ the 4ul0ucf
usu sily paid fer the rac;ntenance Of separate
establishments Moreover, it was represented
that the " Chief" who assumed the direction Of
affairs, was M officer who charged himself With
the administration *'in trust in behalf Of The
Household tie programme was pleasant
one, snd numbers ioand their way to the
''Household;" !" tho curious we're invited to dine
at the restaurant attached to the r1e1aisss, {or
the purpose Of proving for themselves the
superior ecoEomy O. the regulations; the men,
bets Of the City Press were button. holed aud
aolic.ted to eay good word for an enterprise
which promised GO fairly. Some six months
passed away, and oyer hundred persons had
become inmates Of the Household" The
Chief drove aouEishipg trade, md plumed
himself upon his success. TO Nil appearances,
the problem Of cheap living had begun to be
selred, and the public leancd 10 the belief TINT
thsre was really something tangible in the theo.
ries Of Charles Fourier.
Presently, however. eas spicss1s circumstances
came to light. The leading spirits Of the en-
terpriae wrrs detected in evit practices. The
license Of the eexes grew boldos. Unb1ushing
adultery Hns no uncommon circumstance. The
serving maids were debaucbed; children Of
tender yeara fell victims to the arts of accom-.
plisbed seducers; lust ragged, and tecency wss
bauished. Is tbsts facts, one By one, cane
out {hnxe annnr fh6 {nr ntes 1zhn.o ...nn.