Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-06-30

Shaker community as u member until
the debt is settled. No person is re-
oeived into the society with obligations
of either kind that are unsatisRed.-
Where there are no such obstacles, but
where the wife or children will not
join, the applicant is required to divide
his property in suitable proportions,
and he only puts into the community
the share which properly remains for
himself. The moment a member be-
comes doubtful respecting the doctrines
or usages of the society, he is always
free to leave, and on bis departure a
suitable allowance 10 made to him out
Of the treasury Of the community
The system seems to be one altogether
of conviction and consent, not ut all of
constraint or domination.
| Their fundamental doctrine of self
denial is especially directed to celibacy
and chastity, and OF this they make a
great account. They hold to IL as the
law OF divine truth, and their lives
correspond with their fhith. Since
the Shakers first became known, no
suspicion has been cat upon them in
this regard. Whatevehypocrisy may
exist elsewhere, it hasnot been found
among them. But w,ile they resem-
Bile the celibales Of thu Roman Catho-
lie Church in adhering o this doctrine,
and in its conscientious, unvarying
practice, they differ frdn them in the
fact that both men andwomen live to-
gether in the same lbuse, see each
other-daily, converse with each other,
meet in the dining hall ind the church,
take an equal part in tie management
of the community, and join together
in worship, and in meetings for i'm
provement in scientifii knowledge
Indeed, to separate thqtwo sexes and
place each in monastery Of its own,
would be as great q viohtion of Shaker
ism as the ordinary relations Of society.
As in the divine being, the male and
female principle equality coexist, so in
every society, man and woman must
alike take part, according TO the ca
pacity and qualifications of each, or
disorder and mischief will result
Moreover, according TO the Shakers,
the fault of the American scheme of
Government is that woman is excluded
from her rightful place, and compelled
10 obey an authority in which she has
never consented ard IN no ruled Inv
officials whom ,be has not helped 10
choose Asa svstem of nolity Elder
Freder;cL lola ~ tho Amar;can renuh.
lie would he ne,fect Il women nnlv
had an eousl sba,e in lec;slat;on and
administration On tb;s noint no wo.
man = rights advocate conlJ ro fnr+her
than the shakers
The ob;ection Il ohv;o,s that ~ all
neonlo became SbaLers tLe human race
wonld die out. h., ,h;s IL a rosrIt NO,
contemnlaied bv Tho order II IL moi
given 10 ali IN enter into the self denial
and snir;tnal elevation Of shaker;sm
Here again tbe dnal nrinc;ple comes
into play' Sbakerism Il n divine church
with celibacv for the rule Of ;ts nriest.
hood Democracv exnanded 20 ;pcludo
woman az n nolificiap and with mar.
riape as its rule. IL the true form of the
state and in the interior conditions of
society in general tho church and the
state. separate vel not antaoonistic
will oo-srAra.. N producing :. roriec3
work Of human amelioration, with per-
petual progress in spiritual, political,
scientific, and material things.
All the members are required to
work. ldleness is not tolerated, and
We suppose, not desired by any one
And yet such are the advantages of
associated living that the community
prospers without exacting from any
that slavish degrre of toll or that in
cessant activity which arc so general
in-the world. The Shakers go about
their work in deliberate, placid, and
cheerful mannei. The qaietism OF
their religion is reflected in their man
ners and their labor They are cheer
full, kindly, courteous, but never mostly
or vehement. We did not hear at
Lebanon violent exclamation or a
vacant laugh and yet there was no
gloom, nor any show of that fierce and
desperate agony over the sins of hu-
man nature, or that intense anxiety
respecting the material concerns of life,
which are so often to be met with
among religionists and among the peo-
pie OF the world in general.
One evening we were invited to be
present at the worship Of the family.
The meeting was held in large, un-
carpeted upper room, in which a couple
Of chairs and a row of benches against
the walls were the only furniture. We
were taken in before the community
assembled. They presently entered,
the men at one door and the women
at another, all in the community dress,
except two or three men, who had
joined too recently to have their uni
form and each party formed in four
lines across the room, facing each other,
with Elder Frederick and his coad-
jntor Elderess Antoinette, at the head.
They remained with their hands clasped
and eyes downcast a few moments, in
silence.
Then Elder Frederick stepped for
ward, and standing between the two
divisions, delivered a brief exhortation
upon the joy of aspiring toward heaven
and heavenly concerns, and the delight
resulting from puttn0 the lower ma