The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-02-05

ticed within the limits of membership.
There is strong tendency, however, foi
persons sustaining these relationships tc
fall in love with each other and to main
tain an exclusive attachment, which they
aim to break up and resist by the strict
est self-discipline. The propagation OF
children is controlled by the society, and
is pretended to be conducted on scien
tiiic principles. Children are left will
their mothers until weaned, when they
are sent to the general nursery. Mr.
Nordhof observes that these little ones
look desolate or subdued, asif they miss
ed the exclusive love and care of a father
and mother. ga man or woman, he
says, 'may not find this life disa.
groeable, to be part of great machine.
! expect it is hard for the little child. -
The women he finds in this community
to be inferior to the men. The dress Of
the women is fatally lacking in grace
and beauty. They wear their hair cut
short and their dress consists Of a loose
bodice and trowsers reaching to the
ankles, with a skirt fallingjuSt below the
knee. The men are called "AIister, -
and the women ''AIiss. cit was some
what odd to me, says Mr.. NordhoG, 'to
hear miss speak of her baby"
Their method of discipline is so pecu-
liar, that we must not close this sketch
without olluding to it, which is regarded
by them as the cornerstone of then
practical community life. 1t is their
main instrument of government; isused
TO eliminate uncongenial elements, and
to train those who remain into harmony
and order. The person to suffer crit
cism, sits in silence while the company
assembled, each in turn, tell him his
faults with exasperating plainness Of
speech. Mr.. Nordhoif gives descrip-
ton Of n meeting for the purpose Of. crit
clsm, ut which he was allowed to be pres
ent There were about fifteen persons
present, about half of them women,
among whom Charles, Che young man
who had offered himself for criticism, !
sat in a conspicuous position. When
the doors We're closed Mr.. Noycs asked
Charles il he had anything to say. He
answered that he had suffered from
some intellectual difficulties and doubts
IA leaning towards positivism and being
drawn away from God; but that he was
combating the evil spirit within him,
and hoped that he had gained some
what. Hereupon, man being called
upon to speak. said he thought Charles
had been hardened by too good fortune
a young woman soid he was supercil
'ious and naughty; one or two men
thought he was wise in his own esteem
which made him disagreeable. Anoth
er woman said he was careless in hi,
language; while another said he was 9
respecter of persons, and showed his
liking by calling them ''pet names" il
public.
"Amid all this plain speaking" says
Mr.. N, "Charles sat speechless, looking
before him, but as the accusations null
tiplied, his face grew paler, and drops
of perspiration stood on his fore
head" After this discussion of the
faults of Charles was over, Mr..
Noyes summed up. He said Charles
had some serious faults, but he
had watched him with care, and he
thought he was trying to cure himself.
As one evidence of this, Charles had
consulted him in a difficult case, in
which he had a severe struggle to dc
right, but in which he had succeeded,
in conquering himself. "Charles, as
you know" said Mr.. Noyes, sis in the
situation of one who is to become a
father. Under these circumstances he
has fallen under the too sommon tempt
alton of q selfish love and desire to all
exclusive intimacy with the woman who
is to be mother of his child. This is all
insiduous temptation and must be strug-
gled against, and Charles has therefore
determined to isolate himself, and lei
another take his place at her side." AL
this, Mr.. Noyes thought, showed that
Charles was i'm proving, and the meet
ing was dismissed. Criticism is used
also as q remedy for diseases, and Mr..
Nordhoff cites some examples of stated
cures performed by this method
OTHER COMMUNISTS,
OF which Mr.. Nordhoff furnishes some
very interesting sketches, still further
serve to illustrate the peculiar charac-
teristics of communal society. In sum
ming up, he concludes that the freedom
from anxiety, care and want, the regu,
larity and frugality practiced, with &
steady industry which is never labori
Gus, is conducive to health, long life
and q reasonable amount of comfort and
happiness; that the tendencies are t.
ropress selfshness, and to the cultiva
ton of tolerant and liberal spirit; that
the cleanliness of each community is re
markable, and that ingenuity and me
chanical skill are developed (often to G
surprising extent). Thus, while con
nected with various phases of this sys
tenn much appears that to the common
sense Of mankind is morally wrong, We
should also justly consider that they are
necessarily Characteristic of Communism,
but are the outgrowth of the peculiar re.
hgious views upon which these various
organizations are based. Whether q
higher or more intellectual life is com
patable with that degree of pecuuiary
success and harmonious living which are
absolutely indispensable to communal
life, is as yet question. "Brains rise
easily to the top in such conditions, but
there must necessarily be a great repres-
sion of that individuality which leads to
the highest efforts. But while the In
tellectual Commune has not yet appear
ed, the fact that men and women can