Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-08-19
ONEIDA.

Demonstrated E0iinre If one Of me Most
Notobte Instances Of Practical Com,.u-
nisn IN history -Dissensioms Which No,c
Reni the Oncidn Contmunity.
New York Times special from Oneida
says: ''The rumors of serious discussions
in the Oneida community and the with
the organization are not without sufficient
foundation i'll fact, although it appears upon
inquiry, that the Withdrawals themselves are
by no means the most important develop
ments in the case. 1t is stated on good
authority that Abel Kingsley, one of the
original founders of the community, with
drew some time ago, the community paying
him $4,000 in cash as his share. His wife
and family remain with the community, and
he is now acting for them in the capacity of
business agent and commercial traveller.
Arthur Blum, also prominent in the organic
alton, is another seceder Mr.. Easton, an
old member, has left the community and
gone to New York city, where he has started
an establishment for Turkish baths. A
young man named Hawley has also dissolved
his relations, taking with with him one of
the women of the community, whom he has
since married. Although these parties had
no means of legally receiving from the
society, either for services rendered or for
property turned into the common treasury
on uniting with it, each of the seceders has
been paid reasonable amoupt,-from 800
to Sl 900, and more in one special case
as capital to start with in the outer world.
The policy of doing this is apparent, when it
is considered that the various religious de-
nominations in the vicinity are using every
means to obtain sufficient evidence to bring
the leaders of the community within the
purview of a grand jury. 1 have had inter
views with John Humphrey Noyes, founder
of the community: w. A. Kinds, editor of
the l1nerica1 tSoci0l5st: j. B. Noyes, M.
D., son of the founder; Sewell Newhouse,
and other prominent leaders. The younger
Moves discussed the subject very forcibly
1t appears the subcommittee at WalIing-
ford, Conn.,, has been pretty nearly aban-
doned, most of the members having reioined
the parent organization. The unpopularity
of the Wallingford station involved the COM
munlty III vexatious lawsuits, the printing
business, formerly carried on there, dwindled
almost to nothing, and the trade interests of
the community there, formerly in flourish
ing condition, have languished and become
Improbable. The hard times are partly re-
sponsible, but public sentiment has also been
one of the principal agencies in bringing it
about. From the younger Noyes I learn
that deeper causes than the discomfort of a
few restless members have been actively at
work. The community was founded upon a
theory of perfectionism and personal COM
munion with God, elaborated by the older
Noyes as long ago as when he was a student
i'll Yale College. The older members adhere
pretty stead tasty to the doctrines as first
promulgated by the leaders, but the younger
members are many of them extremely
skeptical as to the Apostolical claims of Mr..
Noyes and the value of his revelations
Among the skeptics has been young Moves
himself, who has thus become the leader OF
a strong party. In April last he temporarily
withdrew from the community, migrate d
to New York, and started in business with
excellent prospects of success. Subsequent
ly he returned to the community and placed
himself upon probation. He is yet uncertain
whether he can bring himself to accept the
perfectionist doctrines of his father and the
original founders. His doubts have not
been without effect, and their disintegratino
influence has been decidedly felt the recent
Withdrawals being either directly or indirectly
traceable to it. The elder Noyes is growing
somewhat infrm, and his personal influence
IS on the wane. The prospect is, therefore,
that a dissolution of the organization will
soon follow his approximation or demise.
The women look pale, sickly, detected, and
disconnected. The secessions SO far have
been mostly of parties wishing to contract a
marriage valid under existing social formu-
laries, and the number of dissenters from the
doctrine of transient marriage is growing
larger and more influential every month.
This is practically conceded by the leaders of
the community.