Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-08-16
RIGIDLY BIBLICAL.
The Oneida Community Feels the Eff
feet OF the Scientific Investigations
of their Younger Members-But
Tney Won't Give Up.

New York World, Saturday: A gentle
man of this city, who has been somewhat dis
| tinguished as a social philosopher, and who
| in that capacity has watched very closely the
| career OF the Oneida Community, which now
| seems to be threatened with bitter internal
| dissensions, If not absolute disruption, was
called on by World reporter yesterday, and
| asked for his opinion on that point. He had
lately been giving the subject more than
usual consideration, and was therefore pre-
pared.
You see," said he, "the Community peo-
pie are the most orthodox kind OF christians.
They believe everything that's IN the bible;
they believe in the orthodox God, the devil,
and heaven and hell. firm belief in all
these things and the profession of 1t, is the
bond that's held them together, and of
course II any Of them dissent from this belief
it makes trouble. Now, years ago the Com
munity began sending these young men to
Yale college, and after their education there
these young men began to think that many
of the things which they had previously be-
lleved IN were all mOonshlne. Tins was es-
pecially the case with the young men who
went through the Yale scientific school"
young Mr.. Noyes was educated in that
school, was he not?"
Eyes. He is one of the men who has got
new light. As he is the natural successor of
his father, | imagine that there will be
trouble when the old man dies. Still don t
believe that they will burst up. Young Noyes
will In reality have no more power than the
others. There is no srch thing as governor
or leader of any kind. The property Is held
by four trustees. and the government Is all
by criticism. That is, If a brother or sister
has done wrong, he or she is brought up, and
| the faults and short. comIngs of that lndlvld-
ual are openly stated and discussed in his or
| her presence. What would be scandal and
gossip IN any ordinary community Is here
| utilized and made a corrective OF Individual
conduct"
do you know about how many discontents
there in the Oneida Community
81 don't, but | think they are very few.
They are confined to those young men who
have received liberal instruction. They have
| gone back there with new ideas, and they
feel that to clear their coDsciences they must
proclaim them and denounce what they be-
leVe to be sham doctrines. But as soon as
they do that they meet with fearful opposi-
ton, for the members of the Community are
very prejudiced, since their whole social struc-
ture depends on their firm orthodox doctrines,
IS / said before. You will see how small a
chance there is for these few dissenters to
| break no the concern, when you remember
| that of only about three hundred members In
| the whole Community sixty are children under
ten years OF age. You know, up till ten
| years ago no children were born IN the Com
| munity. Now they have about sixty of the
finest. healtblest children that you could find
anywhere. They have never had the diseases
| which most children have, such as measles.
whooping cough and scarlet fever. And, you
know, the Community have stopped sending
their young men to college. All those chill
| dren will be educated IN the faith, and thus
the bonds OF union are likely to be strength
ened."
Have not some of the members who have
left the Community decided to go back
again?"
Eyes, remember one instance that came
under my own observation. One Of their men
came to New York and protested to ne tired
of the Community. A thorough. examination
by his friends convinced them that his heart
was still with the Community and it required
only little persuasion to get MIN to return
to the flock | believe he Is with them still.
Yes, think the Community is good to stand
Tor long time yet They have become rich
they are very popular among their neighbors,
as well they might be, for they have done a
! great deal for them. They give employment
to great many outsiders, and besides all
this they never try to make proselytes of the
people who work tor them, or obtrude their
religious views in any way. They require
their own people to live up to the faith very
rigidly, but don't interfere with outsiders.
They preach heaven and hell, the bible and
the devil, and so long as they don't allow
anybody to deprive them of these elements,
they will go along all right,