Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-03-05
ONEIDAISM AND MORMONISM.
The Suppression Of the Family.
New York fines


a very difficult matter to deal with.
Whether or not we concede that the So
cial philosophy which it puts in prac-
tice is a matter Of honest belief, there
can be no doubt that its tendency is al
together pernicious and calculated to
undermine one Of the most sacred in
situations Of modern society. It differs
radically from Mormonism, in SO far as
its most characteristic practice does not
violate common principle Of law, in
tended to guard the well-defned rights
Of others than those Immediately con-
cerned in the Offense. Statutes against
bigamy have very distinct purpose
Of this kind, and no association. what
ever its object, can justly claim exemp-
ton from their operation. The offenses
of the "Oneida Perfectionists are such
as are rightly considered contrary to
good morals and the well-being of So
ciety, but any legislation directed
against them should have a general
application and be enforced with equal
vigor everywhere. The members of
" Father" Noyes' community enter it
voluntarily and adopt its social theories
as a matter Of faith, and it can hardly
be pretended that the practices which
prevail there under the guise of a social
reform, are worse than the reckless and
willful sensuality that escape suppress
sion elsewhere. ~. =.
So far as society at large is concerned,
the real mischief is to be found in the
false social theory that aims at the sub
version Of the family and the destruc-
ton of those domestic ties upon which
the virtue and stability of the people so
largely depend. This can only be dealt
with by the dissemination of sound
teachings and the influence of healthy
public sentiment. The home is at the
foundation of all that is strong and ex-
cellent in Anglo-Saxon civilization, and
give Christianity much of it's power and
influence. The sacred relations Of nus
band and wife and of parent and child
furnish the basis for cultivation of the
domestic and civil virtues which give
strength to the character of people
and promote the progress and well-being
of the state. From them spring the ed
ucation and discipline that afford moral
stamina, foster habits of industry and
frugality, and give man the highest mo-
tives and the strongest incentives.
Nothing can take their place. The at
tempt to substitute a wider social or.
ganization for the family has thus far
been a CHASTITY failure. Perfection of
body and mind and moral nature is the
avowed end which the philosophy of
Father" Noyes has in view, but it's
practical effect on the men and women
subj ected to it's influence is physical and
intellectual deterioration. To relegate
the children of community, to the
care and nurture of it's old women, re-
CARELESS of parental ties, is to break as
under the bonds through which are
developed the noblest traits Of charac-
ter. Men and women are made strong
for achievement and for the resistance
of degenerating influence through the
affections and untiring solicitude of pa
rents, whsse inspiration for the work of
training their offspring for the struggles
and duties Of life comes from natural
feelings from which there is no substi-
tute.
Mormonism, Oneida "Perfectionism,
and all the vagaries of free-lovers and
radical social reformers are based on
the destruction Of the family and threat
en- society and degeneracy. They de-
grade women and render them unfit
for the highest functions of mother
hood, which are not merely to bring
children into the world for the general
1behoof ofthe community, but to give
them that care and nurture which shall
set their growth and development in
the right direction and give earnest of
future integrity and usefulness. They
would not only unfit women for this
loftiest of tasks, but they would take it
away from them, making their lives
barron and desoiate, and depriving their
offspring of one of the chief advantages
intended for them by nature. They
would also take away from the highest
duty and privilege of their exalted re-
lation, and place under the supervision
of different persons the training Of the
young. Whatever tends to desecrate
the sanctity of home life, and weakens
domestic ties and obligations, threatens
society with degradation. There is
enough of this without organization and
screeds having this avowed object.
When it forms itself into societies and
adopts an active propaganda, it becomes
openly hostile to the Improvement of
the race, though it may profess to be
pre- pairing the way for a millennium.
Society has a right to protect itself
against such insidious undermining.
Whether legislation directly intended
for the suppression of such a commu-
nifty as that of Oneida would be justified
is a matter of doubt, and it is certain
that any attempt to inhame popular
feeling against it with view to bring
ing about violent and lawless disper-
sion Of its members would be altogether
wrong. But the hallowness Of its pre-
tensions as means Of reforming and
perfecting human nature may well be
exposed, and the falseness of its philos-
ophy should be impressed upon the
people. Common sense and the better
instincts Of society should be arrayed
against it, and every Involvement offered
to it to die out. 1@ osJ5s a
The Manicure.