Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-09-01
Communistlc Societies.

The announcement that the oneida Commu-
nifty of New York state has abandoned its syS-
TEN OF complex marriage" has attracted fresh
attention to this organization and to the COM
mun1stic bodies OF the country generally. From
Mr.. Nordhof's valuable work upon the Com
munist1c Societies of the United States 1t
appears that the Oneida Communists, or "Per-
fectfonfsts" as they call themselves, are OF
American origin, and their membership Is
almost entirely American. Their founder and
present head, John Humphrey NoyeS, was
born In Brattleboro, Vermont, In 1911; grad
uated from Dartmouth college, turned his at
tention first to law and then to theology,
studied at Andover with the intention of fitting
himself to become foreign missionary, and
later in the Yale Theological school, At New
Haven, under the influence of fervent revival
preacher, he LANDED In new experience and
new views OF the ways OF salvation, which took
the name OF PerfectioniSm." He slowly gath
cred about him a company Of believers from
different parts Of the country, and In 1S4S
they established themselves at Oneida, In
Madison county, New York. For some years
they had uphill work In retaining the land
and In getting remunerat1ye occupations organ
lied. AT first they undertook to maintain
themselves solely by agriculture and horticul-
ture, but later they united mechanical pursuits
with these. Like the Shakers and other sue
their start by the excellence OF their wares and
products. In January, 1857, they took their
first annual inventory and found themselves
worth little over Sol, 900. The industrial organ
hation was now, however, fully and success
fully established and In the next ten years the
net profits Of the oneida society and the branch
at Wallingford, Connecticut, amounted to
$lS0.5S0. For many years the Perfectionists
employed no outside labor, but with increasing
prosperity they began to hire servants and
helpers In many branches These hired people
are the country neighbors of the commune:
and as with the Shakers and the Harmonists,
they like their employers who pay good wages
treat them kindly, and show an interest In
their welfare.
In doctrine the Perfectionists believe that the
second advent Of Christ took place at the de-
struction OF Jerusalem: that at that time there
was primary resurrection and Judgment In
the spirit world; and that the manifestation of
the kingdom In the visible world is now ap-
preaching; that its approach is ushering In the
second and final resurrection and Judgment:
that church on earth Is Low rising to meet
the approaching Kingdoms In the heavens, and
to become its duplicate and representative: that
inspiration or open communication with God
and the heavens involving perfect holiness, is
the element Of connection between the church
on earth and the church In the heavens and
the power by which the kingdom of God Is to be
established and reign in the world They assert
further that ''the gospel provides for complete
salvation from sin," hence the name they as
sumo OF Perfectionists. Community OF goods
and Of persons they hold to have been
taught and commanded by Jesus. The
community system, which they thus hold
to have been divinely commanded, they extend
beyond property-to persons; and thus they
JUSTIFY their peculiar social system, In which
there Is no marriage; or as they put it "com-
pick marriage takes the place of simple They
surround this extraordinary combination of
pOlygamy and polyandry with certain religious
and social restraints, but affirm that there Ia
''no intrinsic difference between property in
persons and property In things and that the
same spirit Which abolished exclusiveness In
regard TO money would abolish, II circumstances
allowed full scope to 1t, exclusiveness in regard
to women and children" The system of COM
pick marriage seems also to have been looked
upon as means OF bringing about physical per-
fect1on On the theory OF sturpiculture or human
stock-breeding. The suppOsition that the doc
Urine was mere cover for sensualtsm, seems to
nave been mistaken one, however Inter-
course between the sexes has been discouraged
except to limited extent, and then under
many restraints. The disposition has been to
uiuit The OHSpr1nS 10 number that could be
afforded judiciouS, moral and spiritual Care
with the advantage of a liberal education, In
practice, the Perfectionists have found strong
tendency On the part of members, especially
the younger ones, to what they call "selfish
love,"-that Is to say, the attachment of two
persons to each other and their desire to be
true to each other, and 1t Is probable 1that
(Whlle "deferr1ng to public opinion " the
trouble In dealing with this strong
monogamistic propensity In their ranks
mas something to do with the WILL
ingness OF the Elders TO abandon the COM
pick marriage feature of their commun1sttc
PAN III Is a question, however whether the
organization Will survive the abandonment of
the peculiar Institution" The society Will,
now consist OF two classes OF members. cell
Dates; and married persons living together "a
husband and wife In the usual relations. The
married folk and single folk are, however. tn
I'VE In common household, eat at a common
table, and the children are to be kept In a COM
mon nursery. 1t is doubtful If the married
couples will consent to relinquish all control
over their children In the way proposed. and II
Is not improbable that the discord thus raised
may break up the Perfectionist organization.
the New York World to-day publishes inter-
views with leading business and manufacture
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