Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-03-05
ANOTHER TWIN RELIC

The recent decision Of the Supreme
Court Of the United States, which
wipes out the polygamous feature of
Mormonism, has started crusade in
Central Now York against the Oneida
Community, free-love institution in
Madison county, on the line Of the Os-
wcgo Midland railway. This society
was founded in ls49 by John Hum
phrey Noyes, o graduate Of the Yale
Theological Seminary. He was
licensed preacher in the Congregational
Church for several years, but turning
up as a Perfectionist, he was dismissed
from the church for beresy. He then
went 10 Oneida with few followers
and started his new Community. A
capital of 100000 was invested in
land, buildings, shops, &c, At first
only few acres Of land were rurchas-
cd, but now the society owns 600 acres
and has property valued at several
millions. About 500 persons, male
and female, constitute the Community.
They own everything in common.
Marriage is ignored and men and wo-
men live together indiscriminately.
They have one large building called the
Mansion House, in which they meet
as one great family for social exercises
and criticisms. The men are permit
ted to dress as they please and in this
respect do not differ from ordinary
people. The women, however, have
adopted sort of "Bloomer" costume,
the dress reaching TO the knees, ter
minating with close.fittlng straight
pantale.te, which reaches TO the top OF
the shoes. They are very plainly at
tired and present detected, careworn
appearance. The Community is a fam
lily, as distinctly bounded and separa-
ted from promiscuous society as ordi.
nary household The tie that binds
them together is as permanent as that
OF marriage, for il is their religion obi.
bic Communism or Complex Mar
riage" they term it. They receive no
new members who do not give heart
and hand TO the family interest for life
and forever and the community OF
property extends just as far as the
freedom of love. Every mans care
and every dollar OF their common prop
erty are pledged for the maintenance
and protection of the women and chill.
dren of the Community The affairs
are conducted on the most business.
like principles. Their canned fruits,
rat-traps and silk thread have no su-
periors in the country aud find ready
markets all over the United States.
The industry Of the Community and
the excellence Of its manufactures have
brought financial success, and public
sentiment has been successfully defied.
The movement which has been inau.
gurated by the Right Reverend Bish-
op Huntington, Of the Diocese OF Cen.
tral New York, looking to the extir-
patton of the social blot, promises to
be successful, backed as ii is by the re.
cent decision Of the Supreme Court,
which denies the right to violate law
under the forms OF religious practices.
A meeting of the leading clergymen
Of Bishop Huntington's Diocese was
held at Syracuse last week and steps
were taken to unite all the religious
organizations OF tho State against the
Oneida lepors. Bishop Huntington,
in brief address, took the ground
that an impure sentiment was exhaled
by the Community. 1t was not an iso.
lated social sore. 1t was open TO the
public and was daily visited by young
people who returned from it with i'm.
pure thoughts and associations in their
minds. Bishop Peck denounced the
institution with great bitterness, as
did number Of others. A committee
was appointed to investigate the law
as applicable to the followers Of Noyes,
to ascertain public sentiment and de-
fine the best mode of procedure. 1t is
asserted that the crusade thus inaugu-
rated will be closely followed up and
that the Oneida Community is doom.
cd Baltimore Gazette