The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-06-09
The Loveland Community.
Correspondence Of the GAZETTE.

of the GAZETTE.
There is a potent force within the soul
of man that seems to be irrcpressible in
its ideal aspirations after happiness and
perfection in the Ipwardcvolu-
ton of the human race. Long ages be-
fore the most antiquated records of hu-
man history the mile-stoncs Of geological
growth on tn" earths crust reveal the
facts Of the great progress that has been
made in the evolution of human society.
The wild mau Of the woods, who knew
naught but brute force in his struggle for
existence, in time became tho rowing
hunters and shepherds of the mountains
and valleys. In progress of time advance
was made through the imperial. monarch
ial and republican forms of Soc;cty.
Still man was not satisfied and Mother
Ann Lee. Fourier, Owen, Noycs and 9th
ers have made sincere AMI vigorous at
tempts to intr oduce communism as the
next step in human civilization. Atjthis
time there are about fifty communities in
in successful operation in the United
States. Their successes has established
the fact that man can live with profit in
such state of society, and their failures
has taught us many Of the snags that
must be avoided in the success full social
experiments OF the future.
Most of these successful soci al expert
ments have been with communities that
had pronounced religious tanets or opin-
ions of peculiar type. The secret of
this success was that they attracted most
ly those who tho ught in similar grooves
and bound them together by the enthusi-
asm and devotion which their prin iplcs
inspired. This fact teaches us that class
ification in different communities is one
of the essentials of success. The great
Importance of having high ideal princi-
pies has recently had notable example
in the breaking up Of the celebrated
Oneida community In difference to pub :
lie opinion they abandoned the practice
of their peculiar system of complex mar
riage and adopted monogamic marriage
This abandonment of their principles low.
cred the moral integrity of public senti-
ment i'll the community and created dis
satisfaction which soon ended in the ma
jority Of the community voting to ab,a.
don their com uunistic principles and
chang" tn community into joint stock
corporation with a capital basis of 50
many shares of stock The great wealth Of
the community was the indirect cause of
the abandonment of their principles be-
cause in their poverty they stood by prin.
ciples' but in wealth principles were ahan-
doned. These facts teach the social ex-
perimentary of the future the necessity
Of making the spiritual. intellectual and
physical growth of the IN ,mbers Il prom
inent feature while the accumula.iny of
wealth is secondary to it. 1t also teaches
that abandonment of principles is disas-
trous and that the rule of the majority is
failure in community life.
Another cause of trouble in many ex
p"rimcnts has been the fact that the indi-
vidual members were restricted too much
in their personal liberty. This was the
natural effect Of trying to establish com
munism on the principle of force. as prac
ticed in the older systems of human scott
ty.
The writer. after a careful study IF the
history of socialism, saw how fragment:
tary. conflicting and imperfect the social
experiments of the past had been, and he
conceived the idea of making an attempt
to gather the most advanced thought OF
the age together and weave it into q sys
tenn of social reconstruction which should
embrace the good and avoid the CHROME.
Gus principles of other social experiment.
ers as far as possible. This new system
of communism and universal brotherhood
has been embodied in our pamphlet call
cd The Brotherhood of Man." Since its
publication number of persons in other
States have expressed desire to see d
social experiment made on the proposed
plan. In this county others have signi
fled willingness to help establish such
q community here. We have decided to
make few notifications and changes tc
the plan proposed in the pamphlet and
try the experiment in this county, pro
vided five to ten persons who believe in
the principles can be found to initiate the
enterprise. JOHN BRowN SMITH.