The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-04-28

ated at Dartmouth college and began the
study of law. But in 1881 great religious
revival broke out at Putney, Vt. II drew
Young Noyes within its influence. He whom
press and people have bounded as monster
of immortality and a destroyer of Chris
tianity abandoned all his worldly prospects
and began a work for the sake of religion.
He pondered deeply over religious ques
tnns and finally studied theology at Yale
college. He considered that he had been
converted and was a Christian. In 1888 hn
became Congregational preacher. Soon
after this his peculiar ideas began to mani
fest themselves. He pondered more and
more deeply on religious questions, till at laSt
the Periectionist doctrines began to be clear
to him He drew these doctrines from the
New Testament and the teachings Of Paul
Upon these he based the whole social and re
ieioua system, which afterward resulted in
the founding of the Oneida community
He became what he called seeker after
truth His meditation and study brought
him to the decision that the teachings of
Paul have been misunderstood. He seems to
have believed devoutly in the second
coming of Christ but not that it was
to be a material appearance, with pomp
anu ISL ol liuilitiS, btloit Iiit
physical eyes Of men. l. was to be rather
the quiet stealing into and impressing of the
inner spirit of the individual, without out
ward sign other than the identifying changes
wrought in the character of the individual
Therefore it was Noyes called himself and
those who believed with him "Perfectionists,"
strivers towards perfection in all ways-men-
tai moral, physical and spiritual.
Mingled with this were other doctrines of
the equality of all mankind and particularly
the equality of men and women. He be
lieved that those in whom the spirit truly
dwelt should separate themselves from the
world and live one family, and return to
community of goods, as in the days of the
early Christians.
For such as these, also, there should be
Christian liberty The existing laws in re-
gard to marriage, other matters, should
not he binding on them. His doctrines in
regard to marriage were more furiouSly
criticised than any Others And yet they
seem to have meant directly the opposite of
what they are commonly supposed to do
| Nnyes believed that men and women should
live in a state Of celibacy ordinarily, ana
that children should only be born from Sc
lected parents 1t is fact that few children
| were born in the Oneida community. Such
| as were were turned into a common nursery
| and school room.
| The women of the organization looked
| very queer to the outside world. Many of
| them We're wholesome and healthful looking,
| hut they wore dresses made for convenience
rather than for adornment-scant skirts to
| their knees, with trousers of the same goods
| below. Their hair was cut short, and they
| wore no coIsets, but dress in one piece fit
| ting the form and buttoned close up to the
throat Noyes believed that women were
| put into the world for something else than
merely to look fascinating and enticing to
| men.
| Noyes' teachings were so opposed to the
views of the church that his license to preach
was speedily taken L'om him Then he com
mcnced to found his own sect He married
Harriet Holton, and with her obtained sufl
cient land and money on which to found his
colony She was in perfect sympathy with
his plans The first colony was started at
rutney, vt But the citizens of Putney
thought they had something to say about the
| Perfectionists. They broke up the settle
| ment
Then Noycs and his band of followers went
| W d Tetireu REGION Ill hlulSon county, N. -,
and set up housekeeping That was in 1915
| The company bought 600 acres of land in
course of time. They began to practice their
doctrines. All worked for the good of the
community without seeking gain for him
self. In thirty years they had, without at all
| attempting to do So amassed a valuable prop
erty, worth S500,000 The oneida tran. ="
known to fur hunters the country over, was
the invention of an old Canadian trapper
who had joined the community They pros
pered greatly, and seemed to live in peace
| and content
| In 1874 there were 23S Of them, with a
branch establishment Hepworth Dixon de-
clared that in the peculiar costume worn by
the female portion of the community, "plain
women escaped notice and pretty girls looked
winsome."
In 1879 the united preachers of the state Of
New York interfered with the Perfectionsts,
and set about collecting legal evidence
whereby they could be suppressed. There
upon. in Difference to public sentiment, Noyes
advised the organization to give up complex
marriage and pair off like common folk
This was done After that Noyes did not
live constantly with the community.
He adhered to the last to his doctrines,
but believed the world was not yet ripe for
them.