The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1889-04-25
The Nationalists.

BACkWARD.' ELECTRICITY AND STEAM.
To THE EDITOR OF TUE JOURNAL: As it ha
been about two years since writing to the Jour
nal, and then mainly on the subject of co-opera
tive industry, it is possible that the reader.
would like to hear of something more advanc
ed in the same line. That political party i,
actually forming for the sole purpose of nation
alizing our industries all into one great co
| operative body, to be owned and operated by
the whole people as one property is now
| tangible fact The party is known as the Ma.
tionali>ts, and was first organized here in Bos-
| ton some six months ago by about fifty persons,
consisting mostly of lawyers. doctors, minis
ter, and newspaper men. including a few men
prominent in the labor ranks. Since the organ
ilation of the club here, clubs have been organ
ized in nearly all the large cities in the Union.
4 marked enthusiasm.
The movement originated from book writ
ten by one Edward Bellamy. published bv Tick
nor " Co.. a little over wear ago entitled
'Looking Backward" The book bids fair to
he more popular than Robert Elsmere," and
it deals with the labor problem with greater
fascination and ability than "Robert Elsmere"
does with the broadening and liberazng of
Christianity. They are alike in one respect ;
a. each is founded upon fascinating love
story, but the love story in Looking Back
"ard' Is decidedly original The hero, Julian
West, was Il wealthy young Bostonian who. be-
inc troubled for want of sleep. had vault
built to sleep in below the foundation of his
house, with ingenious yentilation and where
no noise could reach him. While in mesmeric
sleep one night his house burned down and he
was believed ia have persisted in it, as his secret
vault was not known by any survivor. He was
soon to have been married to il wealthy young
lady III the Back Bay. lie Went to sleep May
30, lNN', and i'll the year 2OO0 Il gent ieman was
putting i'll Il foundation and discovered the
vault and breaking into it found the young
man. A. he supposed, embamed, but ON inves-
tlSatlon he was found TO be in Il perfect mes
meri" sleep, where, as it turned out he had
been for ll3 Years
The book he has written" Looking Back
Ward''-i> dated Dec. y, 4. d., 2ooo, and is
designed to show the people of that age how
We lived away back in the last half of the nine
t""nth century, and beng described by com
pur~0n ii clearly shows the whole social and
industrial order Of the twentieth century.
some years after hi, supposed death. bis in
tended married and Mr.. W est falls in with her
GrrAt-grhnti-d daughter in the new Boston in
which he aWake>, and not having grown old
daring his long sleep and finding this charming
ala ,I.,.t .,I,, I'll, L. | !
grandmother. hi> love affair, by this strange
leap, was ale again to go on smoothly and with
better results. Much of the book is deN oted to
conversations between himself and his newly
found best ..jrl. and her .ir>h surprise at the
WA: people lived IN l>>1. when her grcat-grand-
mother VA, 4irl, i. very interesting. He left
the Worli tul Of labor trouble, and wakes up
TO lind new a4c. with THE world all peace and
harmony. Poverty i, I'LL gone, crime and de-
c"ptlon have almost all disappeared. and he
hce'!> great many explanations as to how
these things We're done away with. OF course
ha ha> to make himself clear by stating how he
left things, hrfore they cpn understand what he
wants explained. There i> such an easy going
fascination aboUt ali the questions and answers
that the rerdyr !, Iei into clear insight into the
whole tabor problem before he knows that he
ha~ been aca!in-; alI With the difficult matter.
'''' " "'''' ~ Ms '""''rN''l'hS Win
= n 7" Ni''' "c'''iie y az tiie
''i''' ''i'"i'll'Nt>' VINO
"''' ''''"'''- ~ i''u'" ''N''l"ahFt at lhe Time
~ went 70 ~Ierr. Ahd l)r. Iect@ answered
that soon after that tire. or aholIt tbc middle
IN tb. I,.t .,,,,rt.. ~ .,,.t
4"''' ~ '''' ''''' '''i'" century
I"Htlral party sprung up knoWna> the National
II i,,i., !,