Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-11
THE NEW UTOPIA
WRITTEN FOR TIE EVENING STAR By
JEROME Z. JEROME

n HAD SPENT IN extremely interesting
az evening l had dined with some very
8 advsnced" friends at the National So
q tc:alis: Club, We had had an excellent
sssN diunsr: the pheasant. stuffed with truf-
fee, a poem, and when 1 say that the AZ
Chateau Latte was worth the price we had to
pay for it do not see what more can add in
hs favor
After diuner and over the cigars q must say
thew do know how to stock good cigars at the
National Socialist Club we had a very in
structive discussion about the coming equality
of man and the naturalization of capital
was not able to take much part in the argu-
ment myself, because having been left when .
boz in position which rendered it necessary
for me to earn nv own living have never en-
joyed the time and opportunity to study this
sort of questions.
But ! listened very attentively while nv
friends explained how. for the thousands OF
centuries during which it had been in existence
and before they came, the world had been go
ing on ali wrong, and how. in the course Of the
next few years or SO, they meant to put it
right.
Equality Of all mankind was their watch
word-perfect equality in all things-equality
in possessions and equality in position and in
nuence and equality i'll duties, resulting in
happiness and contentment
The world belonged TO all alike and must be
equally divided Each mans labor was the
property not of himself. but of the state which
fed and clothed him. and must be applied, not
to his own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, but to the enrich
ment Of the race
Individual wealth-the social chain by which
the few had ensiaved the. many, the bandits
pistol, By which small gang of robbers had
of its isbors-must be taken from the hands
that too long had held it.
Social distinctions-the barriers by which
the rising tide of humanity had hitherto been
fretted and restrained-must be forever swept
aside. The human race must press onward to
its destiny whatever that might BEL not as at
present. a scattered horde, scrambling, each
man for himself, over the broken ground of
unequal birth and fortune-the soft sward
where the feet of the pampered may run, the
cruel stones where the feet of the cursed must
bleed-but an ordered army, marching side by
side over the level plain of equity and equality.
The great bosom of our Mother Earth should
nourish all her children, like and like; none
should be hungry, none should have too much.
The strong man should not grasp more than the
weak; the clever should not scheme to seize
more than the simple. The earth was mans
and the fullness thereof; and among all man.
kind it should be portioned out in even
shares. All men were equal by the law of
man.
With inequality came misery, crime, SIN, sell
fshness, dishonesty. arrogance, hypocrisy,
cowsrdice. In a world in which all men were
equal there would exist no temptation to evil,
and our natural nobility would assert itself
When all men were equal the world would be
heaven-freed from the degrading despotism
of God
We raised our glasses and drank to equality
sacred equality, and then ordered the waiter
to bring US green Chsrtreuse and more cigars
went home very thoughtful. l did not go
to sleep for n long while; lay awake thinking
over this vision of q new world that had been
presented to me.
scheme of my socialistic friends could be car
ried out-no more of this struggling and striv-
ing against each other no more jealousy no more
disappointment, no more fear of poverty. The
state would take charge of Us from the hour
We were born until We died, and provide for
all our wants from the cradle to the coffin,
both inclusive, and We need give no thought
even to the matter-no more hard work (three
hours labor day would be the limit, accord
ing to our calculations, that the state would re-
quire from each adult citizen, and nobody
would be allowed to do more-I should not be
allowed to do more mo poor to pity, no rich
to envy-no one to look down upon US, no one
for Us to look down upon mot quite so pleasant
this latter reflection all our life ordered and
arranged for us-nothing to think about except
the glorious destiny whatever that might be)
OF humanity.
Then thought crept away to sport in chaos,
and slept
When swoke found myself lying under a
glass case, in a high, cherries room. There
was label over my head; turned and read it
IL ran as follows:
MAN-AsLEEP.
PERIOD, 18th CENTURY.
after the great social revolution Of 1899 From the
sppear th.s be had .rssy when discOvsred been
asleep FOR oye ten years she having FORGOTTEN 10 call
awake him but to Just see how long he would sleep
on. and he was aecordnkly brought and deposited in
Visitors are requested not to squirt water through
the air holes
An intelligent-looking old gentleman, who
had been arr angling some stuffed lizards in an
adjoining case, came over and took the cover
on me.
What's the natter" he asked; anything
disturbed you."
NO" said. II always wake up like this
when feel I've had enough sleep. What CEN
fury Is this?"
This" he said lis the txenty-ninth GEN.
fury. You have been asleep just one thousand
years"
..Ah. well. feel all the better for ,.,"Ire-
piled, getting down off the table There's
nothing like having ones sleep out"
Il take II you are going to do the usual
thing" said the old gentleman to me az pro-
ceeded to put on my clothes, which had been
lying beside me in the case You'll want me
TO walk round the city with you and explain
all the changes to you while you ask questions
and make silly remarks?'
Yes, | replied, Il suppose that's what 1
ought 20 do"
Il suppose So" he muttered Come on and
let's get 1t over. and he led the way from the
room.
As We went down stairs said: "weu, is il
all right, now?"
is what all right?' he replied.
why, the world" / answered "a few
friends of mine were arranging, Just before 1
went to bed. to take 1t to pieces and fix it up
AGAIN properly. Have they got it all right by
this time! Is everybody equal now and sin
ana SORROW and all that sort of thing done
away WITH"
''Oh, yes replied my guide; you'll find
everything all right now. We've been working
away pretty hard at things while you've been
asleep We've Just got this earth about per-
feet now, should say. Nobody is allowed to
do anything wrong or silly, and for equality,
tsdpoles amt IN it with u.s."
He talked in rather vulgar manner.
thought: but did not like to reprove him.
We walked out into the city. 1t was very
Clean and very quiet. The streets, which were
designated by numbers, out from each
other at right angles and all presented exactly
the same appearance. There were no horses
or carriages about; all the traffic was conducted
BY electric cars. All the people that we met
wore quiet. grave expression, and were so
much like each other to give one the idea
that they were ali ulembars nf he saune