Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-02-13
SOME MISREPRESENTATION COR
RECTED.


| weeks ago an associated press dispatch
which happen to know was quite mis-
leading. Inasmuch as 1t was extremely
prejudicial and unjust to brave, self
sacrificing, intelligent group of people,
many of whom l personally know are
worthy and honorable, l viii ask you to
give the other side a show. The dispatch
referred to was the one sent out from
Topeka about January u concerning the
cooperative colony at Topolobampo bay,
Sinola, Mexico. On the authority Of one
C. G. Remley the dispatch characterizes
the colony as ga great swindie, and re-
ports that Hundreds of people are sui
fering." and that 1.-The colonists have be-
come selfish and morose, many OF them
being hungry and without clothing.
Shortly after the settlement OF the col
ony, over three years ago. some dlssatls-
fled ones told similar stories. And as
they were somewhat original then, many
people believed them. Uncle Sam,
among others, gave sympathetic ear, but
instead of saying, 81 told you So" he
sent word to one of the boys command
ing war vessel to call and see about it,
and if any of his hayward children
were suffering and wanted to return
they should be carried home. Under
date of December -, 1887, Captain +.
P. Leary sent this report to Secretary
Whitney:
Having thoroughly examined the con-
dition Of the American colonists. Cap
tain Leary states that he was Informed
by the colonists chat they had never
missed their regular meals except one
meal on one day which was lost through
the failure to send wagon to bring the
provisions for that occasion" ''The only
dissatisfied family who wanted to leave
the colony" says Captain Leary's report,
'was that of a man who appeared to be
a communist rather than socialist; a
man who had no money to pay for trans
portation, shelter or support OF his fam
lily on arriving in the United States.
"In the colony" the report reads, 1.-The
man is guaranteed steady employment
and home and support for his family,
the same as the other colonists," In con-
sequence of which the captain thought
it ''injudicious and unjust to all parties
to bring him away from constant work
and support to deposit him in a strange
city where he and his family would in a
short time become burden and tax
upon the charity of the community"
happen to be in position to know that
1.-THE suffering of the last six months was
next to nothing in comparison to that of
the period prior to the visit OF Captain
Leary. A sister of the writer, who has
been with the colony from the first,
writes under date OF January 10th that
sheets, cabbage, turnips, tomatoes and
lettuce are looking bright, clean
and decidedly interesting, and that
the indications are that they
will continue fresh and juicy much fur
Their into the season." Fresh garden
vegetables for January certainly does
not look like starvation.
To point out some of the misrepresen-
tgtions of the dispatch, let me call atten-
ton to these facts: First, The Sinaloa
colony is not colony ''of several hun
dred Kansas people. They came from
different parts of America and from Eu-
ropean countries. Second, The colony
did not start from Kansas. 1t was in
corporated under the laws OF the state OF
Colorado, but the members came togeth
er from different sections, some from
Maine, some from California and many
from intervening states.
Third, Senator Hoff man was not the
founder or leader The founder OF the
colony is Albert K. Owen, a civil engin-
eer, and author of Integral Co-opera-
tion," published by John w. Lowell, who
is treasurer of the colony.
Fourth, II can hardly be that ''hun-
dreds of people are suffering in the col
ony," for there are barely two hundred
people there all told. Fifth, The state
ment that under the leadership of Mr..
L hyn
pie were induced to emigrate under the
representation that great abundance of
land could be had for nothing" is so
it scarcely needs to be branded
In that statement the complain
ant unwittingly condemns himself as
an unfit man for membership in that
society, or in any other of honest and
decent responsibility. On his own con-
fession he went to get something for
nothing. He failed. so he comes away
and publishes the colony as a ''great
swindle" His coming away commends
the colony as success. 1t was organ
lied for the purpose of preventing peo-
pie from getting something from others
for nothing. 1t is organized for the
purpose of guaranteeing to every laborer
the full and adequate reward Of his labor,
and no more.
Sixth-But Mr.. Hoffman is not a fool
or a knave, consequently he never rep
resented ''that an abundance of land
could be obtained for nothing
One of the emigration circulars Is be-
fore me. 1t plainly and specifically
states the price per acre of all varieties OF
land desirable. The price ranges from
81 to $50 per acre. In regard to the pay
which colonists get Mr.. Hoffman saws
they do get remuneration for their work.
He saws members work for themselves,
on their own land, in their own shops
and gardens, in their own factories and
ships, and they exchange the product of
their labor by means of Labor checks,
which abolishes interest" and it might
be added thus does away with the peri
odical money famine which, in spite of
good harvests, brings hard times. Each
man works for himself and everybody
works for HIM, and he works
not only for himself but for
all others, for the colony is q
! stock company organized 10 do the en-
tire work of production, exchange and
education. Il was Bellamy's plan at
work before his epoch making book had
| been published.
The location of the colony IS well
| chosen. Lieutenant Schwatka III some
recent letters from western Mexico SAYS
/ there are only two coed harbors on the
: Pacific coast. One at Guaynas and the
/ other at Topolobampo. Topolobampa Is
! the location of the colony's city site. 1t
would be difficult TO find one OF more
| beauty anywhere. The bay of Topolo-
/ bo,n,,o IL O bo,,t Eftv-fa1Ir snuara miles in