The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-07-13
LOOKING BACKWARD FOL X
SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE
DOING IN WASHINGTON.
There Are Four Clubs Here and They Have
"a Good Many Members - Talks With
Leaders Showing What They Hope
DO.

ideas by Bellamy, in Looking Backward" like
old wine in a new bottle, there has been a GER
tain electrical condition of the social atmos-
phere, which has been universally felt and heard
of, if not seen, here as elsewhere, and which
has resulted in the formation of several Nation
alist clubs. No. was organized about
eighteen months ago, and has steadily grown in
numbers and interest. There are three other
clubs now in the field, each varying from the
other in its degree of strength and activity. The
larger proportion of their membership consists
of Department employees, although our pro-
fessional men are quite extensively repre-
sented
Of the four clubs in the District but one
should be designated by number, and that is
No /. In some of the States, as Cali
fornia, there are State leagues, but all over the
land the Natonalsts are considering the pro-
ject of forming National League. OF Club
No. 1 Mr.. w. w. Wright was first president
and Rev. Alexander Kent during its second
year filled the chair most satisfactorily. Its
present head is Mr.. Maurice Peckin Mr.
Ferdinand Schmidt is vice president; Mr.. NJ. A.
Clancy is secretary, and John Harmon is
treasurer. There have been rumors and pub
lished statements that the Nationalists of the
District were about to establish a colony in the
suburbs of the city to put to the test of pract-
cal application their ideas of needed reforms as
suggested by Bellamy's book. Professor NJ
G. Kimball known enormously as president of
No. 4, was seen by THE HERALD re-
porter at his desk in the Pension Office and
seemed rather astonshed when asked about the
colony, thus expressing himself as to the organ
ization with which he was connected:
81 still hold my membership in No. l,
but with others have certain ideas of propa-
ganda that are not general. Hoping to test
them experimentally, we have recently organ
lied, adopted constitutions and bylaws. We
hope to do an educative work socially. For
instance, we would divide the District up into
four sections, form social clubs in each, then
,subdivide those districts into eight others, and
so on. There are four fortnightly social gath
erings in parlors, where papers on Nationalistic
ideas will be read and discussed by both men
and women, for perfect equality of privileges
as to the sexes is leading Nationalistic idea.
We believe that the Government should own
and conduct other public business in addition
to the post Office system. The municipal gov
ernment should control gas, water, and street
railways, while the General Government should
own all telegraph lines, telephones express
business, and many other public conveniences
now in the hands of corporations. Financial
agreement of opinion, apparently, and finance
is not, therefore, at present factor in National
istic polity. With regard to the desirability of
the changes mentioned, if government mu-
nicipal authority had their control, the people
would have the benefit of a great reduction in
price of every one of them, just as the mail
service is cheaper than it would be if controlled
by company or number of companies. Ma
tionalism is purely ethical. A pauper and
millionaire are equally eligible to membership
in our associations if they are imbued with the
idea of the brotherhood of man. | do not
personally like the name Nationalist clubs
1t is inaccurate and unmeaning Public opin-
ion is a matter of education. There is no sub
ject affecting the welfare of society that is not
a proper subject of discussion at our meetings.
We probably have larger membership of
women than of men. Most of our meetings are
social. do not know anything about the col
ony."
Mr. Schmidt, the vice president, was seen at
his residence. AS his name indicates, he is of
German descent, and comes into modern Ma
tionaism through the inheritance of Socialistic
beliefs of his progenitors. He expressed his
opinions as though he had made up his mind
not to dodge any of their logical conclusions,
however radical. He said: II should think it
superficial view of Nationaism that did not
include Socialism. OF private enterprise Ma
tionalists maintain that the wealth producer
can only obtain living by selling his labor
power to his employer. The employer under
competitive government cannot offer the worker
the inducements that the people organized as
cooperative commonwealth, with a scientific
industrial government of production and dis
tribution, can. offer. The government owner
ship of the telegraphs monographs, express
companies, and railways is not a matter of eX-
pertinent, but whenever undertaken by central
authority has proven to be a glow,
ing success. Radical Nationalist will
not consider their idea obtained until
the workers In every department of industry
shall be complete soveregns in that branch of
work, To illustrate, mail-carriers best under
stand the services necessary to perfect the
postal SERVICE therefore mail-carriers should
have the democratic right OF nominating their
superior. This same method of official control
by the workers, as more generally outlined in
Looking Backward will inevitably lead to
economic independence, and dispel all the
social sores of the body polite The cause of
the general movement just now of organizing
Nationalist clubs is probably due to the timely
and happy appearance of Looking Back
ward The idea of an industrial Democracy
is TO get the people to produce in the most
economic way | should think it very poor
District, if it contented itself by merely
ef''OsD Of few people " have ave heard heard
of such movement, but have no actual knowl-
edge on the subject Nationaism is not yet
ripe for changes in the modes of our daily life.
1t is looking forward aiming that way through
evolution. In the mean time am compelled
to act as though the piece of property have to
sell is better than my neighbours; in other words,
we are compelled-gloss it over as we wil-by
orr circumstances, as the world is, to struggle
and fight for the biggest end Of everything, and
if, | can manage by executive ability another
name for selfishness, to get there hrst, am
the best fellow in my own and my neighbor's
opiniouAn Mr.. Schmidt further said "lt can
be scientifically established that three hours OF
scientifically socalized work is amply sufficient
to return every worker competence. Under
the reign of the present method the man who