Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-28
THE KAWEAH COLONY.
A Socialist Scheme in California Re-
suits in Dire Disaster.
WHY THE BUSINESS COLLAPSED.
The Settlers Were WOefully Duped by Orig
inators of the Plan.
UNFOUNDED CLAIMS OF THE LEADERS

| cooperation as delineated by the pen of
ethical thinkers and social reformers looks
captivating and plausible. As an image in
the mind of the diciplined thinker it easily
carries conviction to the head and persua-
sion to the heart. As an idea it is on the
whole faultless AS realized fact, how
ever, it is full of blemishes. A demonstra-
tion of the latter is now being furnished by
the collapse of the socialistic and co-opera-
tive enterprise at Kaweah. 1t will be in
| teresting at this .juncture, as well as in
structive, to inquire into the causes of this
failure.
Let US premise an inquiry with the re-
mark that the collapse of cooperation at
this place is no evidence of the impractical
bilitv of the idea elsewhere under more
auspicious circumstances The conditions
in kaweah have not been favorable, and
the failure was but natural; nay, it was the
inevitable result of the operation of a nat
ural law. Plants and organisms can live
and thrive only in congenial surroundings.
Precisely the same law obtains in societies
or social organisms.
FACTORS NEEDED IN COOPERATION.
such as Kaweah was presumed to be, i'm
plies the presence of at least three indis-
pensable main factors in order to achieve
even partially the end in view. (D Ample
resources, an appropriate basis of opera
tion, means to meet immediate wants as
we'll as reasonable basis for future sue
cess; (2) wise selection of members en-
dowed with the requisite qualifications to
put in practices the principles inherent in
the theory; (3) men of wide experience and
undoubted integrity and possessed of cool
heads and of business habits, as managers,
and men of broad views, moral elevation,
good Judgment and with cultivated minds
as educators and connselors.
All these elements are involved in the
idea. In the actual experiment under con-
sideration they have all been absent, and
has in this instance undoubtedly been the
cause of the deficiency in the other two.
Were the persons at the helm men fitted
for the post, they would have surely taken
the necessary precaution to see that the re-
sources were both ample and secure before
the start and would have kept a vigilant
watch over the admission of members.
But, being themselves unfit, as the sequel
to the enterprise has clearly shown, the
character and fate of the institution could
not have been other than what they
actually are.
RESULTS OF FIVE YEARS TOLL.
AS to resources and possessions, the in
stitution after five years existence has
scarcely any that is worthy of the name.
For several years it has been publishing
abroad to the world that it had upward of
10000 acres of land well adapted to farming,
a,I nil
tracts of timber land, the timber alone be-
ing valued at S15, 100000. The title to this
land was claimed TO have been secured
partly by purchase from the owners and
partly by the provisions of the homestead,
pre-emption and timber land acts, whereas,
as notorious fact, not one acre was ever
lawfully got by either of these means The
truth is, the institution has from the first
been built upon falsehood
Many good people-people with minds
acutely sensitive to the many errors, wrongs
and sutferings, the accumulated heritage of
centuries of civilization to man, and i'm
bued with the sentiments of humanity, JUS
tice and truth-the foundation principles of
civilization that is to be-many of these,
induced by the captivating and seemingly
truthful representations of things ate
Kaweah, broke up their homes, severed the
ties of association and friendships that had
cost half lifetime to form, came hither,
surrendered their little all to the common
stock (or was it to the bosses?) in order to
begin life anew on a sounder basis as they
thought, the basis of equality and of justice,
where labor as we'll as its products was to be
shared by all impartially, and where want
and fear of want were to be forever banished
from the grounds.
BRIGHT VISIONS BLASTED.
Coming here with these high ideals and
noble aspirations what a shock they ex-
perienced on their arrival in the Garden of
Eden of their fancy, the chosen spot whereon
their ideals were to be realized and their
hopes fulfilled Their anticipated life in
Kaweah proved to be purely imaginary.
There was nothing there from which to de- |
rive a bare living. Subsistence was to be |
had only through contributions from with |
out, and doled out at the will of the bosses. |
In ret lrn for which they expected submis- |
sion, loyalty and votes.
The freedom of opinion or ofspeech under |
such conditions was hopeless, and if even |
attempted was always discouraged, and if |
persisted in it was Immediately squelched |
by adroit manipulation of votes. But when
ever member left it was no loss to the |
institution, that is to the bosses; it was |
rather gain, for his place was soon filled |
up by newcomer, who paid in at least 500, |
and some even as much as $780, But ne |
sooner was the money paid in than the in |
terest of the bosses in the man was at an |
end, except only to the extent of his vote, |
and when that could not be controlled it |
was soon intimated to him that his absence |
was preferable to his presence.
This sort of game was successfully played |
for years, till finally the list of new mem |
bers or recruits was nearly exhausted. The |
game is now at an end for the good eason |
that those who have been duped and dis |
covered the swindle outnumber those who |
have been duped, but have not vet found it |
out
NOT A SELECT CROWD,
Then, again, as to the selection of mem
bers, it was given forth that the society was
the picked of the earth-morally and intel |
lectually disciplined, as well as physically |
adapted to the needs of the place None
that failed to come up to the standard was
to be admitted. As a fact, however, the |
only condition for admission was gullibilitv
and willingness to advance ready cash.
Hence there came in with the good colonists
the Indifferent and even the bad, in fact all
conditions of men indiscriminately, the
lame, the paralytic, the cripple, the yery
old as well as the young, the unsound in
mind as well as the unsound in body, and
men ill adapted for the eplace-bookkeepers,
clerks, jewellers, sailors and carpenters; nor
was the drone or the loafer absent
The latter, indeed, soon discovered that
he was needed and found congenial occu-
patton. in doing small services for the
bosses, in the way of electioneering, spy
ing, wire-pulling and in performing what
ever other odd jobs in general officious med
n how En oh =