Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1894-12-01
TRAVELLERS FROM ALTRURIA.

lie failure Oh the AlCTufldu Colo
ny founded in Ohio last spring for
the purpose of giving practical effect
to the philanthropic and socialistic
notions Of Mr.. w. d. Howells adds
another to the long list f vain at
tempts to usher in the millennium.
So far as the theory of the expert
ment was concerned, nothing could
have been more beautiful. It pre-
sented prospect Of comfort and
happiness that captivated the imagi-
nation and suggested an order of
life ''dipt in angelic instincts"
There was to be no selfshness, no
Inequality, no envy, no strife, no
trouble Of any kind. The act Of
becoming an Altrurian was repre-
scented TO be victory over all the
ordinary ills of the world, a subordi-
nation of evil forces to the infu-
ences of sweetness and light in such
a degree as to insure a condition of
general and interrupted felicity.
Those who Joined the colony did
not doubt for moment that they
were bidding an everlasting farewell
to care and toll, sin and sorrow, and
entering upon an existence in which
dreams would come true and fairy
stories turn out to be facts. This
is what they had right to expect
from Mr.. Howells teaching. He
painted the picture for them in the
brightest of colors, and assured
them that they had only to adopt
his views, and the result would be a
heaven upon earth. 1t did not seem
possible that he could be mistaken,
he put the case so prettily and so
confidently, and with such nice
scorn of familiar sources of perplexi-
ty and Encouragement
When the test came to be made,
however, it was found that the phil
osophy of Altruria was seriously de-
fective in the respect that it did not
provide for the creation Of special
class of human beings to carry out
its benign and beneficiary inten-
tions. The theory was everything
that could be desired, but the appIi-
cation Of it was discovered to be i'm
possible because of the inherent linn
itations of the individuals through
whom it was to operate. Instead of
dwelling together in unity and sac
rifcing personal interests for gen
eral advantages, the Altrurians soon
began to antagonize one another,
just the same as people who were
still in the world, so to speak. The
women IN particular, it appears,
manifested a decided and melan-
choly tendency to obstruct the work
of reform with jealousy, intrigue
and contention; and the men were
not able to agree among themselves
with regard to questions Of vital i'm
portance. Altruria was all right.
but the Altrurians could not live up
to its serene and delightful posi-
bilities. The human nature in them
would have its way in spite of their
efforts to subdde it to the uses of 8
system that made no allowance for
that sort of thing. They continued
to be attached to the old and unsat-
isfactory planet by the various traits
common to all classes of people, and
so their migration to Altruria was
merely mockery. The difficulty was
not in the plan, but in their lack OF
ability to enforce it. Therefore
they abandoned it in despair and
disgust, and went back TO their
former situation.
This has been the uniform result
in the success of such undertakings.
Failure invariable ensues by reason
of the stubborn and decisive fact
that the success of all schemes of re-
form is dependent upon people, and
not upon theories. If this were not
true, the world would have been
transformed into a paradise long
ago. There has never been any
scarcity of admirable theories, but
there has always been lamentable
want Of the right kind of men anC
women to make them effective. Il
is easy to point out the glazing in.
consistencies and inequalities of so
ciety, and to say they ought to bt
removed; but when remedy is pro
posed. there are other things to BIZ
considered than abstract question:
of right and wrong. Humanity
must be taken as it is found, anC