The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-23

We have had, of late years, divers con-
tributions to the Utopian literature of the
world. There has been a massing of many
books portraying the future of nation
under ideal conditions, but none giving a
history of nation begun, in the far past,
under such conditions. This is what, in
'tAristopia," the author, CASTILLO n. Hal
ford, has aimed to give. He traces the
growth OF the commonwealth of his ideal,
from a tiny settlement on the Potomac
River, in the time of King James, until it
became a powerful community, in one
mans lifetime. Apparently Mr.. Halford' s
idea of what constitutes a commonwealth
is peculiar to himself. Ralph Morton is a
young Englishman, who comes out to the
jamestown colony in 1907. He discovers,
in the course of an exploring voyage under
CAPTAIN John Smith. gold mine of fabu-
lous richness. He takes the precious ore
out in Jumps the size OF his head, and re-
turns to England full of a great
scheme. With unlimited wealth to
back him he secures an enormous
grant of land, and by paying hundred or
so thousand pounds to King James, OBJ
tains a charter vesting him with abso-
lutely royal power. Then he buys and
hires ships and proceeds to transport to his
colony men from among the pick of Eng
lish artisans and scholars. In the course
of few wears he has established power
full colony on his grant, and calls 1t Arts
topia or "the best" The settlers are all in
his employ. He is monarch of all he sur
veys, an absolute autocrat on his own do
main. He keeps the existence OF his mine
a secret, but it is ineXhaustlble. and he
draws upon it freely for the development
of his colony. WheE all is ready, taking
irThomas More's Utopia as an inspiration,
and-apparently, the constitution OF the
United States as guide, Morton proceeds
to plan an ideal commonwealth, and to
draw ND a constitution for the same.
Under this there is to be no private
ownership of lands, except the title he has
ACQUIRED from the Virginia Company and
certain further titles he expects to acquire
from the King. The ultimate title rests IN
him. but the practical title is vested IN the
commemorative subtle distinction neces-
sarv to the unities of the tale, but most
amazing propositionto serve as the found
alton of an ideal commonwealth. :.
There is to be no traffic in merchandise.
The people may exchange their commo-
dities with each other or sell TO private
persons, but none may buy to sell again.
All stores are to be carried on by the
commonwealth and are at hrst stocked
with Morton's money-or at leasI by
means of the gold Morton has dug from
the earth. There are laws providing
for the election by the people OF congress,
all of whose acts must be subject
to the approval of Governor, and
that Governor during his lifetime is to be
Morton. In fact, the ideal commonwealth
is an absolute monarchy, and, as was
likely to happen under a one-man power,
backed by boundless wealth, 1t grows
apace, Morton having entire authority
to exclude all Objectionable immigration.
The new nation increases in wealth, Nor
ton obtains fresh grants of land extending
back to the Ohio, and, being an inventive
genius, he originated divers kinds of ma
chinery, boats moved by horsepower and
number OF very useful contrivances that
The colonists keep a secret. They have a
paper money, "issued solely as medium
of exchange and not as a promise to pay a
debt - so that mo more and no less was
issued than the wants of trade demanded.
The Aristopian paper money was not re-
deemable in gold, but in what the holders
needed more than gold-any of the necess