The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-08-07
THE RUSKIN COLONY,
MR.. WAYLAND AND THE COMING MA.
TON.

TON.
Our article, of the week before last,
seems to have created sensation at
the Ruskin Colony, Tennessee City,
Tenn. We have received the follow
ing letter, which we take pleasure in
publishing:
TENNESSEE CITY, Tenn, July 81, 95.
DEAR BROTHER:
For the sake of the kind-hearted,
handwriting but disappointed Colon
ist at Ruskin, was deeply panied to
read, this morning your article in The
REPRESENTATIVE, under the caption
of death OF the Coming Nation
AS matter of fact the Coming Ma
number reaches you, l venture to
think you will find it as living as ever
it was. l am personally interested in
Socialism and have come from South
Florida, (Bartow,) at very consider
able expense to study Socialism in
practice. l came, having understood
from the columns Of the Coming Ma
tion that the printing plant belonged
to the Colony; but finding that Broth
err Wayland was suddenly leaving be-
cause the Colony had resisted his
claim to be the owner. / will not trou-
BILE you with details Of the dispute in
which it seems to me that the Colony
has borne it's share with dignity and
moderation. If the Colony has been
at all at fault it has been in a too
implicit confidence in it's founder.
do not pretend to understand your
motive in calling the Colonist fools, y
"knaves," ''pigmies," ''impractic-
ables" and charging them with con-
spiracy. Nothing is more certain
than that you have been misin-
formed, and acting on the misinfor-
nation you have, though unintention-
ally, done the Colonists a very great
injustice. 1 would appeal to your
sense Of fairness and justice to make
to them the honorable amende. and
would be glad if you would publish
the enclosed communication. Frater-
nally, A. E. seldom,
Editor of the South Florida News.
The lengthy, typewriter circular
letter, enclosed, is from the same par
ty. We give the material part of it,
What then was the rupture? Why
this? Brother Wayland claimed the
valuable printing business as his per-
SOLdl pIOpcIUy. w ullSU Uilc NOlOulS Us
claimed it as theirs.
The actual situation was such as
to afford some ground for both of
these claims. The type had been set,
the presses worked, the papers mailed
by Colonists, who received self-deny-
ing wage under the impression that
their labor was purchasing the valu-
able plant, and here was one mem Der
of the colony claiming this va liable
business as his personal property.
And now my thought was, not Alas,
for the Colony! But, alas, alas
for Brother Wayland! You who have
SO strongly, so ersistently, so ably
preached the doctrine of the public
ownership of the means of production
and distribution, chow are the mighty
fallen" that you the founder, leauer,
teacher Of the colony should be the
first to try to place the hand Of the
monopoly upon the means Of produc-
ton. Is it possible that such power.
full preaching should be associated
with such denial in practice?
What do l think about the Colony?
Is it going tc fail? Mol Such is my
emphatic reply. These men are not
built that way. These Colonists are
going to succeed. They are not going
to surrender themselves not only with
the neceSsarieS and comforts of civil
iZatiOn. but also with it's luxuries.
They are going to show to the world
that Com munity can live and pros
per by simple, loyal adherence to the
principles Of Christian socialism
Built on that basis Community is
strong, stronger than any individual
in it. Strong enough to exist and
succeed even though it's strongest per-
sonality should suddenly withdraw.
This is all very pretty; but what
are the facts of the case?
A gentleman, named, J. A. Way
land, having made, according to the
Denver Road,) $3.50, 900 in speculations
in Pueblo, Colorado, settled in In
diana. He had a perfect right to do
what he pleased with his money:-he
could have trebled it in few years
by usury. He realized, despite his
wealth, the sad condition Of the great
mass Of mankind, and he was moved
to do what he could for their relief.
About the same time that THE REP
REsENTATIvE was established, he
started, in Greensburg, an obscure
little village in Indiana, a small 7x9
sheet called The Coming Nation. The
paper contained no advertisements
and would take none. 1t was sold for
fifty cents a year, or ten cents for
three months. 1t was simply a lot Of
sheets Of cheap white paper with the