The Topeka state journal., 1897-06-25
co.oPERATIVE scHEMEs.


| believe said l. B. Buckley of Cincin-
natl, who was at the Planters yesterday,
but I think he and his associates will
have some difficulty in running the Co
| operative commonwealth which they will
soon establish in Utah. The cohesive
principle that has held together the Onei-
da community in New York and nearly
| all other like cooperative concerns is re
| ligion; but this element of eohesiveness
| will be lacking in the Debs experiment.
| IF you tumble together a number Of
| old-fashiOned 'hard-shelP Baptists, some
enterprising Methodists. several strict
| Presbyterians, and then throw into the
community a few anarchists and Social
| lists, with an infdeI or two on the side,
and the tower Of Babel won't be in it. for
! confusion. Instead of one creed, and one
only, acting as a cohesive power for the
/ community, the friction of a number Of
! creeds will certainly tend toward disin-
tegration.
| However, earnestly hope that Debs
! will succeed. No harm can come Of his
making a trial His aim is noble. I
know of a large number of influential
men in mercantile and professional pur-
suits who would not. for the world, have
their names connected with Debs' CO.
operative plans, but who are deeply in
| terested and from the bottom of their
hearts desire to see the enterprise sue
ceed. And if subscriptions were called
for these men would clandestineIy sub
scribe money. They believe that the pre-
vailing unrest is dangerous for our So
cial fabric, and they are willing to sup
port Debs enterprise as an experiment.
Speaking of cooperative communi-
ties continued Mr.. Buckley, 'Ohio has
furnished one of the finest examples. The
little colony which established the village
of zoar in a beautiful valley in Tuscara-
was county, Ohio, in no way resembles
any other sect known in the United
States. This village only had from 800 to
500 inhabitants for years, but a great
many other members of the community
lived on farms in the country round
about. They are known as Zoarites. They
left Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1917, ow>
ing to religious persecution, and came to
America to find religious freedom, the
same as did the Puritans. But the gov
erning ideas of the Zoarites were far diff
ferent from the blue laws of early New
Englanders. The Zoarites were liberal in
a great many respects. Joseph Biemler.
a religious enthusiast, headed the colony
and brought it to this country. They land
ed at Philadelphia, Pa. From the Quak-
ers of that city they bought on long
credit $500 acres of land in Tuscarawas
county, Ohio. They took possession in the
middle of the winter of 1817-18 They We're
almost destitute OIL farming utensils,
food and the necessaries of life. The coun-
try was a dense forest, and animals of
prey abounded. The coIonists lived in
bark huts and log shanties. But they
cleared their farms and raised corn and
potatoes as the chief articles of diet.
They had no trouble in storing away ven
ison and all kinds of wild meat Men and
women alike worked in the fields. Today
the descendants of these colonists own
thousands of acres of the most fertile
land and the valley blossoms like a rose
garden. They are large holders of gov
ernment bonds and bank and railroad
stocks, and are worth several millions of
dollars.
1.-The religion of the Zoarites as estab-
Hshed by Biemler, their first leader, was
founded on the belief in the simplicity,
purity and celibacy Of Jesus Christ. This
doctrine was the only law of the colony
at first Therefore, Biemler taught the
doctrine of celibacy as one of the cardinal
principles of the colony, and nobody was
to marry. But in time little crying babes
were found on doorsteps and in all sorts
of places. At the end of the first five
years Bienler issued a decree that each
man should take unto himself a wife,
and it is safe to say that there was never
an edict of Car or trade of Sultan more
quickly obeyed. Today the zoarites are
a moral, honest people, of simple tastes
and frugal habits.
Biemler used to preach to the Zoarites
every Sunday. Since his death his print
ed sermons have been read from the pull
pit every Sunday. The burial services are
totally devoid of ostentation. The body
is put into a rough box, covered with
straw, and at night is lowered into the
grave. The relatives and friends never
ask and never know the location of the
grave. The mourners never show any
outward signs of grief.
1.-THE colony manufactures many odd
and unique articles, after the style of
Germans. Each member of the commun-
ity is entitled to his share of these goods,
as everything is owned in common. ANY,
body can join the community, but he is
not obliged to stay. One who joins must
agree to stay one year, and if dissatisfied
he then leaves and takes away what he
brought with him. If he is contented he
then stays a second year, when he be-
comes a member of the community. but
is not allowed to vote. At the beginning
of the third year, if he has any property.
he deeds it to the society, but if he then
leaves he can not take anything with
him After the third year of probation
he can vote The society has learned that
recruits from among poor people are the
best, because they remain the longest.
Both men and women vote. The young
men born in the society begin to vote
when 21 years old, and the young women
at Is, which are also the ages when they
sign the constitution of the society. The
society is governed by one man. who fills
the place once occupied by Biemler, and
is assisted by three trustees. These Off
GERS serve during good behavior, and
there has never been one who did not
serve a lifetime.
1.-THE society runs dairy, a woolen
mill. grist mill a planning mill and
foundry and furnace. No cotton fabrics
are used. but pure white linen is the
vogue. and is woven by themselves. Fine