Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-06-24
SOCIAL DEMOCRACY.
The Officers Elected for the Co
Operative Commonwealth.
The NEGRO UTOPIA A FAILURE.
Thirteen COl0red Persons Arrive at New
York and speak Against the Scheme to
COlOnixe Liberia-Flsmmer's De-
serti0n Of His Charges.

y
of America last night the following Of
ficers were elected: Il. V. Debs, chair.
man, Sylvester Koliher, secretary;
James Hogan, vice president; William
+. Burns, general organizer. The d.
rcctors who chose these officers, and
were themselves elected at the meeting
In the afternoon, are: +. V. Debs, Syl-
vester koliher, James Hogan, William
4. Burns and Leroy Goodwin. The
salary of the officers was placed at 500
per month.
At the afternoon meeting the con.
stitution Of the social democracy,
which had been published was form
ally ratified and adopted. Mr.. Debs
explained at length the aims and pur-
poses OF the cooperative common
wealth. A colony should be sent to
Washington, from which place he said
an official invitation had been received.
After establishing the colony he would
secure control of the politics of the
state and start the cooperative com
monwealth. 1.-THE first thing we would
do after getting control" he said,
would be to call special session Of
the Legislature. Then we would call a
convention to revise the constitution
and get all the rot out of it, We will
have control of the taxing power and
run tax syndicates and land sharks out
of the state. Persons shall be taxed
according to their means and shall
have according to their needs. We
will have trusts, nothing but trusts in
our state, but we will all be in
the trust. The operatives will not
work IL or IA hours day, but four or
five. These men who represent the
new life are going to unite as if by |
magic for the overthrow of commercial
ism in the establishment of the CO.
operative commonwealth by which
the brotherhood of man will become
a fact. do not know whether this |
question will be solved peaceably or
otherwise. | hope peaceably. But
am one of those who believe in get
ting ready for any solution that may
be necessary" Mr. Debs said in that
setting up the cooperative common
wealth in Washington the colonists
night be running up against the SUI
,reme court. He would consult good
awyers and learn just what the rights
# the colonists were. 1--WE want to
snow our rights" he said, land make
hem the rebels. If they send the mil.
tary to invade our rights then there
will be an army Of 100000 patriots on
he state line to meet them on that
ssue."
THE NEGRO UTOPIA A FAILURE.
New YORK, June ~ Thirteen col
red persons, who formed a part of the
90 sent to Liberia by the International
Emigration society in March, 1895, ar
lived in this port yesterday aboard the
hip Liberia. They say that the
cheme has been a total failure; that
lany Of their number died of starva-
ion and fevers; that the society did
OF fulfill the contract, and many mem
ers of the expedition are stranded in
'ngland, unable to get back to their
ONES. The plan of the African colo
ization scheme originated largely in
,94, in the mind of Bishop Turner,
'ho was travelling in the south, and
AS carried into effect by Gere
IcMillan, a white man of Birming-
am, Ala, who founded what was
nown as the international Emigra-
on society" The advance guard, in
large of D. |. johnson, of Hot Springs,
rk., in November, 1894, started for
iberia. With him was committee
, make arrangements for the colonists.
he first large party of colonists, num-
ering 200, left Savannah, Ca, In
arch 1895, for their new home, and
fter that several smaller parties
lined them. Twenty-Five acres of land
" each adult and ten acres for each
lid were promised, and on landing
lch person was to be provided with q
ariel of -four, two barrels of meat, a
lantity of sugar and a complete set of
lrming implements. D. X. Flammer,
resident of the society, accompanied
lie emigrants. According to the stories
lid by those who have returned, when
icy landed in Liberia Flammer de-
rted them, taking whatever was pro-
ded for them except the land, which
ley found S5 miles from any town, l
I'd which was incapable Of growing
lything but coffee. Even to grow
lis successfully would take four to six
,ars. Charles Peterson, Of Madison, ,
rk., with his wife and family, is
nong those who returned yesterday. 9
G says that he lost all he had in GO
* over and was nearly dead of star ]
ltion before he could raise enough
oney to return. Charles Moore, .
hose family lives in Mississippi, said
lie emigrants could find nothing to do.
he natives, who wore no clothes and ,
'uld live on little or nothing, did all ,
he work for starvation WAGES.