The herald., 1897-07-11
BELLAMY'S
EQUALITY"
The Author of "LOOking
Backward" Speaks
DIPS INTO THE FUTURE
EURTHER THAN HUMAN EYE
CAN SEE
DIPS INTO THE FUTURE
The Fate Of Those Who Will Not
Work-Clothes to Be of Paper and
Laundries Will Be No More

4fg Backward one of the most widely
read books of the decade, in this new
work introduces us again to his char
aoter, Julian West, who may be called
the modern Rip Van Wrinkle, going to
sleep as he did in 1887. and waking up
some 113 years later. So ample was Mr..
Bellamy's material so rich is his imagi
native power, that Looking Backward"
scarcely gave him room to turn in. He
now, therefore, takes up the theme
again. and presents to the reader an
Extraordinary array of topics concern
ing the social, political and moral we'll
being of mankind. OF course we have
the dreaming over again, but Mr.. Bel
lainy very considerably expands his
field and introduces many new wonders.
Equality" is graver in character than
was Looking Backward" more given to
extended dissertations on the most COM
plex of social subjects AS there must
be a physical life which ministers to
the higher moral one, necessarily Mr..
Bellamy introduces more or less anus
ingly the domestic conditions of those
who are to live century hence. You
may take the highest conception OF the
ideal man and woman, and in consider
ing them must come down to peculiari-
ties of dress and speculate ae to how his
lor her food is to be served. In Mr.. Bel
1amy's Utopia there will be no soap, no
iron pots and possibly no beef or NUT
ton. We shall have advanced far be-
yond the coarse carnivorous stage. one
will probably tumble every now and
then from his empyrean and strike that
clod, the earth, but in the main hia'state
will be Utopian.
Exactly century ago appeared that
famous book of Samuel Johnsons
"Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia," and we
have been repeating the scheme of that
work ever since, only the doctor kept
more particularly to the moral nature OF
the man he improved, and was ind1ffer-
ent about giving him any novel sur
roundings.
Mr.. Bellamy's treatment of his topics
can best be indicated in few extracts
Y from his book--as many as 1t seems
proper to make having regard for the
rights of the publishers, and here are
half score:
THOSE WHO WILL NOT WORK
'If any one shall refuse to do his or her
part toward the main tenance OF the social
order he shall not be allowed to partake
of its benefits. 1t would obviously not be
fair to the rest that he should do so. But
as to compelling him to work against his
will by force, such an idea would be abhor-
rent to our people. The service of society
is above all, a service of honor, and all its
associations are what you used to call
chivalrous. Even as in your day soldiers
would not serve with skulkers. but
drummed towards out of the camps, SO
would, our workers refuse the companion
ship of persons openly seeking to evade
their civic duty
But what do you do with such per-
sons?''
'If an adult, being neither criminal nor
insane, should deliberately and tixedly re-
fuse to render his quota of service in any
way, either in a chosen occupation or, on
failure to choose, in an assigned one he
would be furnished with such collection
of seeds and tools as he might choose and
turned loose on reservation expressly
prepared for such persons, corresponding
little, perhaps, with the reservations set
apart for such Indians in your day as were
unwilling to accept civilization. There he
would be left to work out better solution
of the problem of existence than our So
ciety offers, if he could do so. We think
we have the best possible social system,
but If there is a better We want to know 1t,
so that we may adopt it, We encourage
the spirit of experiment.
PAPER CLOTHES AND NO WASHING
1--WE don't think it nice to wear clothes
again after they have been so much soiled
as to need washing"
"Well. l don't say that 1 am surprised"
l replied. I'm fact, think 1 am no longer
capable of being surprised at anything;
but perhaps you will kindly tell me what
you do with dress when 1t becomes
soiled?"
1--WE throw 1t away-that Is, it goes back
to the mills to be made into something
else'
Indeed! To my nineteenth century in
tellect throwing away clothing would seem
even more expensive than washing it,"
'Oh, no; much less SO. What do you sup
pose now this costume of mine cost?"
II don't know I'm sure. l never had
wife to pay dressmaker's bills for but L
should say certainly it cost great deal of
money"
Such a costume costs from 10 to 20
cents said Edith "What do you suppose
1t is made Off"
took the edge of her mantle between my
fingers
'I thought it was silk or fine linen," re-
piled, 'but see it is not. Doubtless it is
some new fibre"
1--WE have discovered many new fibres
but it is rather a question of process than
material that 1 had in mind. This is not a
textile fabric at all. but paper That is
the most common material for garments
nowadays"
NO IRON POTS
The crash of crockery and glass, which
seems to have been sort of running ac-
compartment to housekeeping in your day,
is no more heard in the land. Our dishes
and kettles for eating and cooking. when
they need cleaning. are thrown away: or
rather as in the case of all these rejected
materials I have spoken Of sent back to
the factories ito be reduced again to pulp
and made over into other FORMS"
But you certainly do not use paper ket-
ties? Fire will still burn, 1 fancy, although
you seem to have changed most of the
other rules we went by
Fire will still burn, indeed; but the
electrical heat has been adopted for cook
ing as well as for all other purposes, We
no longer heat our vessels from without
but from Within and the consequence is
that we do our cooking In paper vessels
on wooden stoves. even as the savages used
to do 1t In birch-bark vessels with hot
stones. for. so the philosophers say, his
tory repeats itself in an ever-ascending
spiral"
FASHION DETHRONED
''The dressmaking department holds its
vast provision Of fabrics and machinery at