The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-30
DEBs' UTAH UTOPIA SCHEME.

If a story published in the Chicago
Record and sent out through the Asso-
ciated Press dispatches is to be credit
ed, then Utah is to be the mecca of an
industrial army this summer And if
the aim of the army be as stated by
the Record it is to a genuine industrial
army and not mere aggregation of
buns" such as the armies that in
tested the state three years ago were.
This army that is coming to Utah is
the offspring of the brain of the mighty
Debs. 1t is to come to the state and
start great cooperative community.
There are to be no drones among these
busy bees; neither is there to be any
lawlessness. 1t is stated there will be
no city councils to do business with
when public improvements are needed,
and the people decide that they are
needed. If this new army can devise
a means for abolishing city councils.
the people of every city and town in
the state will arise and call them
blessed.
This new commonwealth is to be
organized along Socialistic lines. The
means of production and distribution
are to be the common property of the
community, and may be used by every
member thereof. Undoubtedly the de-
sire to use the common property will be
much stronger than the ambition to
produce it.
1t is extremely doubtful whether this
scheme is to be considered seriously or
not. 1t is true that Debs has been
vaporing about such a commonwealth
as is here described, but it was always
in the clouds. So far as the people of
Utah know, not the least prepare ton
in the world has been made for loca-
ton for this commonwealth; and a
location is the very first requisite. Not
even Debs would think of establishing
his ideal community on those lands
that are already occupied and owned
by individuals. Were the Indian reser-
vations open to settlement land for
this experiment could very easily be
obtained. If Debs or any one else
could bring into the state a thousand
or two thousand or ten or twenty
thousand genuine home-seekers who
wished to live in Utah and help build
her up. to become part of the people,
he would confer a blessing upon the
state; and their coming would be hailed I
by the people of the state. But to bring
into the state a large colony with the /.
idea that a socialistic community can
be successfully established is a most !
visionary scheme. To show how utterly /
impracticable these schemes are it is |
only necessary to cite the very recent |
failure of the Bellamyite colony in |
California. If Debs proposes to march /
in here an industrial army several !
thousand strong, such an army as was
General Kellys and General /
Smiths, he should not be allowed to if /
It is possible to prevent him.
There are not wanting signs of a re-
vival of the industrial army movement /
hat spread over the country three
years ago. 1t assumed such proportions
hat in some sections it became quite
menace and in all a great nuisance
It should not be allowed to assume the
same proportions again but should be
tipped in the bud just as soon as the
oud is developed enough to tell what
Kind of fruit it is going to bring forth.
n the meantime there is very little
'ause to worry over Deb's Utah Utopia
scheme