The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-25
LOCATING ALTRURIA.
Debs Thinks He and the A. II. U. Can
Find 1t in the West.

New York Post.
There have been many descriptions Of
ideal comm onwealths, some of which have
been so attractive as to have excited strong
yearningS among mortals weary of toll and
care and strife. But unfortunately these
ideal communities have all suffered under
a common difficulty. They have been in
variably located in inaccessible situations
or under unreal conditions. Plato did not
fit his republic into any known geographical
limits. Augustine described a heavenly
kingdom which in our materialstic age
rington wrote of an Oceana; our own Don
nelly has depicted a new Atlantis. Even
the practical and prosaic Bellamy whose
ARRANGEMENTS for unctuOuS comfort and
sensual qualification seemed almost sufti-
cient to transform heavenly paradise into
an earthly one, was so tantallZlng as 10
postpone the realization of his scheme to
a period when no one now living Will be
alive Among all these prophets J1acrc seems
to have been a perverse unanimity in plant
ing their ideal commemorative where no
one could get at them for the purposes of
actual observation and inspection, to say
nothing Of habitation.
sagacity and courage, has resolved TO put
an end to this reproach. Weary OF his
fruitless and disheartening attempts to defy
the state and national authorities and to
overcome the settled convictions of the ma
jority of his fellow-citizens, he has boldly
determined to locate Altruria and to call on
settlement Of this heretofore undiscovered
country. He counts on million of these
as contributors, but it is essential to his
plan that they should become genuine colo
nists The boundless West, he tells US, Is
sparely settled and has fabulous resources.
Land can be procured and the unemployed
set to work on cooperative principles, thus
recognizing the brotherhood of man as a
fact in nature which lin obedience to nat
ural law will form the basis Of the new life,
from which, it is confidently DelleVed, there
will spring higher nobler civilization.
The "boundless West however, would
be open to the objection of indefinite boun-
f11, 1ElNr 11ICf rlT
several regions have been considered with
a view to more definite location. Utah has
it's advantages, but the ASSOCIATIONS are not
agreeable. 1t was formerly selected by a
peculiar people that wished to sever Itself
from a sordid and sceptical world but the
world refused to tolerate its peculiaritieS,
and finally compelled it to submit TO con-
VentionaI rules Of morality. California has
been thought of, but here most palnIul
and unexpected difficulty has been encoun-
tered. The San Francisco Examiner mas
protested against establishing AItfurla IN
California Mr.. Debs had perhaps incau-
tiously, stated the altrulsuc programme IN
very definite terms. He observed OF his
after we have colonized the chosen
State we should, at the end of a year or
two, be able to elect a legislature and state
officers. call state constitutional conven-
ton, and change the organic lay OF the
State in such manner as 10 permit the
use of the state funds and give US authority
in the trial of the theory or state co-opera-
The Examiner. instead of rejoicing over
this prospect, took decidedly plutocratic
view OF il. 1t had heartily supported Mr..
Debs in his attempts TO revolutionize our
railway system, but 1t objects to revolution
ling California. That State. it complains,
has billions of dollars worth Of accumu-
lated property and 1T would be u very
serious matter to try to change the whole
structure of society in a State like this"
1t accordingly suggests that Nevada,
Wyoming or Idaho should be chosen for
Mr. Debs's field OF experiment.
On the whole. Mr. Debs seems to have
acted wisely in avoiding an evil and adult
ferrous generation and turning his attention
to a community whare a majority OF the