Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-06-24
MIR. DEBs's UTOPIA.

The New York World in Its Issue OF
June Goth devotes page to the coloni.
ration scheme OF Mr.. Eugene V.
Debs, OF which the press OF the cauL-
try has had much to say lately. Two
lettera. one from Governor Heber M.
Wells OF Utah, and one from q. vernon
}. X. Rogersoi Washington, in Ielel-
ence to the subject, Will be- read with
Interest. Governor Wells regards the
project as utopian. Hessyi:
Tho Debs- Bellamy plan OF coloniza-
ton ana co-opera ion in, This s ATE IL re-
garded here as chimerlcal. This STATE
offers extraordinary Inducements 20
home-seekers who desire 10 become
acl uaI settlers and ullers of the soil.
There Is considerable unoccupieu land
which nay DO reclaim ed by irrigation
from Its present desert character ny tho
construction Of reservoirs Tor impound-
ing the waters and OF irrigation canals.
This requires capital. Tue. agricultural
lands OF the Safe where water may be
more readily Obtained for irrigation are
already taken up. The CONSTRUCTION OF
such reservoir plants Tor feclaiming arid
lands IL a far more diticult ana expen-
sive undertaking than the Debs people
seem 10 realize, 80 far us may be judged
from any statement made public.
The scheme Of building up u commun-
lily upon cooperative plan without
capital Is not practical unless the people
undertaking II are ac,uated by the most
unseltish motives aud aie willIng 10 con-
secrate their labors for the prosperity
and general advancement OF ,he COM
munily instead Of the individual.
The Mormon people in early days in
tah ,a.rri lad IN "a,
system with success, because a religious
motive which they regarded as divine in
spired them. The followers oil DeDs have
apparently no such seli-sacrihcing in
terest upon which 10 anchor their pro-
jecl, ana in my opinion ii they settle here
within brief time their community
would disinIregate and their co-opetaive
plan result in failure. For these reasons
our people do no. approve Debs's pro-
ject. HEBER NJ. WELLS,
Governor.
Governor Rogers sends q blbiica,
message to Wall street. He writes:
do not know what Debs and Boil
lainy's plan is in fun, therefore 1 cannot
say how 1t may be regarded; but in general
1 will say that am in favor of any plan
consistent with our laws which promises
to aineliorate the conditions surrounding
the poorer Glasses, now enormously In
creasing in numbers.
Something must DO done for these peo-
pie, and the comfortable classes, in OPP
posing any and every plan OF relief pro-
posed, are simply sitting on the safety
valve.
advise Wall street to read Ezekiel,
chapter xvi, verses 40 and 50, and learn
why Sodom was given is baptism of fire
and birthstone.
n RnarDs Gnynr,x
The verses from Ezekiel referred TO
are:
Behold, this was the iniquity OF tiny
sister Sodom, pride, tuluess OF bread,
and abundance OF idleness was in her
and In her daughters, neither did she
strengthen The baud OF the poor and
needy.
And they were naughty, and COM
mitted abominalion before me: there
fore look them away as saw good.
We do not G0ow enough VI tho
Dsbs plan to judge OF Its supposed
peculiss merits, but there can be no
doubt o. the truth OF the view .x-
pressed b. U,ah's Governor, that
no cooperative plan without
capital Is practical. unless
tho people Interested are aclu-
ated by the most unset iish nectlves.
Does Mr.. Debs hope to bring logelhe,
thousands Of people willins to co ns,-
crate thu mselves for the benefit OF the
new community?
According to the article in the
World, the project is 10 colonizs o state
with enough vo,ers t. capture the en-.
lire governmental machinery. Thh
lone the state is to be transferred into
isocisl community. Retreats, tele-
usph lines aud other GLASSES of bus,-