The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-09-05

included about 80 men, women and
children, both nearly out of debt, far
more prosperous than any but n few
OF the individual farmers of the region,
were far better informed of the great
movements of the world, were educat-
Ing their children upon n system much
superior to that of the surrounding
| schools, and altogether a thrifty, intel
ligent and contented community. They
have no church nor religion, the indi-
viduals being permitted to have their
| own opinions upon such matters, and
the whole basis of the organization is
an ideal system of industrial econo-
| mics.
CONFIDENT, BUT WRONG.
The history of these societies is of
| the liveliest interest in connection with
| the Debs- -Bellamy movement, as the
original organization was inspired by
identical ideas,an the prophecy that 1t
would convert the world to it's way of
thinking was made with a confidence
equal to the prophecy of Debs.
More than 60 years ago Etienne
| CADET, of Dijon, France, the son of
cooper, student of medicine and of
| law, became infatuated with the idea
| of the Social Democracy, went to
Paris, plunged into revolutionary pro-
paganda. and was in the thick of the
uprising of 1890. Under Louis Philippe
he was Procureur Generate for Cor
| sica, but his radical theories soon
brought about his removal. His for
mer constituency of the Cote dor
| elected him a deputy to the Corps Leg
| islatif, and he made that body ring
| with his denunciations of all govern
| ment which precluded the accomplish
| ment of perfect equality and freedom
| OF opportunity. He was placed under
| arrest, and was given the alternative
| OF two years Imprisonment or five
| years exile. He chose the latter, and
| 1885 saw him a refugee in England.
In his study of English books he
came upon the Utopia" of Sir Thomas
| Moore, and this was the basis of his
voyage en- Icarie." Like the "Uto-
| pia," it embodied a description of the
ideal republic in actual operation. The
| plan was the true Communist one of
From each according to his ability, to
| each according to his necessity" CHA
Gun pour tous, tous pour chasun."
CADETS COMMONWEALTH.
Returning to Paris after the term of
his exile was ended CADET began the
publication of lie Populaire, and in this
| paper he advanced his grand scheme
for the establishment Of the ideal re-
public, to be called "Icarie." Passing
over the period during which he excit-
ed his impressibe constituency to
fever heat, one comes to the practical
| form of the movement, which is upon
aIl la
| scheme
CADET decided to establish his CO.
| operative commonwealth in Texas. At
that time agents of railroad and land
companies overran Europe for the pur-
pose of inducing purchases of land and
promoting immigration CADET engaged
| to take up land which had been grant
&c in Texas, and thousands of follow
ers, imbued with his enthusiasm and
| excited by his constant iteration in LIE
Populaire of the cry. "Allons en-
Icarie," agreed to accompany him to
| the new paradise.
An advance guard of SO Icarians sail
ed from Havre for New Orleans on the
Sd of February, 1S4S, and arrived on
the 9th of March. There exciting news
| awaited them. A faster vessel than
| their own had left France later and
| arrived earlier than they, with the in
| formation that the government of
Louis Philippe had been overthrown,
and a second republic established.
| Aroused to a high pitch Of enthusiasm
by this information, many of the lea
rians expressed determination to re-
turn to France at once, believing that
the new regime would soon usher in
the genuine social democracy, and that
all France would be their field. The
Icarlans who remained in France were
rendered lukewarm towards the Amer
lean enterprise by the revolution at
home. There national workshops were
speedily established upon a plan sug-
| gested by Louis Blanc, and at the fail
ure of which the government after
wards connived.
DECLINE IN ENTHUSIASM
In June, when the second party
sailed, only 90 persons could be found
who were willing to turn their backs
on their native land with it's new and
glorious prospects for regeneration.
m the meantime serious trouble had
arisen in the Texas camp. 1t required
a distressing journey from New Or
leans to reach the selected region, and
when 1t was found the wretched dis
covcry was made than the 1000 900
acres bargained for could only be Sc
cured as they were actually settled,
and that they were not In one grand.
united area, but in alternate half Sec
tions. This. of course, was fatal to the
rurpcse, for the community could not
possibly succeed isolated from each
other in small groups. with aliens re-
siding on the Intervening half sections.
To complete the wreck OF the Texas
| Icaria a virulent fever attacked the
struggling advance guard. and the later
comers met those who still lived and
could get away In full retreat toward
New Orleans. In that city a little later
all the Icarians were for the first time
united. They counted noses, compared
notes and took an inventory They