The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-12-31
THE COMMUNAL LIFE.
ATTEMPTS IN THIS COUNTRY no Or
CAME COOPERATIVE COLONIES.

l. 20 Zoarites Once a Wealthy Band
America Fav0rlte Ground for Com
munistic Endeavors-The Onelde COM
munity - The Brook Farm Experiment..
The DISARMAMENT of the Zoar COM
munity in Ohio marks the failure OF
the strongest community ever found
ed and the one that seemed most
prosperous. But the Zoar community
has gone the way that all must tread
in the course of time.
For eighty-one years the Zoarites
have held together, having religious
bond of union, the founders being a
sect from Wurtemburg, In Germany,
called the Separatists.
According to Professor Ely's "The
Labor Movement in America" they
owned several thousand acres of land,
had several manufacturing establish
ments and property valued at 81, 500
900, with membership of 800 souls.
There are so many Of these attempts
to put socialism into practice, and for
the most part they are so lnslSnl1l-
cant and transformations that statistics
are difficult to secure. Yet the best
estimates are that two hundred or
more serious attempts of the kind
have been made in America and not
more than half dozen are in exist
ence. For the most part these are
religious communities, that at Rus
kin, Tenn, being the exception.
These religious societies have been
dwindling in membership, the Shak-
ers having decreased in numbers from
5000 in 1S47 to less than 1000 today.
Discussions among the Amana colon
lists in Iowa seem to be frequent and
it's future seems to be uncertain.
There are also the colonies of Ann
helm and Riverside in California and
at Greeley in Colorado. recently
made, that have had an suspicious be-
ginning, though their future is I'M
certain, Judging by the experience of
other organizations of the same kind
in the past.
A review of the various expert
ments that have been made in Ameri-
ca would require q good-sized book.
America has been a favorite ground
for such attempts, largely made by
those from the old world, who sought
more freedom and a relief from the
burdensome conditions of the old
world life in q new country. Among
the earliest were the Labadists in
Maryland, 1634-l722; Johann Kelpius
colony of "The Woman in the Wilder
ness" in what is now Philadelphia,
1695-1704; the Bunker celibates at
Ephrata in Lancaster county, Penn,
sylvania, 1913, and community at
Snow Hill, near Harrisburg.
The Shakers in America date from
1774 and maintain their organization
to this day, though their complete
success is questioned and there have
been assertions recently and few con,
verts. The Harmonists, established
in 1857, first settled in Pennsylvania,
then went to Indiana, and later tC
Economy, Penn, where they remained
until split in the society few years
ago.
The Oneida, or Perfectionists, es,
tablished by John Humphrey Noyes,
at Oneida, N. Y, in 1881, dissolved
and now exists only as a joint-stocl
company for managing its wealth. o.
other religious communities that have
not been significant there are score:
such as those at Brockton, N. Y.
Hopedale, Mass; Mountain Cove
} the Oakesites, Aueora, Oregon; Beth
ell, Missouri, and others that are no
Of great interest.
Fourierism, or the doctrines O
, Fourier, the French socialist, who be
lieved that industry should be carried
on by isolated communities, made 6
great impression through the brillian
writings Of it's founder. Over thirty
, four phalanxes were organized il
' America and they have all failed. TIL
most brilliant was Brook Farm, whicl
will live in literature as well as his
tory, because its members included
Emerson, Charming, Cana, Margare
Fuller, Theodore Parker, William
) Curtis and other geniuses scarcel,
less well known, who in the enthusi
asm of their youth believed they wer
about to reform the world. Begin
, ming as cooperative farm, it becam
| a Fourieristic community. The bes
brains of New England discusse
philosophy, MIXED cows and hoed pc
tatoes until the members tired of tn
life after five years of the monotonou
> existence.
A different class are those commu
mites that have been founded durin
the last thirty years. These numbe
about sixty, and have been for til
most part formed by socialists VIII
wished to put their theories into prac
; tice on O small scale. Lacking the re
| ligious bond, though, they have some
times succeeded for while, in the en-
,, they have failed. The Icaria colony
one of the largest, founded by til
French and dating back twenty year