The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-17

The Most Promising Communists Expert
ment Ends In Failure.

From the Inter Ocean.
The longest lived and undoubtedly
the most nearly successful experiment
ever made in the Western hemisphere
with pure communism came to an END
when, late yesterday afternoon, Judge
III. M. Towner, in the district court. en-
tered an order discharging the receiver
Of the New Icarian community. and
formally declaring the business of the
community wound up.
CADET, a scientific Communist, tried to
found his first colony in France, but
the government of Louis Philippe was
opposed to such experiments. m its
opposition forced the Icarians. as the
adherents OF the new communistic doc
trines called themselves. to 20 to the
new world. The Icarians went first
to Texas, where they were offered an
area. az large as a good-sized French
department for their experiment. Their
emissaries. after looking over the pros
pect. decided against IL. and went back
to New Orleans. Here they were Joined
by others. and at last. when the Nor
mons left their seat at Nauvoo. I'LL, the
Icarians. who had brought considerable
money with them. bought the old Nor
mon holdings and secured from the IL
linois legislature a charter granting
them special privileges and immunities.
About 1000 french enthusiasts Joined
them, CADET at their head. He was
practically dictator of the community;
for years no question was raised as to
his authority. and so long as he was IN
charge all went well. The community
grew and prospered, and there was
peace and plenty.
But the country round about was
settled up by people who saw no charm
In the communistic doctrines. Shrewd
Yankees. who. far from believing that
the community should own everything,
considered IL their mission to possess
themselves individually of the largest
possible wealth, pressed about the lit
tie settlement. The new generation of
Icarians was brought up constantly
confronted by the striking contrast be-
tween their own plain, simple. frugal
living and the comparative luxury and
independence of the better classes of
their neighbors.
Discussions arose. CADET had given
up his dictatorial powers n granted
a charter under which the community
by ballot annually elected a sort of di-
~rectorate. After experience with this
plan h found 1t a failure; individual
ism was everywhere creeping in. He
demanded that the elected directorate
be abolished, and that he be vested
with power to appoint directors. But he
was defeated: the rising tide of individ-
ualistic ideas beat ever harder and
more fiercely upon the little islet of
communism. At last a schism came;
CADET and his minority of followers
withdrew and established another coll
ony at Cheltenham. Mo-, a few miles
from st. Louis. 1t lasted a few years.
and dissolved.
Two or three years before this schism
CADET. realizing that his social order
could never be maintained in the midst
of a great community. inspired by what
he considered the s~elfishness OF In
~dividualism, had concluded that he must
transplant his communistic seed to
some new region far beyond the con-
fines OF civilization and, fondly believ-
ing that civilization would not pene-
trate far beyond the Mississippi for
generations to come. he sent agents to
western Iowa seeking a location. They
came to Adams county. and three miles
east of what is now the town of Cor
ming found the ideal tract-4,0o0 acres
of rich land in a country almost utterly
uninhabited. CADET came out, examin-
ed the situation. and ordered the land
pre-empted and purchased. This was
in 1853. The first case on the court dock
ct Of Adams county Is a record OF mat
tiers concerning this community. The
new community grew fast and prosper-
ed. After the division of the Nauvoo
community II grew still more rapidly.
But once more the delicate plant that
must draw it's nourishment from such
intangible sources as a belief In the alb
straction of human equality. or a deep
seated conviction that ones neighbor IL
as good as ones self. found its roots
crowded and starved in the soil of m
bition and individualism. The younger
Icarians looked around them and saw
that. while they had but an indefinite
- a-Assgll~ -s-l1 q. sAAf~
ty. there were men among their neigh
bors who. with seemingly less toll and
effort than they were required to put
forth, in few years anne to own lands
as extensive as all the estate of Icaria.
They longed for the freedom of COM
petition and individual effort and indi-
vidual merit. Each was jealous OF the
other, for each felt that he was contrib
uting a larger share of labor h was
compensated by the portion of the
whole product obtained by him. And
so. in 1886. there was another division.
the land was partitioned. and the COM
munity divided with Il. After this there
was the Old Icarian community and
the New 1carian community.
After a year or two the old COM
munity disbanded and divided its prop
erty among its surviving members. The
new Icaria fiourished a number OF
years. but II could not Withstand the
disintegrating influences from without.
Troubles arose. disagreements that
could not be settled.
The younger and more capable MEM
bers withdrew. and at last. on Feb. Is.
1896. application was made for a re-
ceiver.
The es sential principles OF CADETS
communism were equality and fraterni-
~. The executive officers elected an
nually could not perform the slightest
act without the authority of the socie-
ty. Every half year the goods needed
by the community were bought whole
sale by the directors. M each had 20
make known his wants before the time
Of purchase. Strictest fidelity TO the
marriage vow and homo TO wives were
points of their creed. Government was
purely democratic.
In religion they held to the relig-
ion of Christianity In its primitive pur-
ity and its fundamental principle OF fra
ternity of men and of peoples" SUNDAY