The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-28
THE OWEN EXPERIMENT
STORY OF THE NEW HARMONY So
CIALTsTIc DREAM REToLD.
A Failure I'm N business Sense, hut the
Foundation of a Mental Growth
That IL still an influence.

fast on one side as IL gains on the other
It's progress is only apparent like the work.
ers of a treadmill." Thus thought Liner
son. but Robert Owen thought IL might DO
made TO advance along definite lines IL only
sufficient leverage could be obtained TO raise
it to the proper plane. At a comparatively
early age he began thinking for himself, or
what we sometimes express by the term
dreaming" as applied to that uneasy men,
tai condition which manifests itself in an
aspiring youth when he feels that something
is radically wrong with this old world Of
ours. that the times are badly out of joint
and that he is the lucky individual who can
suggest the needed remedy.
II is well that 'in the bright lexicon Of
youth there is no such word as fail" and
that there are young men who dream
dreams as well as old men who see visions.
else the world would certainly soon stagnate-
Mr.. Owen not only had theories. but he had
the "audacity" to express those theories.
even IL they did occasionally run counter 20
the accepted dogmas OF the INES. After he
had tried his mental pinions once or twice
he gave his intellectual right hand a good.
hearty shake. thus getting well acquainted
with himself. and soon thereafter entered
the arena to try conclusions with any and
all Corners. He had many a tilt with his
early employer. afterwards his father-in-
law. David Dale, a sober. steady, God-fear-
ing, upright man, and who stood squarely
upon the accepted dogmas and traditions OF
the independent sect to which he belonged.
Mr.. Dale had great breadth Of person, IL not
always of mental view, the latter, as meas
ured by the standard OF higher criticism"
His biographer tells Us that he grew so
portly that for several years he did not so
much as catch d glimpse of bis shoe buckles
as he took his daily constitutional" He
was, as are the majority Of corpulent people.
very philanthropic and benevolent in his
disposition Upon one occasion he was re-
lating to a friend an account of a fall he re-
ceived. in which he said he fell his full
length "And did you also fall your fun
breadth?' inquired his listener. The discus
sions between Mr.. Dale and Robert Owen
often waxed warm. but were always kept
within the bounds Of reason and mutual for
bearance. Although no argumeDt presented
by the brilliant young man could shake the
simple. child-like faith OF the good old gen
tleman. yet he was compelled TO acknowl-
edge that many OF Mr.. Owens ideas were
well founded. He would listen with great
patience 10 his friend, and finally would
smile and end the discussion with the re-
mark: well, thou needst to be very right,
for thou art very positive
UTOPIAN DREAMS
But Mr.. Owen still chung TO his socialists
theories, and while he was spinning cot
ton and weaving cloth at Lanark the shut
tie OF Imagination was running in the men,
tai loom and turning out a web which. al
though subsequent events showed IL 20 be
Of a texture as unsubstantial as a dream,
yet to him at that time II was the genuine
.~ssore 81 roA.-c-I 81 <AX-r1o-r,. -
strength and durability. The opportunity
to test bis doctrines in the new world at
length arrived. The Harmonists had de-
parted: the way was open and the out
look was propitious. After winding UP his
affairs at New Lanark he sailed. in 1s23.
for the United States. and SOON reached
his field of labor-Harmony-which place he
rechristened New Harmony" indicating
that it was henceforth TO be the scene ana
triumph of a social system much broader,
deeper and more comprehensive than that
upon which the Germans had founded
theirs. AT New Lenark Mr.. Owen had la
bored with good success TO inculcate into the
minds of his employees loftier and nobler
ideals of life. Its duties and privileges.
Everywhere were seen the fruits OF his phil
anthropic endeavors in the orderly, we'll
kept houses Of the people. Cleanliness.
thrift and good order had taken the place
of negligence and sometimes squalor. thus
far his efforts on behalf or the working
people had been marked with genuine sue
cess. and this fact doubtless had much to
do with developing that feeling which grew
within him as he contemplated the result
OF his iabors, that, given a wider field. he
might accomplish still greater good in the
same direction, since, whatever limitation =
nature may have put upon him, honesty
of purpose and benevolence Of disposition
were rot among the number. Mr.. Owen
was generous and optimistic to a fault His
generosity Of disposition was quite ire
quently put to the test, as in the case OF
the Duke of Kent, who, like the princes
of his time, required a great deal OF ready
cash to meet expenses. In this connection
we may mention the fact that the Duke OF
Kent frequently presided at Mr.. Owens
London meetings, and that arrangement
were made for the duke, the duchess and
their infant daughter tnow Queen Victoria)
10 visit Mr.. Owen at bis country residence,
.Braxheld Place." near New Lanark but
which was prevented by the unexpected
death OF the duke.
Mr.. Owen had thought out a religious
creed for himself, not dreaming that in the
new world to which he was going the time
had not yet arrived when men could sue
c~essfully become the propagandists or
dogmas which did not harmonize with the
general order OF thinking along theological
lines.
TO REMODEL SOCIETY.
So he set about the task OF remodeling
society upon the basis OF what he con-
ceived to be more enlightened notions. The
harsh features OF the Rapp theology were
avoided-in fact. they had no part in Mr..
| owens generous scheme for the ameliora-
| ton OF the human race. A system OF gov
eminent was formulated. liberal in charac-
| ter; the Fart preservative OF all arts" was
| provided for by the setting up of a printing
press and the periodical issue of a newsps-
| per under able management. In 15 the
New Harmony Gazette was established.
being the first newspaper published in
the State. A number of books were printed
at New Harmony. among them being Nc
C1ure's Opinions" and North American
sylvia" by Michaux. The subject OF educa-
ton received especial attention from Mr.
owen and schools were established far in
advance OF the times and upon broad and
comprehensive principles quite at variance
| with the general methods which prevailed
In adjoining localities. Mr.. Owen was the
father OF the normal idea In Indiana. and