The Washington times., 1901-07-29

I
York May 49, 17ii, arriving there Augu.
6, 177i.
The Shaker denomination in the Unite
states is composed at present of seven
teen societies. Each of these. as we haV
seen, is divided into two or more familie.
Bat this division is simply for convenienc
and does not indicate the spiritual statu
of the member as related to the body
| The government Is vested in a Centra
Executive Boar1 called the Ministry. Thi
is composed of four persons-two of eac
| seN-and has jurisdiction over all the so
| cieties. Yet every organized communit
| or family in society has two eide
| brethren and two elder sisters. who haV
charge of the spiritual affairs. and tw,
| o,acons and two deaconesses, who hav
| charge of the temporalities. All othe
| positions Of care and trust are filled afte
| the same dual order
The Shakers believe in and worship
one God, the Almighty Creator of heavci
! ana earth the Fountain of eternal light
| love and goodness; one in essence, dua
| in principles: Father and Mother mani
tested and expressed in humanity. anC
IN all the beauties and sublimities of tn,
physical world To know the Divine WI
! and Wisdom, and to obey the law of righ
| teousness and truth in the Spirit of tn.
Christ, as revealed in Jesus and Ann. is
Mother Ann taught. Put your hands to
work. and give your hearts to God 'To
40 TINS, she said, in sincerity and truth
is the essence of worShip' -
of the other societies and communities
DR.. Kent saws:
The 'Amana' is, the corporate name of
what is otherwise known as The Commu-
nifty of True Inspiration 1t had its ORR
GIN in Germany in the early part of the
eighteenth century. 1t did not however.
begn as communistic society, but as a
religious body, having for its distinguish
ing doctrine the affirmation that inspira-
tion belongs to the present not less than
TO the past, and that Gvd is always ready
TO declare his word and will to men and
women who are ready to hear and do.
This was the teaching of mystics and
pletlsts generally, but this particular So
ciety grew out of the labors of j. F. Rock
ana T. l.. Gruber. in Hesse Germany, and
oates back to the year 17l4. Many who
fcit the hollowness and formality OF the
existing church eagerly embraced this
teaching, which opened the way, as they
fel.. to personal communion with the
highest, and to life of diyinest fellow
ship and happiness
The Harmony Society, like the Sepa-
ratsts of Zoar. has had an interesting
ana remarkable history. Unlike Zoar it
mas been able up to date to cope success
fully with the elements seeking its disso-
lutlon and share in its property, al
though the membership at the present
writing has been reduced to nine These
nine, however, are able to pay from the
income of their property s125.O annually
TO Keep up their little village A large
part OF this. of course, goes TO pay taxes,
Tor the State of Pennsylvania regards the
governs itself accordingly. Mr. Nordhoff,
writing of this society, gives the number
OF persons in 1874 as 110, most of whom
are aged, and none under forty Mr..
FINDS, In 1873. puts 1t at 100, and says
few are under sixty. though in 1925 it
had thousand inhabitants When we
consider that these people adopted celiba-
cy early in their history and adhered
strictly to the practice during their SUBJ
sequent career. We have at least a par
tial account of their decline in numbers
altogether apart from their communistic
regime.
the Harmonists. is situated on the Ohio
River few miles below Pittsburg Most
Of the buildings originally occrpied by
members are now rented by outsiders.
ever. is in the hands of the nine owners,
and residents are obliged to conform in
some measure TO their ways of life. This
IS not regarded by all as a hardship or
altogether disadvantage, as there is a |
iegree Of order and quiet not usually |
'ound in other villages of seventy to
Eighty houses.
The Harmony Society was founded in |
SOS by George Rapp, who came to Ameri- I
"a with some COO followers in 1904. The !
'auses which operated to bring this COM !
)any across the water Were similar to (
hose which moved the Shakers, Zoarites, I
md others. Denial of religious freedom /
n the old country. persecution and i'm /
,risonment for daring to differ from con- /
tituted authorities in church and State, |
we're the chief causes of that unrest which |
ed all these descendants of the old Piet-
SITS and Mystics TO seek a home in the |
lew Republic George Rapp was the son /
f a Wurtemberg farmer. with only mod
rate advantages of education. He fol-
owed his fathers calling, adding to it
hat of weaver during the winter months.
Though the Separatist Society of Zoar
assed out of existence as a cornmunistic
ody in 1898, its history is such as to
ct oh |
office. Like most of the communstic
Dcieties that had their rise in Germany,
ne Zoar Society. its members claim,
rev out of the revolt against the formal
lurch. Many of those who were active
the movement for radical reform were
OF content to follow Luther and his
lrty.
: One of the preachers In Luthers day
)mplained that there were 'as many sects
Wurtembefg as there were houses
mong these dissenting and independent
)dies the Pietists or MyStics, were per-
,hool. One branch of these-the Sepa-
tists-rejected baptism, confirmation,
I'd other ordinances. They believed very
lrnestly and very literally in the ethical |
aching Of the Sermon on the Mount
herefore they were opposed to war and
fused to bear arms. They would take |
} legal oath nor call any man master.
heir yea and nay were enough, and all ,
en-, In their thought, We're equal before
e Lord. Hence, they discarded all forms |
I'd customs which implied authority on ,
e one hand and submission on the other.
1ey refused to send their children to
e public schools because these were con-
lcted by the Lutheran clergy Disregard
the conventional forms of the church /
I'd the State naturally brought them into
nf1ict with both institutions. Hence they
ere both prosecuted and prosecuted
ley were fiogged. imprisoned, and strip {
d Of their possessions. Their children
ere taken from them; They Were sub
cted. in short. to conditions which made
e in their own country almost impossi- I
C. Naturally their thoughts turned to J
merica, which had proved haven of
fuge for the prosecuted of England q
The company that formed the Zoar :.
lony left Wurtemberg for this country .
April, 1877. They selected as leader /
seph NJ. Baumeier later called Bime- r
markable ability and unusual moral .
ness for the service to which he had 4
en- chosen. Most Of the company, some I
IN number, were poor. Many were F
led by the Quakers of England. who :,
d a lively sympathy for them in their u
,ubie and with them in their purpose. IL
The story of the Icarian Community. t,
nnin County. Tex, In 1s4S, on through ),
efforts at Nauvoo, Ill, and Chelten- II
IN, Mo. up TO the dissolution of the
dy at lcaria, Iowa, in 1896. is one of p
!
ON the beginning to the end it is the :,
,ord Of futile though heroic endeavor
build a prosperous and happy society a
rough democratic communism. 1t failed II
rough lack of agreement. for want of v
rmony, as every other effort of the sort I,
s failed. Like that of Brook Farm, the
Try has been so often told that repeti- V
n is needless. Il
The Ruskin Commonwealth, though
IS than seven years old has had a !.
ried and eventful experience. The lin .
Of this article will not permit the tell p
: of its story in detail. nor allow any Il