The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-01
KANSAS NEWS.
A "Free Love" Colony is Dis
covered in Bourbon County.
Socialist Labor Exchange of
Freedom Has an Old Theory.
ACTIVELY TEACHING 1T
President Fitzgerald Says Doc
trine Is Not in Practice.
Some Arrests May Be Made If
Evfdonao TS &0amro6
ACTIVELY TEACHING 1T

Fort Scott, Kan, Jan. Compliant
has been made to County Attorney
Griffith that the socialist or labor ex-
change colony of Freedom, located six
teen miles northwest of Fort Scott, has
adopted and is practicing the Free Love
theory of marriage and that some Of
the men and women of that colony are
living proniscuously together. Specific
charges have been made and after sew
eral weeks of quiet investigation Coun-
ty Attorney Griffith is inclined to be-
lieve that at least some of the mem bers
of the colony have attempted to adopt
the theory. His investigation, however,
has warned those who were accused
and they have ceased to practice the
Free Love plan, if they ever pursued
the theory to the extent of practice.
The Free Love belief is that a man or
woman may love and live with whom
he or she may please; that love is a tie
paramount to any ceremonial rite that
may be provided by law. The charge
that Freedom Colony had so far depart
ed from the law of the land as to adopt
this system has been made by two OF
three different persons, one or more of
whom claim to have withdrawn from
the colony on that account. They
charge specific incidents and cite specif-
ic circumstances to SubStantiate the
charges. The matter was first called
to the county attorneys attention some
weeks ago in a letter from one of the
FORMER members OF the UnlQuO
zation. This was followed by CORE
spondence with the accuser and also
with others who volunteered to offef
some information tending to support
the charge and the correspondence
would be Interesting reading as tending
to show the strange sentiment alleged.
1t is claimed that number OF men
and women have left the colony be-
cause of the introduction of the Free
Love theory there.
One of the several persons whom
County Attorney Griffith has summoned
to his office to inpart information in the
matter is Mr.. Fitzgerald, president OF
the colony. He is a prominent farmer
of that neighborhood, who while not liv-
ing in the colony himself has been con-
nected with it from its inception as q
member. His farm adjoinS the colony
site. In fact, it Is said the site is on
piece of land which was sliced off of his
place. Perhaps there is no man in the
neighborhood whose word would be
taken soner than his. Mr. Fitzgerald
assured the county attorney that the
people there had not adopted the new
marital system. He said, however, that
it was being taught and advocated by
some of the cOloniStS. That he has be-
come familiar with the theory himself
is evidenced by his explanation of it,
though it has been at no time charged
countenancing its practice. The charges
are to the effect that certain persons
who advocate the theory have adopted
it on the quiet and are living it to
demonstrate it's superiority to the old
custom.
For time Mr.. Griffith intended to
cause some arrests, but he is said now
to have abandoned the idea, because of
the difficulty in securing competent evil
dence.