The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-28
AN ANARCHIST COLONY
COMMUNITY IN WASHINGTON En-
PERIMENTS WITH AN IDEA.
The Colonists Did Not Get Their Mo-
lions from Books, hut Worked
Them Out Themselves.


Prof. E. E. Slosson, in the Independent.
The word Anarchist is altogether too
vague to mean anything except that the
person is one possessed of an indefinite
discomfort with the prevailing order of
things. 1t covers the chronic kicker, the
philosophic dreamer, the assassin and the
nonresident. We might well discard a
word which includes equally a Tolstoi and
a Czolgosz; one who overthrows the will of
the majority by his own act and one who
objects to having his own acts controlled
in any way by the will of the majority. So
ciety must always protect itself against the
revolutionist who uses force or advocates it,
but 1t is rarely necessary to interfere with
those who wish to try for themselves new
form of society, however unwise the expert
ment may seem to the rest of the people.
Repression is only justified when the social
pathologist proves that the milder forms
of anarchy are really due to the same germ
as the virulent forms, and are. therefore,
dangerously contagious to susceptible and
weak-minded persons. We ought then to
afford every possible facility for sociological
experiments, whether we believe in them or
not. for two reasons: One, that we all know
that society is very imperfect, and some one
put it more accurately, demanded, may be
an Improvement; and, second, that if the
particular idea in question is bad, nothing
will prove it so certainly as a few years
in a community organized the plan advo-
Gated. Nowadays if a socialistic friend
makes himself nuisance by standing off
and scoldng about those forms of our civil
lization which we think are pretty good
which irwin 70
We can simply tell him to 'go to Burley,"
and If what we hear of the conditions at
Burley are true, that is strong enough
language to satisfy the most incensed
among us. So, too, if any Anarchist is
throwing around carelessly explosive bombs
or explosive ideas, can politely request
him to take up his residence in Home,
Wash, where he can do anything he wants
to, except own more than two acres of land.
The study of the actual history of radi-
cal communities in America, as given in
structive than reading about all the social
utopias depicted by Plato. Fourier. Morris
and Bethany. An ounce of experiment is
worth pound of theory in sociology, as
1t is in the other sciences. The colony at
Home is of especial interest because it is
apparently the only community now in ex-
istence based on the anarchistic in dis
tinction from the Socialistic ideal. 1t is
not communists, and in form is nothing
but land company. There is a presi-
dent, Mrs. Lois Waisbrooker, known to
the public as somewhat mystical writer
on sex topics, and there is a secretary,
but they have no power except to keep
track of the selection of lands. The regu-
lations of the Mutual Home Association
are as brief as possible, and can be changed
only by unanimous vote. a provision which
is identical with the liberum veto of the
Russian mir and other primitive village
communities. Since in this, in many
other peculiarities, the colonists follow close
ly the lines recommended by anarchistic
writers, ii is surprising TO learn that the
original incorporators did not get their ideas
from books, but worked them out for them
selves, and, indeed, did not know they were
anarchists units they were told by out
siders.
HOW 1T ORIGINATED.
The founding of the colony was in this
way. o. A. Verify, L. +. Odell and George
Allen and their wives were members of a
socialist colony located at Glennis, near
Tacoma. When the colony failed and broke
up in the fall of 1869 these men found
themselves stranded and bankrupt. Allen
was graduate of Toronto University. class
| of IS. and he secured school, and with
his first months salary. $40. he helped his
| friends to move their household goods to
Joes Bay, beautiful and sheltered cove
on Puget sound, some twenty miles from
Tacoma. They bought, on time, of course.
some uncleared land and built house. In
| the spring Mr.. Allen and his family Joined
| them, and, being a carpenter, he helped
| them build Welcome Cottage. They tried
| to devise plan which would avoid the
| errors OF the GlenniS project, and made I'D
| their minds that the of land should be
the only true title, and If each individual
| had enough land to support him and no
more other things might be left to take
care of themselves. To determine how
much land each shorld have they took
| from the United States agricultural report
| the acres of land actually cultivated, di-
vided 1t by the population, and finding that
| under the present wasteful methods there
was needed only about an acre and three
quarters per capita, they decided to make
the maximum holding in the colony two
| acres, since IL one acre carefully managed
would suffice, two would provide affiu-
| ence.
1 have not been able to verify this cal
culation. According to the census of 1900.
| the number of acres of improved (once
plowed and still usedO land is little over
| five per capita, and while we might sub
| tract from this the land devoted to raising
| grain for export, we must add something
for food supplies in the form of meat sup
/ piled from the pasture and wild land. Krop-
! otkin, the prince of Anarchists. considers
one acre for each individual a suitable al
lowance under present methods of cultiva-
| ton on the plans laid down in his Fields,
| Factories and Workshops" Obviously no
| general rule can be prescribed, since soil
| and climate are so variable.
4
| the original cost of the land and keeping
up the State and county taxes. If he fails
| in this the land reverts to the company.
Any improvements man may make are
| his own and may be sold or mortgaged.
| There are now no people in the colony and
/ thirty houses have been built of all kinds;
| one of concrete. several of two stories.
| nicely painted and superior to the average
| home of the pioneer on the sound. Mr. Al
| len, who started three years ago with only
| $50 and his garden of less than one acre,
| and has never charged more than Is cents
| an hour for his services as a carpenter now
| has q very comfortable house. Considering
| the conventional idea of Anarchists, ii may
1 be worth while to mention that ii contains
| bathroom, with hot and cold water a
piano and plentiful supply of books, pic
| lures and flowers. James Morton, a Har-
| ward man of the class of '92, belongs to the
| Phi Beta Kappa, and at the alumni banquet
| was at the end of the procession of KEY
! holders, at the head of which was his
| grandfather. Rev. 8. F. Smith, the author
of our national hymn. America" Mr. Nor.
ton has been about two years with the col.
| ony and editor of their paper. Discon-
tent until this publication was suspended
for lack Of support. One OF the young men
Jack Adams, is by profession an electrical
| engineer.
LIVE ON VEGETABLES.
Most of the colonsts are vegetarians
from the belief that it is wrong to kill for
| personal qualification of appetite. The
ducks know it, for the cove is filled with
them, floating within easy gunshot of the