The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-03-03
fSiouX City Tribune. ]

after living as one large FAM
lily for over fifty years, the Amana
Communist society, near here. is facing
compulsory dissolution at the hands OF
the law.
Though the members of the society
own their own property in common,
and do not require money as medium
of exchange. Martha Wilson. large
taxpayer Of Iowa county, has filed
here petition asking the district court
to instruct the county attorney to pro-
coed against the society for exceeding
their corporate rights. In a word, Mrs.
Wilson alleges that the peculiar re-
ligious dogmas of the society have been
used to free 1t from the burdens of citi-
zenship: that their communism is
guise behind which to acquire large
property holdings without being re-
CURED to pay taxes. And If the petit
ton is sustained the members of the
society will be compelled to abandon
their Communistic scheme and pay
some hundreds of thousands of dollars
in back taxes. For this society Of 2.400
members owns the equivalent of one
of the smaller counties Of Iowa. and
their prosperit .THlas been remarkable.
While the articles of Incorporation of
the society say it was organized, for the
promotion OF the temporal and spiritual
welfare and happiness of it's members
>.
acquired 10000 acres of land, seven
towns. buildings worth $l,000000, mer-
chandse stores doing d large business,
cotton. wooden and other manufacture
| ing plants; and that all this Is without
the scope of the corporation, as one
not organized for pecuniary profit.
| The petition presents to the Iowa
| courts for the first time the question
Of whether communism is a speculative
venture.
AS long ago as the opening OF the
eighteenth century occurred the birth
of the Amann society. 1t sprang from
the religious branch known as the
Quietists formed by Miguel de Molnos
in Spain in 1875. de Molinos pleading
for the religion of the heart in prefer
ence to that Of the ritual In l7l4 ]. i.
Book and E. L. Gruber. OF Hessa. Ger
many, organized a religious sect. whose
belief was that God inspires men to
speak and act for Slim as much in
the days OF the prophets. Followers
locked to the new society. but soon
persecution was aroused and the MEM
bers were publicly whipped and their
meetings forbidden. Nevertheless, the
society grew until in 1912, after a love
feast, Christian Metz, George Weber,
William Noe and Gotlieb Alderman
started to America to find a home for
the Inspirationists.
Upon the advice of a German inn
keeper they opened negotiations With
the Seneca Indians ana purchased ~,
600 acres not far IRON BuHalo, N. T.,
for 5000 an acre. There they built
a town called EbeneZer, Eben. a stone,
and eyer, help. Just as in the days of
Samuel, who set up a stone in COM
memoration Of divine assistance, these
pilgrims mace OF thls town d sign "l
thelr successiu. slrusgle TOT the Iisht
70 worship as theS Wlshed Inc otners
Followed, unlli' IN 1897, about eoo haa
come from Germany carpenters
masohs' n'acksinl'hs, merchants ana
III iact. an me lrauesineh.
housi'' uhuer iheli abie leaue' .
'heS hao every poEilSe OF prosperity
ana naPoliess, tne! were SO alhoyeo
by me 1holans .hat cofhinlllee was
seit ~ io"h anu iouiiu idiiu couiu pe
eought I Tor 9l.la an acre. Accofdlnsly,
aoot. "'''o y, acie9 were purchases e ipou
twenty inli"s west OF Il wa lily, tne
t>tM io'h la,'u 9oiu an" 'ie 'oioiiS
moved - .iir ne" western seale.
IN l6oa VIII l''e capi'ai l'is. iiie' d
fort Des MONIES III" Snclety was IN
Iofporatea' when pfoVloed ior me 1ol-
low ..1 in5 niiI!uI s.'iei'lsa ~ llNins
ne coii,io, anu ma ia seiiiei'' VI VI.
so'iets 9,.a.. p teS,e" ~ d ooa.u ~ ~
thlltceh .suStees, w. ne e'sctes a'li'u ~,
o"' ol 'he iuii'per oi e:uers' ne
trustees Shhii anhuallS eject Out o.
} oehl ana secretafS' WHO snail nave li'
Po"e! 10 sign ail l'uplic ana 'eshI COG
| uI!isii'" w Liz i'al!'e y. 'iie H"',ets
l E,erS iiieIiloe! IL IN uu.y pou''o u
l. give MS " hel pelso'it.l ana feal prop
etlS |" tne 'ius.ses ioi me ,oihil'''
2 iuio' d 'ne .iile VI JOINING 'he s"''
e'E roi sucn PaSineIi. eacn mei1lne
is entl'ieu 10 cIeuil lhefeoi on w
t poohs % Wy Soeie,y anu ~ cieul
sis.ieu ny 'he Presioeht anu secreta!.
, arr is secured Dy piedge OF the com
t mon properly OF inc soclety
Each iheihper ls ehtllleo 10 IRE
: ooaTd ana n"elnns' 10 support am
c care III olu ase. SICKNESS ahd 'nnfih'ts
ana 10 an ''htoa, sum OF maintenance
: ne amount VI "nich 10 De llXen D.! In
trustees; All chiidren ana minors al
: ter me heath u IheiI parents ana relii
ives shall pc orphans under the specia
v Suafdlanship "i me trustees durln
thelr minority. All crenlts II not dls
q posed VI oJ WILL OF any depts lerl D
the phreh1S' are 10 De assumed by IN
chiihren. tneinpers leaNlhS the socle'
;, either by tneir chnlce or by expulslo
silall receive nack the amount pa1d INT
a the common 1nna WITHOUT amy interes
. or allowances for services during tn
ll1ne or their membership.
~ CnIe! THESE simple rules the societ
q has demonstrated that communism ca
g be made success. by expanding into
society OF 2:4oo members In nifty years
building the town OF Amana, Yves
n Amana. SCUM Amalia. dlgh Aman;
% EAST Anan;. Homestead ana Midi
"a Amana. TWO Woolen mills are oper
Irs n fln sf,V-1 1-,..