Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1905-07-19
COM MUNISM In IOWA
HISTORY OF THE AMANA SOCIETY
Interesting Sketch of Unique Religious
Sect, Which Practices Com
munism in Iowa County.

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the state of Iowa knows of the ex.
istence of the Amana Communism
colony in Iowa county. but few have
read of its peculiar method of living
and the conduct of its business and
religious affairs.
Within few weeks Mrs. Martha
Wilson, heavy tax payer of Iowa
county. has filed petition asking for
proceedings against them for exceeding
their corporate rights, alleging that the
peculiar religious dogmas have been
used to free them from the burdens
of citizenship; that their communism
is guise behind which to acquire
large property holdings without being
required to pay taxes. And if the
petition 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
prosperity has been remarkable.
While the articles of incorporation
of the society say it was organized
for the promotion bv the temporal and
spiritual welfare and happiness of its
members, Mrs. Wilson alleges the So
ciety to have acquired 80, 900 acres of
land, seven towns, buildings worth
81, 600. 600, merchandise stores doing a
large business, cotton, wOolen and
other manufacturing 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 q specu-
lative venture.
AS long ago as the opening of the
eighteenth century occurred the birth
of the Amana society. It sprang from
the religious branch known as the
Quietists, formed by Miguel de
MOlinos in Spain in 1875. de Molinus
pleading for the religion of the heart
in preference to that of the ritual.
In TIA, j. f. Rock and E. L. Gruber
of Hessia, Germany. organized re.
ligious sect whose belief was that God
iuSpiraS man t,, SpoaE on1 aot 60. II;
as much as in the days of the prophets.
Followers fiocked to the new society,
hut soon persecution was aroused
and the members were publicly
whipped and their meetings forbid
den. Nevertheless. the society grew
until in 1S42. after love feast.
Christian Metz George Weber. William
Noe and Gottlieb Ackerman started
to America to find home for the In
spirationists.
Upon the advice of a German inn
keeper they opened negotiations with
the Seneca Indians and purchased
10000 acres not far from Buffalo. n.
Y, for $40. so all acre. There they
builded town. called Ebenezer-
Eben, stone, and ezer. help. Just
as in the days of Samuel, who set up
a stone in commemoration of divine
assistance. these pilgrims made of
this town sign of their successful
struggle for the right to worship as
they wished. The Others followed,
till in 1914 about 500 had come from
Germany-carpenters. masons. black
smiths. merchants, and in fact all the
tradesmen.
Though under their able leaders they
had every promise of prosperity and
happiness. they were so annoyed by
the Indians that committee was
sent west to Iowa and found land
could be bought for $l.25 an acre.
Accordingly about $500 acres were
purchased about twenty miles west of
Iowa City, the New York land sold.
and the colony moved to the new
western state.
In 1855, when the capitol first met
at Fort Des Moines, the society was
incorporated, which provided for the
following unique scheme of living:
The control and management of
the society shall be vested in board
OF thirteen trustees, to be elected an
nually out Of the number Of elders.
The trustees shall annually elect out
OF their number president, vice
president and secretary, who shall
have full power to sign ali public and
legal documents in she name Of the
society.
Every member is in duty bound to
give his or her personal and real pro-
perty to the trustees for the common
fund at the time of joining the society.
Tor such payment each member is en-
titled to credit thereof on the books of
the society and to credit signed by
the president and secretary. and is
secured by a pledge of the common
property OF the society.
Each member is entitled to free
board and dwelling to support and care