The Irish standard., 1914-06-27
.EX.PREs|DEN1 DIS.
CUSEs EXPERIMENTS
Ex-President Taft Declares all So.
cialistic Experiments Must Fail
No Human Motive
Plan Based on Assumption tha,
Man is Different from what He
Really Is
Socialism Must Be Either Tyranny
or Failure Until Men are
Perfect Beings

VAAVNS 0CAuSS
Reasons for the failure of ex-
periments in Socialism were dis
cussed by William Howard Taft
in an address delivered at the
centennia celebration of the found
ing of New Harmony, Indiana. This
town probably is the most famous of
places in the United States where the
exponents of Socialistic and COM
munity ideas tried to prove the
practical value of their theories. The
former President outlined the expert
ments here and drew his conclusions.
The most notable. experiment at
New Harmony. he said, that of Rob-
ert Owen, failed as all Socialism
must fail. because it found no sub
stitute for the motive essential to
arouse and make constant human ef-
fort that is furnished by the institu-
tion of private property and the
shaping of reward by competition
and natural economic adjustment.
The plan was based on the assump-
ton that man was different being
from what he is. Ifshe were so per-
feet that his loy&Af human kind
would Danish fron every one in
human form selds ess and retain
in him the same Ell ky, self-sacriflce
and industry ID III + of others that
he now manifests IN behalf of him
Self and those near to him, then
there would be no need of a Social
istic community because it would
have it at hand.
Until men are perfect beings of
this kind, Socialism must either
constitute a tyranny so rigid as to
destroy the rights of liberty
of happiness, or it must be fail
ure."
New Harmony, as Professor Taft
described, was the center of two ex-
periments in Socialism of very diff
ferent types. The first of these.
started a hundred years ago by
George Rapp, a German mechanic,
was in motive primarily religious.
"The Rappites" were classed by the
speaker with the Shakers. the Zoar-
ties, the Communes of Amana, the
Commune of Bethel and Aurora and
with the Oneida Community. "They
were all successful for years." he
said, "in the simple method of manu-
facture and agriculture to which
their members devoted themselves.
They are not examples useful for
the sociological student in consider
Ing present day socialism because
their members had not before them
the working out of a new plan fol-
society and social progress, but
rather a method of living a satisfac.
tory religious community existence
In the intensity of their religious
motive was found a spur to industry
and self sacrifice and a sub bstitute OF
the institution of private property
which such communities abolished
Until other forms of Socialism find
such substitute, they are likely to
prove futile, as the history of several
instances of practical trials has de.
monstrated.
The Rappies of New Harmony sold
out their land to Robert Owen in
1925. The community founded was a
heterogeneous collection Of many ele.
ments. Confusion finally resulted
the various factions asked Owen to
exercise his powers as a dictator un.
til they could reach satisfactory
adjustment. Five or six different
constitutions were adopted within
two years. Then Owen had an open
breach with one Of his principal
partners over the adoption of the
Pestalozzi method of school teaching
The community disintegrated but the
Owens remained in New Harmonoy
and the family became leaders in the
political and social life of the state
The Owenite community at New
Harmony" said Mr.. Taft. was only
one Of number of similar comm.
mites inaugurated to carry out the
principles Of one social philosopher
or another. Into them entered many
noble men and women with high pur.
pose and with the conviction thai
the secret Of the regeneration o.
society and the world had been com
mitted to them and was about to b,