The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-06-08
At Centennial Celebration of
Founding of New Harmony.
CAN never SUCCEED, HE SAYS
Until Motive Is Found to Arouse
Human Effort
Which Will Take the Place of
Private Ownership.

New Harmony, Ind, June S.-Reasons
for the failure Of experiments in So
cialism were discussed by William H.
Taft today. in an address delivered at
the centennial celebration Of the found
ing Of New Harmony. This town prob
ably is the most famous Of places in the
United States where the opponents OF
Socialistic and community ideas tried to
prove the practical value Of their the
DRY.
The former president outlined the his
tory Of these experiments and drew
his conclusions.
THE most notable experiment at New
Harmony he said, that OF ROBERT
Owen. failed-as all socialism must TAI.
because It found no substitute for the
motive essential to arouse ana make
constant human effort. that Is furnished
by the institution OF private property
and the shaping Of reward by compe-
titiou and natural economic adjustment
The plan was based on the assumption
that man was q different being from
what he is. II he were SO perfect that
his love Of human kind would Danish
from every one In human form, self
1shness and retain In him the same en-
ergy, self-sacrifice and industry in be-
half Of others that he now manifests In
behalf of himself and those near to
him, then there would be no need for
the organisation Of q socialisttc COM
manity because We would have IT az
hand. Until men are perfect beings OF
this kind socialism must either consti-
tute a tyranny so Rigid al to destroy
not only the right Of liberty and to in
terfere with the pursuit Of happiness,
or It must be a failure"
Center OF Two Experiments.
New Harmony. as Professor Taft
described It. was the center OF two ex-
periments in socialism. Of very differ
emit types. The first Of these started
a hundred years ago by George Rapp.
a German mechanic, was in motive pri-
marily religious. Tho Rappites were
classed by the speaker with the Shak-
ers and Zoarites. the communes OF
Amana, the commune Of Bethel and
Aurora and the Oneida community.
The Rappites of New Harmony sold
out their land to Robert Owen and his
partners in 1925. The community Rapp
founded was heterogeneous collection
of many different elements. Confusion
finally resulted; the various factions
asked Owen to exercise his powers an q
director until they could reach a salts
factory 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
but Owen remained in New Harmony
and the family became leaders in the
political and social life OF the state.
THE Owenite community at New Har-
mony." said Mr.. Taft, twas only one OF
q number OF similar communities in
srguratcd to carry out the principles Of
one social philosopher or another.
Into them entered many noble men
and women with high purpose and with
the conviction that tho secret OF the
regeneration Of society and the world
had been committed to them and was
about to be revealed in convincing real
axation.
Icaxian Communities.
"A Frenchman, Ettienne Cabot, de-
scribed what he called a voyage in
1cAr1a which gave his ideal of COM
astic basis. This led to the attempt tc
establish q settlement in Texas. an.
other one in Illinois. and a third in
Iowa, called Icarian communities, but
they. too. faded out.
II shall not stop to discuss socialism
IN general or what it means, for it
might Be difficult to give an accurate
definition. 50 varying are the views of
persons who call themselves socialists.
But no one can read the history of
Stheee isolated efforts in the direction of
. regeneration Of society, ON a social
ast1o principle and abolition of the prin-
caple Of private property without a
most wholesome lesson. They teach the
danger or destroying what we have that
II good in society and that has been
tested by time, in order to seek a mill
1ennium which must rest for its Sic
cessful achievement on the elimination
OF oil the elements Of human nature as
We know it and q reforming Of II that
- possible only after hundreds OF