The Republican journal., 1915-08-19

| IN lIoo, ana came TO America IN l((4.
and became the head and front of Amer
lean Shakerlsm. Her testimony was that
| Christ did not teach that the system OF
matrimony was a part of the heavenly
abode, but on the contrary, that in his
Fathers house of many mansions
there was neither marrying nor giving
in marriage" and that Christ came to
prepare the people of earth for this,
and himself set the example in all things
which he would have them follow. Just
here timely coincidence occurs to me:
The liberal Sunday school of which l am
member, has been studying the lives
of Solomon and David and the questions
occurred, (Which was the greater
man?'' and "What were their most en-
inent traits?" The matter was discuss
ed in class, but despite most excellent
teacher, who brought out the kindliest
characteristic of his sex, | went home
unsatisfed and drew from my treasure
trove something that conceded with my
ideas of retribution and is forceful COM
mentary on practical righteousness:
king Solomon and King David led merry,
merry lives,
With many. many lady friends and many
many wives.
But when old age crept on him, with many,
many qualms,
King Sol 1mon wrot the Proverbs, and King
David wrote the Psalms"
Then | thought of the fidelity, virtue
and justice of the humble Shakers
around me and was avenged, If not com
forted.
Mother Ann and her followers were
prosecuted and with the departure of the
little band, Shakerisnl soon ceased to
exist in England, to become a marvel in
the new World for nearly century and
half, and today the advocates of suf-
frage can nowhere find stronger defend
ers of the equality of men and women
than among the Shakers. They did not
receive the forms or principles of their
institution from civil and political gov
ernments, but from what they regard as
as Divine authority, therefore the Shak-
er society can never connect itself with
the world; from this it must ever re-
main isolated. The property held in
trust by them is all consecrated to God
and religious and charitable purposes.
The Shaker deems it most inconsistent
for any human government to be ad-
ministered for the sole benefit of the
political party in power, or that more
than one-half of the citizens should be
disfranchised because they happen to be
women and compelled to obey laws they
never sanctioned, and often in which
they have no faith, and obliged to SUBJ
NIT to taxation in which they have had
no voice, but that the climax of incon-
slstency is reached when brethren and
sisters, members of the same religious
body, are divided into the rich and
poor in the things of this temporal world
but who are vainly expecting that in tn q
world to come they shall be willing to
have eternal things in common.
1t is against the fundamental princi-
pies of their religion to countenance war,
either directly or indirectly, and in our
Civil War quite large number of Shak-
ers were drafted for service, but upon
appealing to President Lincoln for ex-
emption, an order was issued by the
Secretary of War furloughing them
until called for" That they remained
true to their faith, may be seen in the
records of the Pension Department
which show great amount of money
standing to the credit of certain soldiers,
who, after the close of the war joined
the Shakers, but have refused to accept
the money standing to their credit, stat
ing that they could not accept funds given
as premium for services rendered in a
cause SO foreign to their ideas of humil-
ity and love toward all mankind.
The Harvard community was organic
ed in 1871 and was the fourth among
sixteen villages established. The So
ciety at Shirley was organized in 1893,
and in 1918 the State purchased the land
and buildings for Boys school and the
members were transferred to Harvard.
Even with this addition their numbers
are diminishing, four new graves in the
cemetery showing the toll for the year.