The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-11-18
Continued from page II
SOCIALIST COLONIES HAVE FAIL
ED TO ATTAIN SUCCESS.

ED TO ATTAIN SUCCESS.
had permitted to remain, the Unequal
ity Of opportunity and property.
| Prince Bernhard, a man of knowl-
edge, who had seen a good deal of the
world, general in the service of the
Netherlands, arrived at New Harmony
with some expectations. Robert
Owen, founder of the colony, had even
at that time obtained a great reputa-
ton through the welfare work he had
undertaken among the workingmen of
New Lanark in Scotland, where the
factories were situated. Almost i'm.
mediately upon arriving at New Har-
mony, on the 18th of April, 1925, the
German traveller met Owen, who i'm
pressed him very favorably.
Prince Bernhard also took note that
the conditions surrounding the colon
lists we're promising. Owen had not
led his people into a complete wilder
ness, but had purchased from the Rap
pists, who had returned to Pennsyl-
vania, 10000 acres of fertile land,
nearly 5000 of which were under cul-
tivation; fine orchards; Is acres of
full bearing vines; a regularly laid
out-town of 100 houses, with streets
running at right angles to each other
and public square, around which
we're large brick edifices, built by the
Rappists of churches, schools and
other public and private purposes.
And for all this Owen and his lead
ing co-laborers had been able to pay,
he and a Mr.. Mcclure being wealthy
men. The price rendered for this
property amounted to some 100000
How many of the great monas-
teries, let us ask, that were SO essen
tial in Transforming northern Europe
from a wilderness into state of civil
ization began as auspiciously as did
New Harmony? And less than TWEEN
ty years after Owens attempt to con-
stitute a new society, based, as has
been mentioned before, on purely ra-
: tionalistic principles, there came to
) this country Bavarian Benedictine,
: to found a monastery of his order.
And while it is only on the pages of
history that we may trace the ephem-
ereal existence of New Harmony,
} from the latest catalogue of the
American-Cassinien Congregation of
Benedictine Monks at our disposal we
CLEAN that from the seed planted by
Abbot WINNER there have directly
and indirectly sprung ten other Abbeys
with membership of over 800 priests,
: clerics and lay brothers.
Now, New Harmony began with that
many members, who had ever so much
more property at their command
than did Abbot WINNER. Fourier, too,
I. who settled at Nauvoo. recently de
serted by the Mormons, was able to
found Icaria under very suspicious
circumstances. Later on such colon
les as Kaweah, in California, and Rus
!, kin, in Tennessee, lacked neither
: members nor funds, as we shall see
further on. Then, too, many able
men, men who were no mere theor.
: lists, joined these utopian undertake
= ings. Still not one has survived; most
of them failed within a few years of
4 their founding. And when we search
+ for the reasons that led to their
laundering, we soon preceive that in
: all cases the same evils seem to have
! caused the disruption and downfall OF
+ these social organisms that were con.
r ceived as models after which human
3 society was to be reformed.
l. Bishop Won ketteler.
Bishop Won Ketteler, in pointing out
: a certain fundamental fallacy under.
: lying die MISUNDERSTANDING of what is
E termed modern man, leads to clearer
2 understanding of the conditions we
= shall meet with all through the his
! tory of these utopian experiments
namely, that the founders, in follow
! ing the philosophers of the 18th cen
fury did not take into consideration
evil, as inherent in all men. Because
of this, their entire calculus was
: wrong; they had omitted most i'm
portant factor, original sin. They
knew, of course, that individuals might
!. be evil, but they did not recognize the
evil as common to all mankind. But
says the great Bishop of Mainz, @only
d he may help, who is able to combat
n evil within himself and in Others
}, All attempts at realizing utopian so
: cialism on the other hand were found
ed in the conception that men woult
d become better when placed in better
n surroundings; moreover, after per
d feet quality, especially that of proper
e ty, has been established.
S Prince Bernhard was himself TOT
l. much man of his time. and perhaps
>, too little of philosopher, to clearl.
n discern the fundamental error in thu
IS theories of Robert Owen. On tht
e other hand Re was too practical i
IS man, not to note the apparent incon
J. gruities existing in this model society
IS Although admitting that Owen wal
n well meaning, he could not help Blu
eI predict an untimely end for this TN
3 dertaking. Owen, SO Prince Bernharl