The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-06-16

Hundreds Of times during the last
twenty-five centuries ideaIists have
started a sacialistic colony. and now tho
last and most promising plan ever
launched. has hopclessly failed. 1t Is
absolutely inconccivable that ever again
In history will any experiment Of So
cialism be launched under auspices 30
favorable The founder Of the colony
was John Lane. an Australian editor or
large intellect wide culture. a man OF
heart. vision and undoubted sincerity.
He believed with his whole being that
capitalism enjoyed an unfair proportion
Of the profits, while the laporers were
robbed Of a large part Of what they
produced. but that when the workers re-
ceivcd both the dividends and the
wages. that property could be destroyed
and an ideal commonwealth secured.
Burning with enthusiasm and with
highest hopes a great company OF men
and their wives sailed away from Aus
tralia for Paraguay. Come and see
, US within ten years" shouted the social
lists from the deck to their friends on
tho wharf land we will show you
Utopia" The men were all picked
mon. They were of the very best. from
the physical and intellectual and mora:
viewpoint. Their energy was in itself
n pledge Of success. Further the gov
crnmcnt Of Paraguay had become deep,
" interested. The parliament appoint
I'd a committee to set apart great
tract OF land for this noble experiment.
The land was Of the richest. blackest
soil 1t was abundantiy watered with
streams and brooks. It had forests and
rich pastures II was not average land.
rIcheSt nf rich land.
Large loans also were made on the
smallest possible interest. II the set
tiers of Plymouth in the Mayfower col
ony had poor land an unfriendly Gil
mate, Indians. poverty. no ships and no
market for their produce. this colony OF
socialists had everything that a tenn
peratc zone and tho richest agricultural
reAourccs could offer.
| For several years the experiment
prospcred. hut with the first large crop
and rich financial returns trouble be-
gan. One night at meeting several
men arose. The burden Of each mans
statement was this: Il work eight and
ton hours a day, while this man here
putters around two or three hours and
spends the rest Of his time Eeading ami
talking. Yet he has just as much AS
have Why should l SOW and reap FOR
him? Why ShOuld weave ana DullC'
when lazy men receive the same re-
ward7 l now ask TO have my fraction
Of the land decided TO me in person. and
hereafter what I produce shall be MY
own. 1t Is an injury TO this lazy man
to feed him. This colony is not having
him. but damninG him." The women
! made like rccrimnaEons against one
another. Finally they drove John Lane
out of the settlement. As soon as they
went over TO private ownership the col
onists became at once enormously pros
porous.
| A second time, after ten years. John
Lane founded another experiment in So
cinlism. Once more, after a few years.
Its members fell into qaziness. because
each man was working. not for himself.
but FOR another. Once more they turn
CT against their leader. drove Lane out
Eof the community broke mis- heart. and
when he died the other day he died In
! New Zealand editor OF a conservative
newspaper. hafhed. bitter and dis.
appointed: His bitterness was due to