The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1936-02-14

In the preceding articles, organ
izations Of foreign birth were dis
cribed. The Oneida Community
differs only in that it is OF Am
erican birth. It had the same at
titude toward equality Of sex,
simplicity of dress, education, mar
rage. etc. It's theories were also
taken from the teachings OF Christ
and the practices Of the early
Christians.
The founder of the society was !
John Humphrey Noyes who was
horn in Brattleboro, Vermont, IN
1911. His father was graduate
of Dartmoor College and taught
for a time there and afterward
was in Congress. His mother was
an aunt of President Hayes. The
records lay much stress on the
fact that he came of good parent
age. He also graduated at Dart
moor.
At this time occurred a period
Of great religious revival and the
formation of many new sects with
strange creeds and beliefs. Now,
the Norman church was born IN
western New York and the Fox
sisters started the Spiritualst
church. There were also many
others.
| Mr.. Moves was converted in
1881, and studied theology for a
time at Andover. He and his fol-
lowers were called PerfectiOnists
because Of his teaching the pres
ent salvation from sin. Having re-
turned to his fathers home at
Putney, he soon gained large
following and organized the So
ciety of Perfectionists which were
prosecuted for their strange be-
liefs and for safety soon removed
with his followers to Oneida, New
York and here organized the On
eida Community.
Here they formed an agricul-
tural community which was not
] very successful. Then one of the
: followers, Samuel Newhouse, in
= vented the trap. A factory fOl
making of this started them as ar
:. industrial community. Soon they
began to make lace, sewing
thread, silk, embroidery, silver
ware and the financial success wa.
? very rapid. In 1857 their proper
: ty was valued at $67,00O but a
: one time their annual sales wer'
100000.
7 AS they prospered the jealous.
oG. h. I'd
y they were prosecuted with Law
Y suits brought about to forbid man
y ufacture by such collective groups
= So in January of 1881 they disolv
= ed the community and formed
= stock company.
Is Strange as life is, they wer
y against labor unions but stroy
to provide healthful surrounding
- and good schools for the laborer
- and their children. They provide
- building sites at moderate COS
q and paid a bonus of $1OO-$2OO
II each who built home.
In all of these communities,
Mt high standard of morals was mail
tanned. "Their word was as GOO
r. as their bond" They were homes
X they were frugal, they were sa'
ID, ing. They taught and practice
ros equality Of sex. They encourage
IT. education. They discouraged tt
les use Of tobacco and intoxicating
sal quors. They taught and practic,
M simplicity of dress. They taug
re- that war was crime against G.
err and refused to bear arms. WI
re, should such people be persecU
lly ed? Capitalism even in its ear
ell stages was jealous of the succe
ere of these communities and us
W. the press to calumniate and sla
err der them. The courts were us
Of to harass, prosecute and embars
itv them.
ses, The attitude of the Perfectic
{ a lists on marriage shows their hi
ideals in regard to race improv
ere ment. They practiced communal
ssi- complex marriage Dictionar
gu will tell you that this means Il
lst' every woman was a wife to eve
i've man. This means sexual prom
and Guilty and is false. Women che
llso the fathers Of their children VIII
ged is something far different. II
I'D taught that at least as mi
and thought should be given to
'ald Brovement of children as is gi,
al to Improvement Of live stock. TT
to taught that all labor was hon
tive and that persons sho41I1 ho IN,