History of American SocialismsNoyes, John Humphrey
History
History of American Socialisms
Noyes, John Humphrey
Communism -- United States; Socialism -- United States
The following from a person who took part in the experiment, will give
the reader a nearer view of the causes of the failure:
"The population congregated at Piseco was composed of all
nations, characters and conditions; a motley group of
ill-assorted materials, as inexperienced as it was
heterogeneous. We had some specimens of the raw material of
human nature, and some of New York manufacture spoiled in the
making. There were philosophers and philanthropists, bankrupt
merchants and broken-down grocery-keepers; officers who had
retired from the Texan army on half-pay; and some who had
retired from situations in the New York ten-pin alleys. There
were all kinds of ideas, notions, theories, and whims; all kinds
of religions; and some persons without any. There was no
unanimity of purpose, or congeniality of disposition; but there
was plenty of discussion, and an abundance of variety, which is
called the spice of life. This spice however constituted the
greater part of the fare, as we sometimes had scarcely anything
else to eat.
"At first we were pretty well off for provisions; but soon the
supplies began to be reduced; and in November the list of
luxuries and necessaries commenced with rye and ended with
potatoes, with nothing between! As the supplies were cut off,
the number of members decreased. They were starved out. But of
course the starving process was slower in those cases where the
individuals had not the means of transportation back to the
white settlements. When I left the 'promised land' in March
1844, there were only six families remaining. I had determined
to see it out; but the state of things was so bad, and the
prospects ditto, that I could stand it no longer. I thought the
whole would soon fall into the hands of Mr. Moorhouse, and I
could not afford to spend any more time in a cause so hopeless.
I had given nine months' time, was half starved, got no pay, had
worn out my clothes, and had my best coat borrowed without
leave, by a man who went to New York some time before. This I
thought might suffice for one experiment. I left the place less
sanguine than when I went there that Associations could succeed
without capital and without a good selection of members. Yet my
belief was as firm as ever in the coming abolition of
conflicting interests, and the final harmonious reconstruction
of society."
Here ends the history of the Fourier Associations in the State of New
York. The Ohio experiments come next.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE MARLBORO ASSOCIATION.
As in New England, so in Ohio, the general socialistic excitement of
1841 and afterwards, gave rise to several experiments that had nothing
to do with Fourier's peculiar philosophy. We begin with one of these
indigenous productions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account