Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 05.djvu/271

* COMMUNISM. 223 COMMUNISM. eommunity of goods .tikI of woiiion. >[;iiiy evil stories .are told of their proi-eedin^s, and they «ere opposed by tlie Imiuisitioii. Iml spread in secret during" the fourteenlli and fifteentli ecn- turies. With these may be comjiared the Adam- ites of the tifteentli century. Tlie great monastic i-rders bear close resemblance in their common ]>roperly. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the Taburiles (Hussites), the .Moravians, and the Anabaptists arose and flourished in succes- sion in central Europe. (For detailed descrip- tions, the reader is referred to sc])arate articles under these heads.) The teachings of lhe_ Ana- baptists (q.v. ) were embodied, in Tliuringia, in a popular movement to realize a State without goNcrnmeut, law, or property, each to reeei'e ac- cording to need, "omnia simul eomraunia.' This and the attempt at Miinster to establish the new Zion were forcibly put down. As it was impossi- ble to estiiblish communities in secret, efforts were directed toward marriage reform. These naturally led to opposition and suppression. All of these plans grew out of, or were impelled by, distorted religious conceptions. As moral and religious movements they must be judged rather than as economic undertakings. They were over- thrown by religious opposition. They had no cliancc to demonstrate the practicability or pos- siliility of their proposed life. In the next era we find a group of dreamers, tlieorists who prophesied a better system to sup- plant the present, which they felt to be unjust, ilow far these writers believed their systems eould be realized in the near future is a question. Most of them rather try to portray the ultimate form which society shall assume. Some, how- ever, have tried honesth' and earnestly to realize their aspirations. However impracticable and visionary their proposals may seem, they are proposals, not of self-seekers, but of those who have the welfare of societ}' at heart. As such the}' merit consideration. The opening up of America made possible gen- uine attempts to found communistic settlements which should not be overthrown by sectarianism, but should have abundant opportunity under favorable conditions to prove or disjirove their fitness to exist. Jfost have failed, and the rea- sons are usually plain. Mismanagement being left out of consideration, society cannot found itself upon such a basis as celibacy, nor, on the other hand, upon 'free love.' Xor does it seem likely that society will be regenerated by groups who isolate themselves from the common life. The strength and dignity of the life of some of the communities may well, however, stimulate all men to renewed efforts to realize the best for themselves and society. The Utopists. The publication of Utopia by Sir Thomas More (1.51(5) introduced a new ele- ment. He wished nothing of an ascetic nature, but sought a fuller and freer expression of life. His book arose from the economic changes taking place in England. The introduction of sheep- raising was destroying the small farms and bringing much suffering to the peasants, ilore, influenced by Plato, proposed to retain slavery, the slaves being chiefly convicted criminals. There should be connnunity of goods; every one should be supplied from the State storehouses. ^Monogamy is prescribed, and the greatest free- dom allowed the individual families. ^len and women are to work six hours per day. The title 'L'topia' ha.s given the nanic to all such pro- ers. Cami)anella (Ciritnn Xolifs. l''ranivIort, 11)2'.'!) advocated connnunily of goods and of wo- men with universal duty to labor four hours a ilay, each person to be ])rovided according to need. Vairasse (Histoire des Secerambes, 1077) j)roposed an eight-hour working day. Among (he most interesting Utopistic efforts is the charm- ing story by C'abet. Toyaije in Icnrie ( I'aris, 1842), in which monogamy is preserved, each person working according to aliilify and receiv- ing an equal reward. Caliet's ]>at belie attempts to realize his dreams will be mentioned later. Bellamy {Loohbig Bacl-ipard, Boston. 1888) advo- cated wages in the form of anmial credits at the public warehouse, at which goods are sold ac- cording to the qttantity of labor required in their lU'oduction. Hertzka (Freilrind. Leipzig, 1890) and Sheldon (In His Steps, Topeka, 1899) may also be classed here. In the meantime there arose many critics of existing conditions wlio projiosed communistic remedies. ^leslier (1004-17921 in his Testament, lirst published in Amsterdam in 1864, viewed society as a product of force and its evils as the results, largely, of private property. The arious parishes should form large families bound mutually to assist each other: each indi- vidual to have according to his needs. Morelly {Code de la Xature, Paris, 17.5.")) advocated com- munities of about 1000 persons with common goods and distribution according to need. These and other men found little acceptance, but the reaction of the French Revolution brought results. Saint-Simon, whose influence was in his personality rather than his writings, ])roclalmed the control of the 'Industrielles.' Property reform did not greatly concern him. His system was to be religious and moral, a 'new Christianity,' The occupation of each person was to be decided by the directing authority, the renuuieration to be by salary ))roportioned to merits of the work and the individual. (See S.iNT-SiX[OX.) Of the French communists, Charles Fourier (q.v.) probably had the greatest influence. He did not advocate abolition of pri- vate property, but believed in associations of 2000 people who should live in a 'Phalanx.' work and consume in common so far as ])leased them, but who were by no means to be equally inter- ested financially or to share equally in proceeds. Strictly speaking. Fourier's scheme might be called a cooperative corporation save for its features of common life. Buchez (1831) advised that laborers save enough to start productive associations. Louis Blanc developed this idea, saying that the State should assist the laborers in founding 'ateliers sociaux.' These would gradually overcome the capitalistic system and lead to conuiiunism. At this time, in England, Robert Owen had be- come very prominent by his -works and his teach- ings. Owen came to his ideas not by way of ymre speculation, but felt himself driven by the logic of the situation in which he found himself. He was a successful manufacturer interested in his employees. He finally advocated the form- ing of groups of from .500 to 1000 persons, who should provide themselves all llie necessaries of life. The members shoidd live in gi'eat houses surrounded bv gardens, and all artificial distine-
 * )osals. More luis been folhjwed liy many writ-