THE ONEIDA COMMUNISTS.

WORSE THAN MORMONISM.

THE Oneida (New York) Communists, who have a branch establishment at Wallingford, Connecticut, and who are well known for their success in making Socialism a pecuniary success, are getting ambitious of making converts, we judge. At any rate, their head man, John H Noyes, the life and brains of this peculiar organisation—as Brigham is of Mormonism— has written a book giving a history of Communism in the United States, and setting forth with greater plainness than ever before the belief of himself and his followers. The foundation stone of the community is the apostolic idea of having " all things in common, " including persons as well as property and this idea is thoroughly carried in Oneida, while we are informed that the Connecticut establishment is one with the other, ' socially and financially. ' No such distinction as husband and wife, parents and children are recognised by the community, but all are considered as belonging to one another, relations being regulated only by the attraction that one has to another. Among the articles of the creed that legitimately follow from this fundamental belief are that shame is sin; holiness comes first and then free love; the abolition of marriage and the substitution of communism is a Christian duty, and so on.

This statement of the belief of the Ondeida Communists is no new thing, and is only worthy of notice from the broadness and frankness with which it is now stated by the leader of the community and the evident attempt to attract the attention of the public by means of his book. It is also worthy of note that the people professing and practising these principles—as much viler and more demoralising than Mormonism is can be imagined—are subjected to no molestation, either legal or unlawful, though closely surrounded by neighbours to whom their belief is only less abhorrent than their actions. If any great assignation establishment like this had been set up without the pretence of religious belief to buoy it up, it would have been, disposed of pretty quickly. But Americans are very lenient to all forms and phases of religions belief and there is no denying that it is a much better way than to imitate the religious persecutions of the Old World and the sixteenth century. But it is equally evident that this tolerance permits some strange anomalies, both of government and social life, and it is hardly to be wondered at that foreigners, who cannot be expected to know us thoroughly, sometimes get a wrong impression of us when told that we permit the Oneida Communists to flourish in the heart of New York and allow the Mormons out in Utah to have as many wives as they may want though everybody else is strictly limited to one. -

Springfield, Mass, Republican 2/5/1870