DUKE UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 The Glenn Negley Collection 
 of Utopian Literature 
 
THE 
 
 MODEL TOWI^ 
 
 THE RIGHT AJND PROGRESSIVE ORGANIZATION 
 
 OF INDUSTRY FOR THE PRODUCTION OF 
 
 MATERIAL AND MORAL AVEALTH. 
 
 By beta. 
 
 " Doth not even nature itself teach you." 
 
 1 Cor. xi. 14 
 
 " God made the country, Man made the town." 
 
 CAMBRIDGE: 
 PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR. 
 
 1869. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by 
 
 E. B. Bassett, 
 
 in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Massachusetts. 
 
 RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE : 
 
 STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY 
 
 H. 0. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY. 
 

 PEEFACE. 
 
 In writing on the great and absorbing sub- 
 ject of the organization of all kinds of indus- 
 try, for the production of material and moral 
 wealth, we wish it understood that we do not 
 consider ourself as a discoverer of new laws or 
 principles, but we wish to urge the organiza- 
 tion and carrying out of what has already, in 
 a fragmentary manner, and in different ways, 
 been made known and aj)plied : That individ- 
 uals, families, and communities may live in 
 comfort, refinement, and in a permanent tem- 
 poral and moral prosperity, in their own 
 town, among their own kindred, rather than be 
 obliged to emigrate separately to manufactur- 
 ing towns and cities, in order to enjoy the 
 rights to live and labor ; and also to gain the 
 artistic, scientific, and religious advantages that 
 are found in such large places, where capital is 
 
4: PREFACE. 
 
 concentrated and labor in more demand, and 
 where greater enterprises are undertaken and 
 more successfully prosecuted to enrich the few, 
 while so many only just obtain the bare neces- 
 saries and comforts of life, in a very precarious 
 manner. We wish, therefore, to point out the 
 beautiful stones, timbers, and fancy woods 
 which can be used, to make the families and 
 homes more adapted to the advanced state of 
 the age and of the common mind of a free and 
 enterprising people — those who not only seek 
 their own, but also the general good. We 
 therefore send this volume on its mission to 
 arouse and unite the moral, the intelligent, the 
 Christian men and women of industry and toil 
 to organize model towns, where all can peace- 
 ably dwell, and labor harmoniously and pros- 
 perously in seeking the good of humanity, to 
 the glory of God, and Jesus, the Saviour and 
 model of man. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PACIE 
 INTRODUCTION J 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 TITE MODEL TOWN 12 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 EDUCATION 38 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE RESULTS OF ITS FORMATION 46 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 ITS MORAL TENDENCY 64 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 OBJECTIONS ANSWERED 89 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 CONCLUSION 96 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 There are things in nature, as well as revela- 
 tion, which it is very necessary that people 
 should understand, that they may prosper in 
 the highest degree. And for this object we 
 wish to present some of the lights of the past 
 and present, to lead and guide in the best and 
 most efficient way to organize industry, one of 
 the greatest of human interests ; that it may 
 be organized according to the nature of things, 
 so as to conduce to the highest temporal and 
 moral well-being of man. 
 
 In opening the book of nature, if we will 
 study its pages, we shall find variety and diver- 
 sity of parts, and yet perfect harmony, making 
 one grand whole ; as from the smallest par- 
 ticle of matter to a perfect system, in the ani- 
 mal, mineral, and vegetable world. In the rais- 
 ing of a perfect animal, there must be an 
 adaptation of means for its health, strength, and 
 growth. For the production of minerals, there 
 
8 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 must be the combination of the particles of 
 which they are composed. And for the growth 
 of vegetables, there must be a right prepai a- 
 tion of earth, air, and water, to develop their 
 natures. And those persons who raise any 
 animal or vegetable in a systematic or scien- 
 tific manner, will produce the best, and in the 
 greatest abundance. Thus it is in the world; 
 there are systems of philosophy, morals, and 
 pohtics which, when practiced according to na- 
 ture and revelation, have conduced to the high- 
 est well-being of man, in the circumstances in 
 wdiich he is j^laced. 
 
 But in the diiferent departments of industry, 
 as agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, 
 there has been but a partial development and 
 application for the best good of families and in- 
 dividuals ; because each of these departments 
 is clashing with the others, and only indirectly 
 advancing the public interest. For instance, 
 commerce, as now prosecuted, is a heavy tax 
 on the producer and consumer, and is the 
 master of both, rather than their servant; as 
 the lawful operation of commerce is to carry 
 the productions of a country or town from the 
 producer to the consumer, and not merely to 
 trade and speculate upon them, as is now so 
 lamentably the case. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 9 
 
 In industry, there has been in the progress of 
 society, according to intelHgence and religion, 
 but a partial organization from the savage to the 
 civilized state. At first, men in the savage state 
 rudely organized themselves for the purpose of 
 hunting and fishing, and for collecting the 
 avails of their industry, and protecting them 
 from the depredations of others, which they 
 could not do without some systematic organi- 
 zation. But as men became more enlightened 
 and civiUzed, they organized their industry for 
 the purpose of carrying on public improve- 
 ments and all good industrial enterprises, 
 such as building roads, churches, school- 
 houses, towns, cities, railroads, manufactories, 
 and so on. And by these, they increase their 
 wealth, prosperity, and power. How strikingljr 
 is this the case in the organizations of our 
 manufacturing cities of Lowell and Lawrence, 
 Mass. And is it any wonder that our young 
 men and women leave the country for these 
 and other cities where capital, labor, and skill 
 are concentrated, and many social, material, 
 mental, and religious advantages are obtained 
 in greater abundance than on the separate farm 
 and shop in the country ? As far as these, in a 
 great measure separated and isolated organiza- 
 
10 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 tions of industry, have succeeded, great results 
 have been obtained, although partial and an- 
 tagonistic often to the highest well-being of 
 society, families, and individuals. 
 
 The present commercial, financial, and indus- 
 trial organizations, as seen by the advanced 
 public intelligence, are continually coming in 
 contact with natural laws of society and the 
 best interests of all. 
 
 In commerce, as now prosecuted, trader is 
 vying and clashing with trader to see who can 
 sell the most and obtain the largest profit. 
 Now the natural desire of gain, which is com- 
 mon to man, we do not wish to repress, but 
 guide it into a better and more useful channel, 
 to benefit not one, but all the families in the 
 community in the highest degree. The ex- 
 change of productions which a town produces 
 can be more profitably done by it than by sin- 
 gle individuals and families ; and thus save the 
 competition which commerce as now pursued 
 increases, rather than promote exchanges, the 
 natural business of lawful commerce. So in 
 the financial world, banker and money-lender 
 is vying with banker and money-lender, to see 
 who can loan the most credit, and make the 
 most in shaving notes. In other industrial 
 
INTRODUCTION. 11 
 
 departments, farmers, mechanics, and laborers, 
 each m their sphere, are working to produce 
 the most, and underbid and undersell each 
 other in the natural price of their labor, by 
 o-oing: to market with it often when it is over- 
 stocked. By the natural price of labor we 
 mean that price which is necessary for the 
 laborer or producer to live and prosper, so that 
 he shall be able to sustain himself and family 
 with the greatest comfort, and to educate him- 
 self and family physically, mentally, and morally 
 in the highest degree. This should be the great 
 aim of town governments and organizations, and 
 not as at present to see how little expense can 
 be given to promote the most important objects 
 of society. But now, if the price of labor is be- 
 low its natural value, the laborer becomes dis- 
 couraged, wretched, and degraded, and the 
 wealth of the whole country decreased. These 
 effects must and will follow with the present 
 antagonistic, partial, and disorganized state of 
 industry, and until a complete and harmonious 
 system be introduced. 
 
CHAPTER 11. 
 
 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 We wish, then, to introduce our readers and 
 the industrious public to a system for the right 
 organization of industry, by which material and 
 spiritual wealth and prosperity may be made 
 to flow, as far as possible, to each and every 
 member of the community ; or the right or- 
 ganization of labor for the production of mate- 
 rial " wealth " especially — which is " the rich 
 man's strong city," says the highest authority, 
 — and for the well-being of every family and 
 individual in town, according to the present dis- 
 covered natural laws of society. 
 
 But that it may be fully understood, and for 
 system's sake, we shall consider what we do mt 
 propose. 
 
 We do not propose to introduce a new system 
 of religion, as we believe that true rehgion is so 
 generally known among the different evangel- 
 ical sects of Christendom, and its foundations as 
 revealed in the Bible so understood in this re- 
 
THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 13 
 
 licrioiis ao-e, that the zeal of the different re- 
 hgioiis organizations, as they have the mate- 
 rial resources and the blessing of Heaven, may 
 advance it in their own way and manner, as 
 their reason and common understanding may 
 direct. 
 
 We leave, then, religion, spiritual religion, to 
 the different sects, that each town may adopt 
 its own religious order; making rehgion, the 
 great work of man on earth, to be first and fore- 
 most in the great interests of the town, with 
 education to assist all to understand what is for 
 the temporal and spiritual good of the whole. 
 The carrying out of a model town to its most 
 complete success includes natural and revealed 
 rehgion. Natural religion is obeying the laws 
 of nature, as we understand them. Kevealed 
 or spiritual religion is the luill, choosing the 
 Bible as the guide of man, and harmonizing it 
 with the moral law as comprehended in the 
 commands of " love thy God," and " love thy 
 neighbor as thyself." 
 
 It is not a system of mental or moral philos- 
 ophy of any kind, except that of reason and 
 common sense, which we advocate. 
 
 Nor is it a system of community of property, 
 as the Shakers practice. For " we hold that 
 
14 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 community of property is a violation of one of 
 man's primary rights," and the grave of individ- 
 ual liberty. But be it understood, that the 
 natural right of property is guaranteed, as in 
 all civilized states and communities, and more 
 securely held, and more fully enjoyed, than is 
 now understood or obtained, as the right of 
 property is founded in the constitution of man 
 and the nature of society. 
 
 The model town we propose is a cooperation 
 of all the families and individuals of a com- 
 munity in a social and industrial system, the 
 laws of which may be found in man's rela- 
 tions to society, and in the nature of things, 
 and made known by eminent men and philoso- 
 phers who lived in the past and also in the 
 present, who were and now are well versed in 
 the material interests of man ; a cooperation 
 of a town in agriculture, manufacture, and com- 
 merce, to harmonize with each other, without 
 the present individual and family conflicts to 
 gain wealth at the expense, comfort, and hap- 
 piness of others ; a community to practice the 
 science of wealth by which the productions 
 of nature and art, which are for the highest 
 comfort and happiness of man, may be obtained 
 in abundance, and equally and justly distrib- 
 
THE MODEL TOWN. 15 
 
 uted and regulated by the natural laws of 
 supply and demand and of wages, as taught by 
 the philosophers of wealth, or political econo- 
 mists ; an incorporated cooperative town by 
 which all may increase their wealth, prosperity, 
 and power in harmony with the natural laws 
 of society. For it is perfectly clear that by the 
 present separate system of farming, an immense 
 amount of labor and means are wasted and lost 
 in the country, w^hich is fully confirmed in the 
 "Country Gentleman," which says (and we have 
 observed the fact in our travels in Vermont as 
 well as New Hampshire) : "A yoke of oxen and 
 two horses form the average animal working- 
 force on a New Hampshire farm. These oxen 
 and the horses have to be supported all the 
 year, and seldom work half of the time; for 
 while just at planting time, and in hay-harvest, 
 both teams are necessary, even then a deal of 
 standing in the stable and idleness takes place, 
 for when the men are mowing with the scythe, 
 when they are hoeing corn or potatoes, and 
 while doing all other jobs which require naught 
 but manual labor, these cattle eat on, but earn 
 nothing. A deal of labor is thus lost for oxen 
 and horses which are often past six years old, 
 and instead of increasing in valu^, are every 
 
16 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 year decreasing. Now this is where a man on 
 a small farm is at a disadvantage ; for more 
 than half the labor of these teams is lost, and 
 the cost of keejDing them is so much taken from 
 the profit of his farming. It is probable that 
 they eat in winter for weeks together without 
 earning one cent ; custom gives them better 
 feed than young stock which is being raised ; in 
 factj the support of such an over-ponderance of 
 working animals is a complete incubus to the 
 successful career of the farmer. Look at this 
 plot system in the State mentioned ; see the 
 little patches which are cultivated ; note the 
 labor lost in such frequent turnings ; and again 
 watch the practice of one man to hold the plow 
 and another to drive the oxen, and when the 
 cultivator is used between the corn or potatoes, 
 with one man to ride the horse and another 
 to guide the implement, and who can deny that 
 labor is lost; and who can wonder that with 
 early rising, late retiring, economy in house- 
 keeping, severe industry, and self-denial unex- 
 ampled in any other part of the world, the best- 
 meaning and kindest-hearted yeomanry fail to 
 do more than get a living, and gradually lessen 
 the fertility of the soil — the land over-cropped, 
 mankind o^rwrought, and the results swal- 
 
THE MODEL TOWN. 17 
 
 lowed up in labor lost." What a melancholy 
 picture of the present disorganized separate 
 state of agriculture everywhere in our land, 
 especially in the older States of New England ; 
 where there is a good foundation for successful 
 farming, if this amount of organized labor, cap- 
 ital, and skill were applied by a model town 
 system. 
 
 But to be more definite and practical. It is 
 proposed to organize capital, labor, and skill in 
 a town or community of two hundred families 
 or more — according to the number of families 
 who choose to unite in the enterprise, — or one 
 thousand persons or more : — 
 
 1st. To agree to form themselves as a Chris- 
 tian community, rich and poor, learned and un- 
 learned, as a cooperative town, with such per- 
 sonal and real property as capital, to be the 
 fixed general fund of the town, as each one 
 thinks best to invest in such a township. 
 
 2d. Each person to have a certificate of the 
 value he or she has invested to form or organ- 
 ize the town. 
 
 3d. Each share to be secured by mortgage 
 on the general property of the town. 
 
 4th. Each person, whether he has contributed 
 or not, if found worthy, and chosen by the 
 
18 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 town, to be invited to assist in the enterprise, 
 by means of his or her industry and skill. 
 
 5th. Women and children to have the same 
 rights as men, in proportion to their ability to 
 labor. 
 
 6th. The profits, after the general expenses 
 have been paid for the common good of the 
 town, to be annually divided among those who 
 have labored, according to their usefulness, 
 after paying the interest on the shares or cer- 
 tificates first invested in the general capital. 
 
 Thus each will be paid according to his just 
 claim ; and all — men, women, and children — 
 receive a compensation for all that is done by 
 their industry to promote the general good of 
 the town as well as their own individual wel- 
 fare. 
 
 We can hence see that this organization is 
 not a giving up of our property, but combining 
 it with others, making it more secure, safe, and 
 successful by its united power than one or a 
 few families or individuals can make it. For 
 the greater part of it is thus made to increase 
 by loaning it to companies, corporations, and 
 towns ; and by bonds and mortgages it is made 
 secure. And in a town where it is invested, it 
 will be more secure, as the individual and 
 
THE MODEL TOWN. 19 
 
 family reside in the place, and see that the 
 combined wisdom of the town is using the capi- 
 tal for the best interest of the place, as well as 
 the welfare of all who reside in it. 
 
 The advantage of this reform can be clearly 
 seen in uniting all the interests of the town or 
 community, which are now so disunited and 
 scattering. And by the distribution of the 
 different parts of labor, and dividing of wages 
 and profits, each will understand that his wealth 
 will increase or diminish as he takes or does 
 not take a part in the general and particular 
 industry of the place ; since " the hand of the 
 diligent maketh rich," while the idle will come 
 to want many of the good things of the town. 
 So that a person cannot labor for himself with- 
 out laboring for the good of all; and the for- 
 tune of the one can no longer be, as is now 
 so lamentably the case, the misfortune of the 
 other ; nor will the rising of one family be the 
 depression or utter ruin of another. 
 
 This is the arrangement for investing and 
 dividing the wages and profits. Land is then 
 purchased for the town, to the amount of say 
 five thousand acres — for a smaller town less 
 would be needed ; this would depend on its fer- 
 tility and location. 
 
20 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 The land generally will be laid out in fields, 
 parks, gardens, orchards, meadows, and wood- 
 lands, to be cultivated as if it were the farm 
 of one corporation, with the combined wisdom 
 of the multitude of counselors which will bring 
 safety ; all of the . town being interested in 
 choosing such as will advance its welfare in 
 the most economical and scientific manner. 
 There would be need of but few fences : one 
 around the boundary of the town, and a few in 
 the interior. Here would be an immense sav- 
 ing in fences, walls, and repairs, and much 
 trouble in going to law with neighbors about 
 adjacent lands and fences ; and vexation and 
 sermonizing respecting poor neighbors' cattle 
 throwing down fences, or hogs getting * into 
 gardens, or dogs among the sheep, as the 
 town will not be so poor, or so overlook in- 
 terest and decency, as not to keep them in 
 their proper places. 
 
 And instead of two hundred little farn^s cut 
 up into all manner of shapes, there would be 
 regularity, order, and system of arrangement, 
 adding beauty to the town and a variety and 
 delightful prospect to the landscape. " If we 
 compare," says a late celebrated advocate of 
 cooperating industry, 'Hhe cultivation of the 
 
THE MODEL TOWN. 21 
 
 domain, overseen like a single farm, with the 
 same extent of country cut up into little 
 farms, and subject to the caprice or fancy of 
 these hundred families, the parallel will be 
 found most striking : here one family makes a 
 meadow of a sloping piece of land, which nature 
 intended for the vine ; there another sows wheat 
 where grass should grow ; a third, to avoid buy- 
 ing grain, clears a hill, which rains strip of its 
 soil the following year ; while a fourth and fifth 
 misapply and abuse the soil in some other way. 
 These hundred families lose their time and 
 money in barricading themselves against their 
 neighbors, and in lawsuits about boundary lines 
 and petty trespasses; they all avoid works of 
 general usefulness, which might be of advan- 
 tage to detested neighbors, and individual in- 
 terest is everywhere brought in conflict with 
 the public good." 
 
 We will now present a description of the 
 buildings of the model town, which is to be so 
 great a benefit to the families of men who wish 
 to live according to the advanced state of 
 science and the higher benevolent spirit of the 
 age. It must be admitted by every intelligent 
 observer, that the former structures for houses 
 in most old settled places, in comparison with 
 
22 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 the scientific architectural improvements and 
 arrangements of the present day, are irregular, 
 incommodious, low, dark, dreary, and unhealthy ; 
 and that by the united effort of a town in its wis- 
 dom, it would direct in the selection of the best 
 plans — and the best architects to draw the plans 
 — of construction fitted to the present advanced 
 state of building houses and other edifices. 
 
 Each family will need a model house or cot- 
 tage built, or one block of houses for a number 
 of families, each family to have apartments sepa- 
 rate from others, so as not to disturb or inter- 
 fere with its own social and family arrange- 
 ments; the house or cottage constructed in such 
 a manner that each shall have its garden and 
 smaller fruit-lot combined, that each family 
 may cultivate for its own use, and to dispose of 
 as they please, under the general supervision of 
 the town. Conveniences for cooking and wash- 
 ing of its own, if it wishes to perform this labor; 
 but as society generally tends to unity in our 
 industrial and social relations, most individuals 
 and families will prefer to have their work of 
 this kind done in the general cook or wash room 
 with its improved machinery, at less expense 
 and labor. And most people will desire to live 
 with their brothers and sisters of humanity, in 
 
THE MODEL TOWN. 23 
 
 a large united hotel, or block of houses, where 
 the rooms and apartments are well lighted and 
 warmed, and separated for families and individ- 
 uals as their means, circumstances, friendships, 
 and relations require, rather than in a sep- 
 arate and selfish condition. We say selfish 
 condition, in respect to the knowledge of a 
 better state or a higher plane of benevolence 
 to society, as may be seen in a model town, 
 and as seen in the economy of living, con- 
 venience of building, and general comfort and 
 pleasure of intelligent and benevolent society, 
 and the pursuits which they adopt for the gen- 
 eral welfare of the town. Now a large united 
 edifice or block could be planned with the 
 greatest regard to comfort, economy, health, 
 and convenience, and greater advantages be 
 secured, at much less expense than a number 
 of ordinary, inconvenient, separate dwellings, as 
 the calculation would show. It is true, as in- 
 telligence and benevolence advances, most fam- 
 ilies and individuals would adopt this plan, not 
 only that they may so live, but enjoy the bene- 
 fit of the highest social, intelligent, and refined 
 society so near, and as they congregate in the 
 public parlors and halls of the building. It is 
 in vain to shut our eyes to the fact that indi- 
 
24 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 viduals and families are, in our large towns, as 
 they have the means, or for economy and rest, 
 tending toward large boarding-houses, restau- 
 rants, and hotels ; where at present proprietors 
 lawfully make large fortunes at the expense 
 of the many who patronize them ; where the 
 great object and the whole tendency is to make 
 money, with the least possible regard to the 
 public good, and where the public eye is seldom 
 turned to them, in expectation of advancing its 
 interest ; but the object is only to advance in 
 wealth the proprietors and their families. 
 
 Hence we see most of the population of the 
 town would naturally gravitate towards the 
 society of the edifice, where the many dwell in 
 comfort and elegance in one of the houses, or 
 suites of apartments of the edifice, as it may be 
 called, although it partakes of the form of a 
 block of houses, or tenement-houses, if you 
 please, — not such as selfish landlords build and 
 own, but suited to families and not " aimless " 
 individuals. Families would of course have the 
 preference in the community, as these are the 
 natural societies of man, and one of the founda- 
 tions of social order and the prosperity of the 
 town and state. But the rent of these houses 
 and apartments would be so reasonable, and the 
 
THE MODEL TOWN. 25 
 
 proprietorship so permanent, that there would 
 not be the necessity of removal every little 
 while, because a building is sold, or because 
 labor cannot be had, and means to pay the rent 
 obtained, as is so often the case in some of our 
 manufacturing towns and villages. We knew 
 of one house in such a village, in which there 
 were four tenements for four families, and it 
 was said that about every month there was a 
 family moving out or in. What a state is this 
 where poor families of mechanics remove once 
 in three months or a year; what a driving from 
 pillar to post is this state of things ! 
 
 Each family in this edifice may have a house 
 or rooms to suit their fancy, wants, or means. 
 According to their means, as in all good society, 
 those who are industrious and are willing to 
 pay for a better house or apartment can do so, 
 for this will encourage all to be industrious and 
 advance higher and higher in apartments and in 
 a more advanced house, as well as to advance 
 in other social, intellectual, and moral relations. 
 These apartments and houses may be just as 
 separate from intrusion as a row of houses, or 
 hotels, in our towns and cities. Generally, the 
 people may prefer for economy and convenience 
 to have their meals at a common table, or fam- 
 
26 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 ily tables in a common dining-hall. Or those 
 who desire it may order their repasts and eat- 
 ables at their own house or apartments ; meals 
 to consist of whatever they may choose from 
 the general bill of fare, as is now the case in 
 some of our hotels and restaurants in cities and 
 large towns. 
 
 The other buildings of the town will be built 
 on a scale suited to the business and the pur- 
 suits of the place, — large and commodious 
 workshops, with all the modern machinery 
 necessary to carry on to completeness and suc- 
 cess the different trades needed and chosen by 
 the town. Not one or a few shops, into which 
 a master or proprietor may see fit to crowd his 
 poor workmen, so small, inconvenient, low and 
 dirty that they and their families are degraded 
 in their association with them ; but large, 
 healthy, and superior buildings, such as men of 
 capital now build in our modern towns, and as 
 much better as the public good is greater than 
 an individual or company unconnected with the 
 interest of the town can be. 
 
 These industrial establishments will be fur- 
 nished with everything necessary and agree- 
 able, which now separate proprietors could or 
 would not erect for want of means, or taste, or 
 
THE MODEL TOWN. 27 
 
 the conflict of self-interest. These would be at 
 such convenient distances from the dwellings 
 as to save time and to prevent disturbance by 
 the noise of the different occupations. There 
 would be the best of walks, covered or other- 
 wise, around the whole edifice, leading to all 
 parts of the town, by which to reach the shops, 
 meetings, lectures, concerts, and to visit each 
 other, which will add to the general comfort of 
 social and industrial hfe in the place. 
 
 There will be a church built to accommodate 
 the inhabitants. As true religion is one of the 
 highest interests of man on earth, this will 
 take a prominent place in the community. 
 The church of each sect, as a town, will choose 
 its own pastor and church of&cers, as each 
 model town at its commencement will unite its 
 families to support the general religion of the 
 place, so that each town may have its own sect, 
 and advance its own religious interests as a 
 town. The rehgion of the town to be founded 
 on the teachings of the Bible, as generally un- 
 derstood by Christian men of common intelli- 
 gence of the New England stamp, or other 
 religious sects, as the people may choose. They 
 should be united as a town on religious matters, 
 to economize in time, money, and labor, and 
 
28 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 that each town as a town may have a Christian 
 emulation to carry out and live the Christian 
 life ; that each may strive to make the most 
 perfect Christian Eden of a town that on earth 
 can be attained. 
 
 The schools will be graded, so as to fit chil- 
 dren for the different pursuits of the town, or 
 for colleges and seminaries of other model 
 towns, or where higher institutions have been 
 founded. The church and school to be the 
 great pillars of society in the town, that by 
 religion and education the people may be 
 made harmonious, prosperous, and happy, as far 
 as they possibly can be. A public hall will be 
 built for lectures, concerts, and other town and 
 society gatherings. 
 
 There will be council rooms, libraries, and 
 an observatory and museum for the people 
 of the town. And a savings bank in connec- 
 tion with a national bank, where the funds will 
 be generally employed to advance the interests 
 of the town and its inhabitants in the comforts 
 and necessaries of life ; and not merely for the 
 interest of a few stockholders and money- 
 lenders and speculators, as is now so often and 
 lamentably the case. There will be a town 
 exchange at the bank, where all money will 
 
THE MODEL TOWN. 29 
 
 be redeemed, and foreign money exchanged, for 
 the people of the town. All the labor-saving 
 machinery of commerce will be introduced, in 
 accordance with the laws of the State and na- 
 tion, and as the advanced intelligence of the 
 community require, or the highest science of 
 the social system teaches, as explained and 
 taught by the highest authority and the best 
 of its practical teachers and professors. The 
 best granaries, store-houses, and other buildings 
 will be erected to advance the interest and 
 prosperity of the town. 
 
 Groceries, dry-goods, and all articles needed, 
 which are not produced in the town, will be 
 bought at wholesale, and in large quantities, 
 and sold at cost to the citizens or inhabitants, 
 thus saving a great amount of money and 
 labor now paid to the many merchants and 
 traders and speculators who stand between, 
 and take a profit of those who produce and 
 those who consume. So that a union store, or 
 rather a town store, will be formed, owned by 
 the town, which will far exceed in usefulness 
 and economy those " union stores," which have 
 been — when honestly and intelligently con- 
 ducted — of great saving to the people. 
 
 These union stores are organized by paying 
 
30 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 in SO much capital per share, say ten dollars for 
 each share, and thus making a capital to buy 
 the goods at wholesale ; and then an agent is 
 provided to sell to the shareholders, at a small 
 advance on the cost, under the direction of un- 
 paid directors, who oversee and make rules, in 
 connection with the stockholders, for the man- 
 agement of the store. This is a very simple, 
 direct, systematic, and successful way to save 
 money, and obtain the most needed things for 
 a community, in comparison with the now dis- 
 orderly, uncertain, ignorant, loose, and reckless 
 way of trading, which causes, under the present 
 system of exchanging labor or its products, 
 so many failures in mercantile business ; for it 
 is said that two thirds of the merchants and 
 traders in Massachusetts fail in business, and 
 some we have known to fail three or four 
 times. If that is done " in a green tree " in 
 "the model State," what shall be said of a 
 dry ? What losses, troubles, and distresses to 
 families and individuals would be avoided, if 
 every town should have its union commercial 
 establishment, buying such goods as were 
 wanted and useful, and not those things which 
 are not necessary or useful but truly hurtful, 
 which petty traders display to tempt the young 
 
THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 31 
 
 and old to purchase, to the loss of their health, 
 labor, and money, but which the model town 
 store can easily prevent or avoid. 
 
 Hence we see that the present commercial 
 management is a heavy tax upon the produc- 
 tions of honest industry, creating a great host 
 of traders, financiers, and speculators, when 
 there would be no need of them ; for the petty 
 trading and overreaching in trade will be done 
 away with in a model town, as all articles that 
 are not produced within itself, will be bought, 
 or exchanged with towns or commercial or 
 manufacturing agents, at wholesale and at cost, 
 and with a wise regard for the good of the 
 people of the town. Rum, tobacco, and conse- 
 quent ruin, as the experience and knowledge 
 of the times teach, will not be introduced to 
 the inhabitants; but temperance, prosperity, 
 and happiness will come from their commercial 
 transactions. Thus the true law of commerce, 
 and also the law of production and consump- 
 tion, or the natural law of supply and demand 
 of man's physical wants, will be successfully car- 
 ried out, which has been so much overlooked 
 by the people, politicians, and statesmen. And 
 for want of this direct trade, a great source of 
 immense evils and wrong have come to man 
 
32 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 in his present isolated individual social state. 
 But a model town, by its combined wisdom and 
 honesty, can remedy these evils by regulating 
 the supply according to the demand, and thus 
 harmonize the supplies of the towm, and do 
 away the petty traffic between individuals who 
 by ignorance or dishonesty oppress each other 
 in their trades, speculations, and frauds, and 
 which are now so prevalent among individuals, 
 families, and communities. The town would 
 also produce or obtain articles for its own 
 consumption of the best and most durable ma- 
 terials ; it would make and buy to use, not 
 merely to sell. In such a town no article 
 w^ould be produced which is degrading, vicious, 
 or useless, for this would be transgressing one 
 of the laws of the science of wealth, which is, 
 that an article must be of use to be of any 
 value to man. Now a model town can cease 
 at any time, without serious loss or distress to 
 the inhabitants, from the production of any 
 article when it becomes useless, or its own or 
 a foreign market becomes overstocked ; as it 
 can withdraw the labor and capital from one 
 production and direct it to another, without 
 throwing men and families into distress, border- 
 ing upon starvation, — which almost every class 
 
THE MODEL TOWN. 66 
 
 of industry suffers, especially manufacturers, 
 mechanics, and laborers, from the simple pro- 
 cess of reducing wages or raising them, and thus 
 attracting or discouraging labor from engaging 
 in any department not required by the com- 
 munity. And hence distress will be avoided, — 
 which no State or nation can so speedily or 
 effectually accomplish, as it would come to a 
 State or nation at different times ; and owing to 
 the slow and cumbersome legislation of these 
 bodies, and the jealousy of sections and parties, 
 they could not so quickly and harmoniously 
 adapt themselves to measures of reform; for 
 Jefferson has wisely said, " The beginnings of 
 right political reforms are to be made in small 
 districts." In this way this reform would have, 
 its beginning, and be applied in a town, without 
 the distress which is brought on different classes 
 by the sudden fall of articles, or excessive pro- 
 duction for the market. So that the inhabitants 
 are guaranteed a living in the town, if they will 
 work. But not when they are sick, or without 
 shops to work in, or tools to work with, or ma- 
 terials or lands to work upon, as these are the 
 great wants of immense numbers of the poor 
 and oppressed of all countries. In the town, 
 tools, materials, shops, and land will be provided, 
 
 3 
 
34 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 as the changes of employment, the good of the 
 public, and the interest of the inhabitants of the 
 town demands ; and surely no person who has 
 any desire for the public good can object to 
 this, even if all should have the profits of their 
 industry slightly curtailed or decreased, — 
 which would seldom be the case, — if it would 
 provide a great number of men, women, and 
 children with work, and a comfortable and 
 happy table, altar, house, and home, who would 
 otherwise be thrown out of employment ; and 
 perhaps in their idleness would commit depre- 
 dations on society; for "idleness not only 
 clothes a person with rags," but an idle brain, 
 either of old or young, is full of mischief 
 
 And then in a money point of view, a great 
 amount would be saved, and comfort and wealth 
 obtained, which it is not easy to calculate, by 
 the use of machinery in the different depart- 
 ments of industry, which a separate individual 
 or family could not employ on account of want 
 of means to obtain it. 
 
 Another important principle of this town will 
 be, that all labor is to be made as attractive as 
 possible. Each department will have its class 
 or classes with a leader or professor, among 
 the most skilled of the town, in each particular 
 
THE MODEL TOWN. 35 
 
 department of industry, as is the case in our 
 agricultural colleges. The professor or leader, 
 a hero of industry and skill worthy of imitation, 
 will be chosen (not because he has rich friends, 
 or married a rich wife) by each department or 
 by the general council of the town, and will 
 keep a book of the names of each member of 
 the class, and the time of his or her work, and 
 its worth. If the member is not satisfied with 
 the leader's valuation of his worth, he can ap- 
 peal to the decision of the class with which he 
 connects himself; if he dislikes the decision of 
 the first class he can connect himself with an- 
 other engaged in the same employment, which 
 would in the same manner decide what he is 
 worth for usefulness, in that department of in- 
 dustry. So that in the multitude of counselors 
 there will be safety, and in time each person 
 will know his worth in the busy hive of indus- 
 try in the town. We know that the proud will 
 not approve of this ; but in this manner the 
 humble will be exalted and the proud brought 
 low. Laboring thus in classes will make it 
 attractive, as our professors in agricultural col- 
 leges will testify; as persons naturally love 
 society, and are attracted to those who are en- 
 gaged in the same employment, and with those 
 who have a common end and interest in view. 
 
36 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 They may continue in the class so long as 
 their own or the public interest requires it. 
 And in leaving the class others will take their 
 places when wanted to continue the work, so 
 that no interruption of the daily production will 
 be necessary. And when there is a change of 
 members of the class, the fresh hands and new 
 ardor imparted will make up for the loss, if any, 
 to that department of employment. Then there 
 will be conveyances, if necessary, to take mem- 
 bers to distant parts of the town where their 
 presence is required. Each person may know 
 what labor he is to perform, and what class he 
 is to be in, and the wages he expects to receive 
 each day or hour he may labor, and this will 
 make his daily industry attractive. In each 
 class there will be a desire to do the work in 
 the best possible manner, as better pay will be 
 earned by those who excel, and thus love of 
 gain, natural to all men, will be the means of 
 advancing the whole interest of the town; 
 while the members will be in the presence of a 
 larger or smaller cloud of witnesses, and thus 
 each will receive the plaudits of all, for doing 
 his work nobly, manfully, and with success. 
 The members will be sure of a most comfort- 
 able and excellent living, with good pay ; with 
 but a small probability of loss, if rightly con- 
 
THE MODEL TOWN. 37 
 
 ducted, and as long as seed-time and harvest 
 continue. For in the town will be spent most 
 of the wages earned, and the town will contin- 
 ually be enriched by each member's industry. 
 The different departments of work will be en- 
 gaged in from choice and good wages j and not 
 alone from hard necessity, or the fear of starva- 
 tion or loss, which the many selfish task-masters 
 impose to enrich themselves in the present 
 state of disorganized labor. 
 
 It will not be monotonous, for there will be 
 a variety of employments for all, at such reward 
 as the individual worth and the common good 
 require. These principles of attraction, founded 
 in the nature of man and his condition, will 
 make his labor agreeable, pleasant, and profit- 
 able. 
 
 Now this plan will make all industry a pleas- 
 ure rather than a burdensome task, trouble, 
 and pain. There is no curse in occupation, for 
 by it persons are made happy, and without it 
 of some kind they are miserable. All curse is 
 on sin, and sin is a transgression of the moral 
 law. From youth to old age, labor is made 
 a pleasure in the town. While example, which 
 is the highest moral influence a person can ex- 
 ert, will make all industry in its various depart- 
 ments attractive. 
 
CHAPTER m. 
 
 EDUCATION. 
 
 In this great interest of mankind, the model 
 town will see that all her inhabitants are 
 thoroughly educated for the spheres they are 
 naturally to occupy in the community and the 
 world. 
 
 The present isolated, separate farms and 
 dwellings at so great a distance from each other, 
 greatly hinder the cause of education. Some 
 children have to go miles from their dwellings 
 to gain a common-school education, and that to 
 a limited amount, and not what is desirable for 
 the positions that nature intends them to oc- 
 cupy. Education and religion being the two 
 great pillars for the support of all civilized and 
 enlightened society, these will hold a prominent 
 place in the minds and hearts of the inhabitants 
 of the model town. Here their beauties shine 
 forth with resplendent lustre, education being 
 an important handmaid to religion, and true 
 religion a generous supporter and patron of 
 
EDUCATION. 39 
 
 education in the model town; and. they will go 
 hand in hand to train and educate, physically, 
 mentally, and morally, model children for model 
 men and women, as examples, and to assist in 
 raising mankind from the debasements of op- 
 pression, ignorance, and sin, and to form other 
 model towns and cities, which the future ad- 
 vanced state of man, and his united interests, his 
 true benefit, and the good of all will require, as 
 friends and brothers of the human race. 
 
 Now, what is especially needed in regard to 
 the instruction of the people is, that education 
 should be easily obtained, of the best kind, free 
 as air to all, and complete in all its parts to 
 the circumstances and position which children 
 shall occupy when they become of age. It 
 should embrace every child in town, and every 
 faculty of every such child, in due relation and 
 harmony to every other faculty of mind and 
 body. Teachers should be provided in each de- 
 partment, fully instructed in what they teach, 
 and lovers of the work ; to labor in the particular 
 department of science in which they wish to im- 
 part instruction, social, mental, and moral ; and 
 not as at present many do, teach merely " to get 
 a Hving," or the pay to assist them to engage in 
 other pursuits. 
 
40 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 These objects and unity of effort are, however, 
 quite unattainable under the system of towns di- 
 vided into school districts having separate inter- 
 ests, where a large proportion of children have 
 very small and some no educational provision 
 made for them, or are unable, on account of the 
 need of laboring for the bare necessaries of life, 
 to avail themselves of such opportunities as are 
 made, while in our large manufacturing towns 
 and cities, every provision is made for the best 
 schools and teachers. So that many a farmer's 
 family leave their farms to dwell in town, in order 
 to educate their children, and find congenial 
 employments for their support. Now in a well- 
 regulated model town this would be far other- 
 wise ; for while the parents are provided with 
 abundant labor, with their children, they all in 
 the highest deo-ree have the means to become 
 educated ; as every child in town would be pro- 
 gressively taught from the earliest period to the 
 latest moments of his life — educated by teach- 
 ers and professors, each of whom would be 
 abundantly competent in his particular depart- 
 ment, and by means which would combine prac- 
 tical instruction in different branches of useful 
 industry, with the highest development of scien- 
 tific principles and results ; and by different or- 
 
EDUCATION. 41 
 
 ganizations in classes with their respective 
 highly educated teachers, of both men and 
 women, devoted from skill, love, and goodness, 
 for the industrial and mental training of chil- 
 dren. Thus the best ways of social, secular, 
 and moral discipline and teaching would be 
 promoted. So that practical examples of their 
 own fellow citizens in industry, morals, and re- 
 ligion would ever be around them, to stimulate 
 and encourage to the highest efficiency and 
 prosperity of all. 
 
 The graded schools and seminaries of the 
 town will thus fit the youth, if they desire, to 
 enter the higher schools and colleges of learning 
 in other places, and with sufficient means of 
 their own or of their parents' earning to enter 
 higher courses of study in colleges and uni- 
 versities of this and other lands; thence to 
 return to bless the model towns which have 
 trained them, and also to be leaders in other 
 model towns in the same glorious work of in- 
 dustrial education and religion. 
 
 This town should have all the facilities to 
 be derived from books, from museums, from 
 collections of art, — which could so easily be pro- 
 vided by the town as it advanced, — and from 
 experimental philosophy; which would be in- 
 
42 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 creased in interest to all as the practical ap- 
 plication could be seen and studied in the field 
 and workshops, and with far more utility than 
 in our present separated manual labor schools 
 and agricultural colleges. 
 
 The very amusements of children and youth 
 might be readily converted into means of in- 
 struction, and thus body and mind would be 
 developed together, the vigorous and strong 
 physical health contributing to the growth 
 and vigor of the mind, and thus making 
 model children, which are to be the fathers and 
 mothers of the model men and women of the 
 future. Surely, if there were no other advan- 
 tage from such a town than that of a mere edu- 
 cational establishment like this, primary or com- 
 plete, it would suffice to commend it to intelli- 
 gent and moral men, lovers of humanity, and 
 true Christian citizens ; for the majority of the 
 town must be made up of such with their fam- 
 iHes, in order to appreciate and be successful 
 in this high, advanced, disinterested, social, and 
 industrial reform. 
 
 We observe that by this united and system- 
 atic effort, children would be educated to become 
 mental, moral, and physical giants, in comparison 
 with the present puny, dwarfed, and partially 
 
EDUCATION. 43 
 
 educated youth. Thus children will be com- 
 pletely trained in the way they should go, so 
 that when they are old they will not depart from 
 it. They will be more persuaded, influenced, 
 and attracted in their mental, moral, and phys- 
 ical education, by the numbers and bright ex- 
 amples set before them of industry and good- 
 ness. While the rod may be necessary to be 
 used, by parents and teachers, to train the stupid, 
 ignorant, and obstinately vicious, yet as parents 
 and teachers advance in education and religion, 
 such discipline as the rod of violence will be 
 seldom if ever used to bring wayward children 
 into subjection to the rules of the family, the 
 school, and the town. So congenial will be their 
 teachers, studies, and employments, compulsion 
 will be little needed. Nature and the Bible teach 
 that this is the right plan to train and educate 
 children. But we are not surprised that in the 
 dark and unenlightened ages of violence, slav- 
 ery, and war, pleasing and attractive influences 
 should not be brought to bear on the tender 
 and susceptible mind of childhood and youth. 
 
 The well-regulated model town promises very 
 great advantages, then, in the education of chil- 
 dren, but which now, for want of knowledge 
 and means, and the separate condition of soci- 
 
44 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 ety and of the community, prevent that thor- 
 ough education so needed by the young from 
 being accompHshed ; for unless there is a 
 united, harmonious, and persevering effort in 
 the community, there can be but a partial and 
 incomplete reform in this as in all other re- 
 spects. And then there are the children who 
 live more or less distant from schools and 
 churches, in towns that are unwilling or unable 
 to progressively educate their youth, who cor- 
 rupt the good manners of the rest, as is so 
 lamentably the case in our public schools. Now 
 the united wisdom of the town will soon create 
 a public sentiment, or there will be such a senti- 
 ment, as to remedy this, with other evils of our 
 present educational system. And who can show 
 a more desirable, regular, complete, and scien- 
 tific plan than this model town presents ? And 
 it will no doubt accomplish so desirable an ob- 
 ject, when men and means are provided ; for, 
 put children in right circumstances and under 
 right influences, and they are, as it were, half 
 educated and reformed. So with men and 
 women ; remove the temptations around them, 
 and place them in proper circumstances and 
 under the right mental and moral influences, 
 with high-minded heroes and heroines, and they 
 
EDUCATION. ■ 45 
 
 may and will more likely become complete phy- 
 sical, mental, and moral beings. This has been 
 partially proved in the reformation of the ine- 
 briate. This was no doubt one of the designs 
 of God when He took the Jews as his people, 
 and separated them from the corrupt heathen 
 people and nations around them ; lest these 
 might pervert their religion, or turn them aside 
 from serving the true God of nature and revela- 
 tion. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE RESULTS OF ITS FORMATION. 
 
 We will look at the results which we may nat- 
 urally expect to attain, in an economical point 
 of view, in the formation of such a town. In 
 the economies of individuals, families, and com- 
 munities, as well as nations, much wealth is 
 attained. This is strikingly seen in contrast 
 with the economies of separate families in the 
 present township system. 
 
 Now four hundred families, in their disunited 
 condition, if farming families, need four hundred 
 separate farms all fenced or walled in. Each 
 family would require on an average at least 
 fifty acres of land, at the average price of thirty 
 dollars per acre, when cleared, which would 
 amount, in sum-total for all the families, to six 
 hundred thousand dollars. Then they must 
 have four hundred separate inconvenient 
 houses, built after every ignorant man's idea 
 of comfort and beauty. A respectable cottage 
 for a small family would cost at least six hun- 
 
THE RESULTS OF ITS FORMATION. 47 
 
 dred dollars. This would amount in all to two 
 hundred and forty thousand dollars. Four hun- 
 dred barns, at an average of two hundred dol- 
 lars each, would be eighty thousand dollars. 
 Four hundred teams, at two hundred each, 
 eighty thousand dollars. Four hundred plows, 
 at ten dollars each, four thousand dollars. 
 Farming tools, say fifty dollars to each family, 
 twenty thousand dollars. Furniture, for the 
 family, two hundred dollars each, eighty thou- 
 sand dollars. Sheds and other out-buildings, 
 sixty dollars each, twenty-four thousand dollars. 
 Four hundred wells, at thirty dollars each, 
 twelve thousand dollars. Horse and buggy, at 
 three hundred dollars each family, one hundred 
 and twenty thousand dollars. These sums add- 
 ed together, with the interest for one year, in 
 round numbers, amount to over one million 
 one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. We 
 have not reckoned the time and expense of 
 keeping these separate houses, barns, sheds, 
 fences, tools, and furniture in repair every year, 
 which we will leave the reader to estimate at 
 his leisure. 
 
 It needs no great calculation to show that 
 such a united town could buy land in large 
 quantities or tracts, or abandoned farms, and 
 
48 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 erect a grand united edifice or block of houses, 
 — and small cottages, if needed, for those who 
 are so unsocial, unwise, not to say selfish, as 
 families, that they cannot live with their own 
 brothers and sisters of hum-anity, — of the most 
 durable materials^ with every comfort and con- 
 venience ; as for instance, having pure running 
 water conveyed to every apartment required, 
 and gas-lights ; while the whole building or 
 block could be heated by steam or a common 
 furnace, as our large public buildings and hotels 
 are warmed. The most industrious, educated, 
 and refined families could be accommodated 
 with all things needed and agreeable, and with 
 a house or apartments suited to their wants, 
 means, or tastes, with far less number of build- 
 ings, and at a very economical cost, as the 
 least calculation will show. Great sums will be 
 saved to the inhabitants in buying their build- 
 ing materials at wholesale and in large quanti- 
 ties, as there need not be more than one third 
 as many houses as at present Nor would there 
 be three or four families of mechanics thrust 
 into an old two-story house by a selfish landlord, 
 at a rent to each family sufficient to pay for itself 
 in two or three years, and without any modern 
 conveniences. 
 
THE RESULTS OF ITS FORMATION. 49 
 
 Consider the city of New York in this respect. 
 It is said, that "There are 115,989 famiHes, and 
 only 39,552 buildings used as dwellings. The 
 average number of families to a house is three 
 families of fifteen persons. But this statement 
 does not by any means show the crowded con- 
 dition of the city. Sixteen thousand fiimilies 
 occupy a whole house each, and seven thousand 
 other dwellings have but two families each, 
 leaving about sixteen thousand houses to ac- 
 commodate upwards of eighty-five thousand 
 famiUes — an average of over five families, or 
 twenty-six persons to a house. In some quar- 
 ters this density of population becomes abso- 
 lutely sickening to contemplate, the extremes 
 being twenty-nine houses, with an aggregate 
 population of five thousand four hundred and 
 forty-eight souls, or one hundred and eighty- 
 seven persons to each house. Though only half 
 the building lots in the city are yet covered, the 
 increase of population far exceeds the rapidity 
 of construction, and consequently the overcrowd- 
 ing grows worse and worse every day." 
 
 With such a horrible state of things in our 
 towns and cities, is there not need enough of 
 model towns, where the dwellings shall be built 
 to bless the people, and not to make money 
 
60 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 for landlords ; and where the mountains, hills, 
 and valleys of the country shall invite the 
 people to life, health, and prosperity ? 
 
 How few, comparatively, would be needed 
 of storehouses, barns, teams, and wagons. Of 
 wagons, a few would do all the hauling necessary 
 to be done, as a wooden railroad track could 
 easily be made to all the fields, barns, stores, 
 and warehouses, and houses where the products 
 and merchandise would be wanted, and these 
 things easily delivered, instead of being scat- 
 tered over the country in small quantities, at 
 every farm-house, family, and store in the town- 
 ship. Thus a great amount of time and labor 
 would be saved for more productive and useful 
 employments. And then the inhabitants would 
 have time and opportunity to develop their 
 powers of mind and soul, or to gain that in- 
 tellectual and moral wealth which is now so 
 much neglected and unprovided for the people ; 
 and thus model physical, intellectual, and moral 
 persons would be produced which would as- 
 tonish the world, as all the moral machinery 
 would tend to accomplish these desirable results. 
 
 We do not doubt that by wise management 
 one third, if not one half, of the one million one 
 hundred and fifty thousand dollars, or an equiva- 
 
THE RESULTS OF ITS FORMATION. 51 
 
 lent amount of labor and money which is ex- 
 pended by the present organization, or rather 
 disorganization, could be saved to the inhabit- 
 ants. Besides, hundreds and thousands of dol- 
 lars, in a series of years, would be saved, which 
 are now paid to merchants, lawyers, and specu- 
 lators. This is one of the important reasons 
 why the great organized industrial corporations 
 and manufactories become so wealthy in so 
 short a time ; and also the organized towns of 
 the Shakers and Rappites; it is because of the 
 economies of organized industry, and not so 
 much from any superior intellectual or moral 
 influence or principle they contain, although 
 these may greatly assist in the unity of purpose 
 of the community, and are very desirable to be 
 attained in a township. And one of the reasons 
 why many industrial, benevolent enterprises fail 
 is, that they do not observe the economies, nor 
 produce the wealth which they spend, by a sys- 
 tem of industry ; though there are some town- 
 farms and almshouses and hospitals that are 
 self-supporting. 
 
 By a model town, as it increases in wealth, 
 manufacturing its own woolens and cottons 
 and other useful goods, over-production would 
 be avoided. And the present woolen and cot- 
 
52 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 ton factory system would be so adapted to the 
 inhabitants as not to oppress them, and have all 
 or most of the profits go to enrich a few unknown 
 stockholders, who may be perfectly indifferent 
 to the social, physical, intellectual, or moral con- 
 dition of the inhabitants, if good rich dividends 
 are made on their stocks. 
 
 From the industries and economies of such a 
 town, the inhabitants would be able to do much 
 for the benevolent and religious enterprises of 
 the age. Missionaries could be sustained by 
 them in this and heathen lands, and Bibles and 
 tracts scattered over the land and world. This 
 would depend on an increase in intelligence, 
 wealth, and religion. While they could, by 
 their abundant means, send their sons and 
 daughters to colleges and seminaries out of 
 town and to other countries, if they wished a 
 higher education, or did not desire to have a 
 college or university in their own township. 
 This would also in a measure depend on the 
 wealth and number of the inhabitants. Or 
 with their means they might take shares in 
 founding or starting other model towns, which 
 would soon become self-sustaining, and thus aid 
 in filling the land and world with model organ- 
 ized towns and cities, and bless down-trodden, 
 
THE RESULTS OF ITS FORMATION. 53 
 
 oppressed humanity with an abundant increase 
 of the amount of social, physical, intellectual, 
 and moral happiness, by this true combination 
 and concentration of the power and means to 
 produce it. 
 
 Another result of great importance will be 
 the amount saved in the domestic department, 
 as, for instance, in cooking. How few know 
 how to cook even plain bread in our towns ; 
 yet there are some few in every town which 
 excel in this department, and their friends and 
 neighbors, and the community, acknowledge it 
 as far as they are known. The plainest article 
 they make most inviting and nutritious. Now, 
 in four hundred families there is required four 
 hundred cooks to do the cooking ; while in the 
 model cooking department of the model town, 
 forty or less experienced, refined, well informed, 
 scientific model cooks — with modern machinery 
 and conveniences — could do all the cooking 
 needed, and not be obliged to go to France 
 or England for a professor, unless the town wish 
 to introduce something new, which they may 
 think higher than Yankees have attained to. 
 These few cooks would save the time and labor 
 of hundreds of over-burdened mothers, daugh- 
 ters, and other females, who are wasting their 
 
64 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 lives in merely providing for the physical appe- 
 tite, in a round of drudgery, in dirty, little, in- 
 convenient kitchens, subject to the caprice of 
 their lords and mistresses, and many wasting 
 their fine faculties of body and mind in domes- 
 tic ill-paid servitude. But this, you observe, is 
 avoided in such a town, for this class of forty 
 cooks would not feel that they were working 
 merely for their lords and mistresses, and the 
 poor wages and the living they receive, but for 
 the good of the inhabitants of the town of which 
 they form a part, — the good of all, and the 
 slavish fear of none ; nor would they be in fear 
 of losing their daily wages and daily bread. 
 Besides, this employment will be made honor- 
 able, attractive, and well paid. 
 
 This class will be composed of those who 
 choose the business from natural talent, while 
 additions and changes will be made at such 
 times as may be required. No one will be 
 allowed to do service in this important class 
 who has not served a regular course in this par- 
 ticular branch of domestic economy, or art or 
 science of cooking, as it may become in time, 
 when chemistry shall have developed itself in 
 this useful department of industry, which con- 
 duces so much to the health and vigor of fami- 
 
THE RESULTS OF ITS FORMATION. 55 
 
 lies and individuals, and the physical happiness 
 of society ; so that this class need not fear to set 
 their superior cooking before angels, as the wife 
 of the " father of the faithful " did her warm 
 cakes, and her " tender and good " veal. 
 
 This department will receive the attention of 
 the most learned, as the laws of life and health 
 demand. The conscience of the strictest Gra- 
 hamite, or the lover of " every creature of God" 
 — but not of man — will not be infringed upon, 
 nor his pecuniary rights endangered, as board 
 will be charged according to its cost of produc- 
 tion and what a person consumes. So that a 
 person could live on boiled or uncooked wheat 
 if he chose, as we knew a member of the Mas- 
 sachusetts legislature to do-; and he walked 
 from Boston to the Baltimore Convention, and 
 nominated Polk and Dallas on the strength of 
 it. we suppose ! 
 
 But mark this ! We expect that all will live 
 in harmony with the grand objects of the model 
 town ; that all shall be citizens as well as pro- 
 ducers, whose industry shall go to enrich the 
 town, and thus themselves, and not merely to 
 increase the gains of capitalists and corporations ; 
 that the inhabitants shall enjoy a youth of 
 physical, mental, and moral training, a man- 
 
56 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 hood of temperate and reasonable toil, and an 
 old age of independence, comfort, and substan- 
 tial happiness, as far as mortals possibly can ; 
 with the blessing of God on their lawful and 
 honest labors, instead of having life, early and 
 late, consumed in a desperate struggle against 
 poverty and wretchedness, with neither time 
 nor courage for recreation or improvement. 
 
 This is the idea that we wish to have fully 
 understood to be the foundation of this model 
 town enterprise — that all will live up to the 
 light or knowledge they have in respect to their 
 eating and drinking. And if the Grahamite 
 thinks he has the most light, let it shine, by his 
 influence, precept, and example ; and if the lover 
 of the good things. of this life thinks he has the 
 most light, let him show it, in the fields of use- 
 fulness and enterprise in the town ; and if they 
 can in this way, and by reason and argument, 
 convert the other, do it ; but not by hard words 
 and names, or by violence, for we are non-re- 
 sistants in this particular. So in other respects 
 to enlighten the public. And if this does not 
 suit, let them form a town on their own views. 
 Yes, let there be a rumsellers' and drunkards' 
 model town, — a hell of brutal passions ; or a 
 temperate model town, — a heaven of harmony 
 and love. 
 
THE RESULTS OF ITS FORMATION. 57 
 
 In this domestic department much machinery 
 could be used to great economy and advan- 
 tage, by means of steam or other powers, for 
 washing, ironing, and cooking purposes, and 
 thus a vast amount of time and labor would be 
 saved, which a separate household could not 
 obtain or use for want of capital to purchase. 
 But we need not enlarge on the benefits to be 
 derived from the united cooperation of all the 
 families, or the burdens to be lifted from the 
 shoulders of individuals and families, by ma- 
 chinery used in this department. But at pres- 
 ent, by their excessive toil, many are throwing 
 away their lives, with comparatively little benefit 
 to themselves, their families, or the community. 
 
 That such machinery can be used, we point 
 you to the large hotels, and manufactories of 
 bread, and large laundries of our cities, where 
 it is used in their work with such success. Yes, 
 model bread, butter, and cheese factories would 
 be formed ; after which so far from eating such 
 bread, butter, and cheese as is now generally 
 used, the town would be in rebellion at once, for 
 continuance in office of such bread, butter, and 
 cheese-makers. No, none but the best would be 
 endured ; none but the best would the model 
 town expect of her learned sons and daughters ! 
 
58 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 A further result will be, the time and money 
 saved by having different occupations which 
 those who chose could work at within doors, 
 in comfortable buildings, much of which is lost 
 on account of the inclemency of the seasons, or 
 means or materials to do the work. 
 
 How great also the saving of time and ex- 
 pense which are now lost by men and women 
 providing for their petty household affairs ; as 
 what they shall eat, drink, and wear, or buy or 
 sell, or how to make a living and prosper in 
 the world, and educate their children, and pro- 
 vide for their settlement in life. 
 
 There will be such a complete system in all 
 the industries and operations of the town, that 
 there need be nothing lost by the conflict of in- 
 dividual or separate interests or labors. 
 
 Children will be trained to habits of industry 
 from their earliest years, and thus the expenses 
 of their education will be saved ; as, for instance, 
 by the minute and attractive labors of such a 
 model industrial town in the agricultural and 
 manufacturing departments, which could be pro- 
 vided for them as their strength and capacity 
 will allow; so that they may earn their own 
 subsistence from their own native soil, while they 
 are receiving a more thorough physical, mental, 
 
THE RESULTS OF ITS FORMATION. 59 
 
 and moral education ; and not left as at present 
 to run in the fields, roads, and streets in idleness, 
 to learn all the evil ways of other idle children, 
 whose parents are ignorant and too poor to keep 
 them employed in attractive studies, amuse- 
 ments, and labors. 
 
 There will be saved the great burden of taxa- 
 tion, which in our towns weighs so heavily on 
 the middle and industrial classes and individ- 
 uals, with the widows and orphans, who with 
 the strictest economy can but just make their 
 homes comfortable, and save them from the land- 
 sharks and Pharisees of society. These heavy 
 taxes, — town, state, and national, — which now 
 each separate family has to provide for, on 
 account of reckless party legislation, will in a 
 great measure be lightened and saved to them, 
 without their vexations and litigations. 
 
 The fees of lawyers, and usury of money 
 lenders will be avoided ; as the town grows in 
 knowledge and wealth, these classes, the prod- 
 uct of the present trading system, can be dis- 
 pensed with, not that they may not be useful at 
 present, but the advanced state of the town will 
 do away with these and other non-productive 
 classes. There will be no need of lawyers, for 
 the reason that the few and simple rules and 
 
60 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 regulations of the different departments of the 
 town, in the common understanding of the peo- 
 ple, will be so clearly seen that they will not 
 need them to explain the technicalities and 
 changing laws of politicians and the State ; or 
 to argue before a court the numerous claims of 
 separate families and individuals in lands, deeds, 
 bonds, debts, speculations, and quarrels, and 
 other things too numerous to mention, which 
 grow out of the present separate and antag- 
 onistic state of families and individuals. But if 
 there should be any misunderstandings among 
 the people, they could be easily adjusted by 
 being left to disinterested and intelligent in- 
 dividuals of the class to which the parties be- 
 long, whose decisions can be final, or to the 
 general council of the town, as may be thought 
 best. 
 
 But let this suffice under this head of the nat- 
 ural economical results that may be expected, 
 as most people of common intelligence will ac- 
 knowledge there are great amounts saved by 
 the cooperation and unity of individual interests 
 and wisdom. For " united we stand, and divided 
 we fall," is as true in town industries as other 
 important concerns. 
 
 But men are so selfish, say some, that they 
 
THE RESULTS OF ITS FORMATION. 61 
 
 cannot agree to increase their mental, moral, 
 and material wealth and true prosperity, on the 
 principle of cooperation and united interest. 
 Have not they been acting on this principle in 
 their public and private concerns ? Have not 
 railroads, bridges, turnpikes, colleges, meeting 
 and school houses, hotels, and manufactories, 
 been built by shares and stocks, and been suc- 
 cessful in spite of the selfishness and even the 
 dishonesty of men ? Most assuredly it is so ; we 
 see it done in Massachusetts and other States. 
 And cannot a much superior object be accom- 
 plished by carrying it out in a model town ? 
 
 But does any one advise that, because " all 
 seek their own," it is best for every family 
 and man to look out for themselves in such a 
 manner as to add land to land, and field to 
 field, that they may be alone in the earth? 
 And make their houses their castles, and erect 
 walls around them, and remember every man 
 is selfish, and have no confidence in humanity ? 
 And if you want to deal with a man let it be 
 at arm's length, or at the cannon's mouth, or 
 rather at the muzzle of a revolver ? This may 
 do for a slave-holding society ; for, recollect, 
 you say you are to " look on every man as 
 your enemy in business; " for there is no friend- 
 
62 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 ship in trade ; for he wants your money and 
 possessions ! If this is so, ye men of business, 
 look to yourselves and families ! And build 
 your castles strong, and keep them well manned ; 
 and if a man wishes your money look daggers 
 at him, even if you owe him for his daily toil ! 
 And then shall we live in brotherly love, and 
 reform men, and bring them back to the feudal 
 state. And it may be we shall be able in time 
 to reform so far as " the natural or savage state 
 of society." If this is not far enough, reform 
 them back to the lately discovered original mon- 
 key state of man. A picture of each of these 
 states might here be inserted, for fear the reader 
 might not get the true idea ! 
 
 Now, we seriously think, if we may use the 
 expression, this is reforming society backward, 
 or in a retrograde manner, which will cause it 
 to fall, perish, and become extinct to all pur- 
 poses of good to man. 
 
 No 1 those who believe that the human race 
 originated from " man-apes," are not fit subjects 
 to organize and carry out the plan of the model 
 town ! For what a catastrophe would that be 
 in such a progressive town to have its inhabit- 
 ants suddenly return to the original state of 
 their forefathers, the monkey tribe! What a 
 
THE RESULTS OF ITS FORMATION. 63 
 
 chattering and scattering of the inhabitants if 
 this should happen to it,— to those who have just 
 common understanding and reason enough to 
 believe that this was their original state ! What 
 terrible disorganizing results would follow ; for 
 to believe such a thing is dangerous, as mind 
 has great power over matter and especially over 
 the bodies of men ! Well may the inhabitants 
 of a town put up the Episcopal petition : " Good 
 Lord deliver us." We must then believe the 
 true origin of man from father Adam and 
 mother Eve, if we would be just to ourselves 
 and honor our father and mother, and expect 
 to advance in the highest degree the prosperity 
 of a model town. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 ITS MORAL TENDENCY. 
 
 In the light of the common understanding of 
 man, we believe in his free agency ; that he 
 can be naturally wise and honest enough to 
 choose, when he takes the whole plan of this 
 town in view, as having the very best moral 
 tendency of any system of industry devised or 
 discovered. It has been clearly demonstrated 
 in our country that man has the ability for self- 
 government ; and that he can regulate in 
 such a town his material interests, as well as 
 his religious, in a different state of society, we 
 may without the illusion of hope, expect to be 
 fully accomplished. We therefore think as a 
 town thus conforms to the natural laws of so- 
 ciety, mind, and matter, that its moral tendency 
 cannot but be beneficial in every respect. 
 
 But man, because of his ignorance and sepa- 
 rate condition, is very strongly tempted to be- 
 come selfish, and give way to temptations to 
 sin and crime in many instances ; as, mostly, 
 
ITS MORAL TENDENCY. 65 
 
 when he wants the common necessaries and 
 comforts of life, which the industrial town we 
 are considering could easily guarantee to him 
 if he will be honest and industrious. And he 
 will not be obliged to go from within its bor- 
 ders to dwell with dogs and sorcerers, and other 
 kindred spirits, who would seek a living without 
 any useful employment. Yes, all will see that 
 industry so inviting, and a living so sure tends 
 to the virtue and happiness of all, while idle- 
 ness tends to the temporal and moral ruin of 
 the individual and the whole community. For 
 who does not know that the great industrial 
 and moral enterprises of the age — as railroads, 
 manufactories, Bible, missionary, and other be- 
 nevolent and literary societies — are carried on. 
 by the principle of unity of effort in a common 
 cause, and by that love to unite to carry on 
 works for the public good, and receive the 
 public approbation, which is natural to all men. 
 We therefore think the moral tendency will be 
 to attract men, women, and children to do good 
 for the sake of the public, as well as their 
 own individual interest. And then "aimless 
 women," will find their true employment. We 
 do not expect to do wholly away with selfish- 
 ness, but to encourage self-love and self-esteem 
 
66 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 by example, and hedge it in from many of its 
 external outbreakings, in such a manner as to 
 prevent it sweeping away all that is fair, beau- 
 tiful, and lovely in society and in the town, and 
 overcome it in a great measure by love, good 
 works, precept, and example ; while its wicked- 
 ness will be more clearly seen, as a dense black 
 cloud rising to enshroud the heavens in a clear 
 day, hindering the pleasures and pursuits of 
 the community. 
 
 Its moral tendency will be beneficial, because 
 it delegates civil power to all the people so 
 directly, in the regulation of their material as 
 well as their religious interests. But that, be- 
 cause this power has been or may be abused, 
 it therefore has an immoral tendency, we hold 
 cannot be proved, unless we deny man's capabil- 
 ity for self government. It is not man's civil or 
 religious freedom that is sin, but the abuse of it. 
 
 The moral good or evil tendency of this sys- 
 tem of industry in a town, as explained, will 
 depend in a great measure on the virtue and 
 intelligence of the citizens, especially its leading 
 men of position and influence, — for such there 
 must be in all prosperous places and commu- 
 nities. And this brings us to the question, 
 whether there is virtue and intelligence enough 
 
ITS MORAL TENDENCY. 67 
 
 to carry out this town reform. We do not say 
 every person should be perfectly holy ; but has 
 a person common mtelligence, honesty, and 
 morality enough to unite with a community 
 from choice and love to carry out this great 
 reform ? Are there families enough who desire 
 and are capable of self-government, according 
 to the principles of a true republic, to accom- 
 plish this good work ? This is for every indi- 
 vidual and family to decide for themselves. 
 Upon intelligent republican principles can such 
 a model town be founded and be successful, and 
 on no other do we advocate this reform. On 
 its general political and social questions, each 
 individual of proper age and intelligence will 
 be allowed to vote. On its particular branches 
 of industry, each town will lay down its own 
 rules for its different classes, allowing the ma- 
 jority to rule. If it has an ignorant majority, 
 it may have ignorant rules ; if a wise majority, 
 wise and useful rules, and be successful in their 
 application. If any object to these just repub- 
 lican principles, they can withdraw from the 
 town and form themselves into a monarchical 
 society or town, or resolve themselves into a 
 selfish, separate condition, or into the half- 
 civilized or savage state. Therefore as the in- 
 
68 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 habitants of a town are educated, or as they 
 are enlightened in manners, morals, and relig- 
 ion, in intelligence and virtue, so will the rules 
 or laws they make be good or evil in them- 
 selves and in their application. Thus it is in a 
 republican form of government : thus will it be 
 in all popular forms of government. 
 
 Its moral tendency will be to do away with 
 all secret societies, as the Masons, Odd Fel- 
 lows, and other like social societies, whose pro- 
 fessed fundamental principles are. First, help 
 when out of employment ; Second, pecuniary aid 
 when sick ; Third, help to widows and orphans, 
 or children of deceased members. These they 
 guarantee to each member and his family, 
 which the heart x)f man responds to as being 
 needed, just, and reasonable, and what every 
 community ought to guarantee to all its 
 members as having added more or less to its 
 prosperity by their industry. But these objects 
 are not accomplished in any great degree by 
 the public, except in a very partial and degrad- 
 ing manner. For this reason these secret so- 
 cieties have . been formed, but only in large 
 towns and villages, and with but partial results. 
 These benevolent works the model town would 
 insure in their most efficient form and their 
 
ITS MORAL TENDENCY. 69 
 
 highest extent to its industrious inhabitants, 
 and this in broad daylight, without the par- 
 tiality of a secret society, so that the town 
 would become a life, health, labor, and home 
 insurance company. 
 
 In forming such a town the tendency will be 
 to attain the highest social, intellectual, and re- 
 ligious state of society attainable on earth, even 
 an Eden of material as well as moral happiness. 
 The right and means to labor will be secured, 
 and thus the tendency to lie, cheat, and steal to 
 make a living, will be avoided, as there will 
 be provided an abundance of attractive labor, 
 at fair wages and at just equivalents, and ready 
 pay in the town. So that all the necessaries 
 and comforts of life can be obtained at a little 
 expense, for almost all the common provisions 
 would be raised in the township. We once 
 lived a few weeks in a partial enterprise of 
 this kind of town reform. It was partial be- 
 cause it was without means, education, and 
 religion to support it. And this was the price 
 — when speculators and traders were not so 
 plenty as now, or rather there were none in 
 that town — for each separate dish in a large, 
 pleasant, airy dining-hall : One cent for a plate 
 of bread ; one cent for a plate of butter, enough 
 
70 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 for one individual ; one half cent for one half 
 of a pint of milk in a milk pitcher ; one cent 
 for four large peaches ; one cent for two 
 sugar-cakes ; one cent and a half for a piece of 
 cup-cake ; beef and other meats, two cents a 
 plate ; one half cent for soup in a large soup 
 plate ; squash-pie, apple-pie, baked rice-pud- 
 ding, one cent and a half per plate ; one half 
 cent for sauce for pudding ; hominy, one half 
 cent for a tearsaucer full ; wet-toast, one cent 
 and a half a plate ; pears, two for a cent ; 
 three and a half cents for one half pound of 
 white sugar. Now we think the moral ten- 
 dency of such living is good for the body and 
 the soul. 
 
 The temptation to cheat and steal, where labor 
 can be had to earn means to pay for these things, 
 must be small; and the inducement to wander 
 away into selfish towns and cities, to be ground 
 to powder for a mere living, must be much 
 smaller, for either young or old. Then consider 
 the weary and worn wives and mothers, who 
 now come daily to our tables after cooking the 
 meals of the family ; and is not doing away of 
 such incessant drudgery and toil, with pleasant 
 cooks and waiters of your own friends and 
 town, worth seeking and striving to obtain ? 
 
ITS MORAL TENDENCY. Tl 
 
 Its moral tendency will be to do away the 
 many social and political evils which now curse 
 society and the world, as unchastity, divorce, 
 oppressions of different kinds, slavery, and in- 
 temperance, with individual, social, and state 
 evils of injustice, which burden and afflict indi- 
 viduals, families, and towns in so trying a man- 
 ner ; and to clear away all town and family 
 nuisances, which so often and so greatly conflict 
 with the public health and happiness ; and 
 which the authorities could easily remedy, or 
 in its construction prevent ; for nothing of 
 the kind would be allowed in a model town, as 
 only when public opinion permits do they, exist 
 in the community. 
 
 The moral tendency will be to bring Chris- 
 tians more closely together, in their material 
 interests; and make them more and more in 
 practice brothers and sisters in the work of 
 doing good, and that benevolence to each other 
 which the gospel requires. 
 
 "JMust I my brother keep, 
 
 And share his pains and toil, 
 And weep with those that weep 
 
 And smile with those that smile ; 
 And act to each a brother's part, 
 And feel his sorrows in my heart ? 
 
72 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 " Must I his burden bear, 
 
 As though it were my own, 
 And do as I would care 
 
 Should to myself be done ; 
 And faithful to his interests prove, 
 And as myself my neighbor love ? ' 
 
 Yes, this is what we must do in our temporal 
 as well as our spiritual interests. This we 
 know is a high intellectual and moral state to 
 attain — a self-denial which is god-like. But 
 with wise and devoted leaders, and a united 
 people, these principles will be omnipotent for 
 the success and prosperity of a model town. 
 
 One of the great reasons why associationists 
 of the Fourierite stamp have failed in their en- 
 terprises is, they have not made religion — we 
 mean true spiritual and evangelical religion — 
 and thorough moral education the great objects. 
 In their endeavors to advance man, they have 
 overlooked religion and education, the two 
 great pillars of society, which must be support- 
 ed. Those dignitaries of the town which our 
 puritan fathers held in honor, the minister and 
 the teacher, must be honored and supported 
 by the people in order to be permanently suc- 
 cessful in a reform. The world is greatly in- 
 debted to Fourier and his friends for drawing 
 its attention to an organized industry, and as far 
 
ITS MORAL TENDENCY. 73 
 
 as they announce the truth should adopt it; 
 and — 
 
 " Take the truth where'er it's found, 
 On Christian or on heathen ground." 
 
 But when the advocates expect to advance so 
 great and wonderful an industrial reform for 
 mankind, without evangelical religion, which has 
 made New England and her descendants what 
 they now are in the United States, they reckon 
 without their host, and fail. Such errorists 
 must in a great measure fail, but yet the world 
 should give them credit for what truth they 
 have advocated for the united social and indus- 
 trial prosperity of man. If they did not make 
 the steamboat go but a few miles an hour, they 
 should be honored for setting it afloat on a 
 boisterous ocean. 
 
 It is then for moral and Christian men, who 
 hold the evangelical principles of the Book of 
 books, to unite as a sect of Christians, if they 
 cannot give up the non-essential of religion, 
 and be united on the fundamentals of the Bible, 
 of repentance and faith, and love to God and 
 love to man. If they cannot unite on these, let 
 each sect unite their means, as families and as 
 individuals, in their efforts to lead men aright 
 and to advance true religion by this reform. 
 
74 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 It is clear, we think, that more wealth can be 
 produced by a model town than in any other 
 way, and more can be given to charitable 
 objects out of the town, without waiting for 
 the rich to be converted, or the nominally 
 Christian Church to give of their substance as 
 God has prospered them. For as a general fact, 
 the heathen cannot be converted without hear- 
 ing the truth, or a missionary being sent to them, 
 " For how can they hear without a preacher, or 
 how can they preach except they be sent." 
 
 And here is an important fact which is often 
 overlooked by the Christian : that money or 
 wealth is as much needed to carry on the moral 
 machinery of the Church — the Bible, Tract, 
 Missionary, and other societies, — as the Spirit's 
 influences to convert souls. Money or wealth 
 is to the moral machinery of these societies 
 what steam is to the natural machinery in the 
 nature of things. Paul and the Apostles could 
 not have gone through Judasa and preached, 
 without the material wealth of the churches to 
 support them, unless by a miracle ; and miracles 
 of that kind are not to be expected in this en- 
 lightened age, to introduce Christianity and ad- 
 vance its glories in the earth. Now, there is no 
 sin in money or wealth, though if you should 
 
ITS MORAL TENDENCY. 75 
 
 hear how some good people, and even ministers, 
 denounce it, you would think it a great evil in 
 the world, and a desire for it, or its acquisi- 
 tion, a curse. No, money is not the root of all 
 evil, as some would erroneously quote Scripture; 
 but " the love of it is the root of all evil," or a 
 selfish, avaricious devotion, or supreme love to 
 it, is the root of a great many of the general 
 evils that afflict society and the world. 
 
 The Bible informs us that, " The rich man's 
 wealth is his strong city : the destruction of 
 the poor is their poverty." Wealth is a bless- 
 ing, a natural good, and naturally desired by all 
 men ; and poverty a natural evil, and shunned 
 by all. Christians as well as others need to 
 learn the nature, the production, consump- 
 tion, and use of wealth, if they would be intelli- 
 gently faithful in unrighteous mammon, or the 
 unconsecrated wealth committed to them, — the 
 true riches of righteousness, — and how adapted 
 is the model town for this, where all are ad- 
 vancing the public as well as their own interests. 
 
 A further tendency will be to prevent men, 
 women, and children becoming slaves to capi- 
 tal and machinery, which of necessity in the 
 present state of society drives them to labor 
 — and for masters, landlords, and proprietors, 
 
76 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 who are so often ignorant, selfish, and hard- 
 hearted — for a mere subsistence, from ten to 
 fourteen hours per day, as is the case on our 
 large farms, and in our towns, cities, and manu- 
 factories. It will prevent man from becoming a 
 mere working animal, by being compelled to 
 work so many hours to supply his mere physical 
 necessities. It is not to be wondered at, that 
 people flock to our large towns and cities, where 
 capital and machinery are concentrated, where 
 labor is better paid, not only in a money point 
 of view, but socially, mentally, and morally, and 
 labor made more attractive by the use of ma- 
 chinery. Yes, farmers and their sons are leav- 
 ing their farms to go to the large town for its 
 privileges to themselves and their families, their 
 sons and daughters. 
 
 In Keene, N. H., many farmers from the 
 towns around it, have left their farms to live in 
 that town, and bought small houses or cottages, 
 or rented them — and still there are not enough, 
 — that they may enjoy the social, mental, indus- 
 trial, and religious institutions of that beautiful 
 town. Thus it is with many farmers and others 
 who live near other large towns or cities : after 
 getting a small income, their greatest ambition 
 is to live in town like others, and enjoy their 
 
ITS MORAL TENDENCY. 77 
 
 advantages, and throw off the incessant hard 
 toil and deprivations of their small farms and 
 neighborhoods, and of their unsocial, selfish, 
 separate, and comparatively lonely condition. 
 
 Man is a social as well as a working animal, 
 and he loves to be among his fellows, and 
 see, enjoy, and assist in the enterprises which 
 are for the public good in a town. What nat- 
 ural pride is taken by the inhabitants of a place, 
 in the enterprises of men of means ; or, when 
 the people generally of the town, by their votes, 
 cause to be erected fine town and public school 
 houses, and other public buildings. Who then 
 can hinder, by any sermons, speeches, or news- 
 paper articles, the springs among the hills from 
 flowing to the quiet valleys of the town for 
 comfort and peace ? They will necessarily flow 
 to the towns, — the ponds and lakes of beauty 
 which adorn our States. 
 
 A model town will prevent the separation of 
 families, relations, and friends, who are now 
 often scattered over the wide world to obtain 
 a living. Many die alone and unattended, in 
 climates to which they are not adapted. But a 
 model town, when it becomes overgrown in 
 population, will form other towns, and like 
 bees, swarm to inhabit other hives, and gather 
 
78 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 the sweets of other fields, in united, social, in- 
 dustrial, mental, and moral labors. These could 
 be formed into Christian model towns which 
 could go north or south, east or west, or to 
 heathen lands, with their improved condition 
 and implements of industry, and sustain and 
 enrich themselves and others. And each town 
 would be as a city set on a hill, which could 
 not be hid ; and many of the heathen around 
 them would behold their good works, and be 
 influenced to practice them, and thus glo- 
 rify their Father which is in Heaven. And 
 they could more effectually teach the dark- 
 minded heathen the employments and arts of 
 civilized and advanced Christian refinement 
 and life, and be pioneers and lights to the dark 
 portions of the earth, which are now so filled 
 with the habitations of cruelty, want, and dis- 
 tress, of oppression and wrong. 
 
 But they will not go as have the missionaries 
 hitherto sent out to lands remote, though these 
 have been so useful in scattering the good seed 
 of the kingdom. We have had our hearts 
 cheered by their successes ; but they have gone, 
 one man afler another, or one man and his wife 
 after another, to suffer and toil alone, to meet 
 disease and the privations of missionary life, 
 
ITS MORAL TENDENCY. 79 
 
 uncheered by the society of kindred spirits and 
 friends; and when they have died, the enter- 
 prise has been abandoned, or has had to wait 
 until others were ready to take the field single- 
 handed, and carry on the war with the dark 
 enemies of light, commeYiced by the fallen, 
 heroes and heroines who have laid down their 
 lives for the good of their fellow-men and the 
 glory of God. But a model town would go as 
 a colony, in companies, as an industrial and 
 moral army, with such necessaries for their 
 health, subsistence, and warfare, as would make 
 them strong in their numbers, in their influence, 
 in their union, and in their work. 
 
 We suggest a further very desirable moral 
 tendency will be, to bring men, women, and 
 children nearer in social ties, and under relig- 
 ious and evangelical influences, which tend to 
 enlighten the mind and convert the heart. So 
 that their distance and separation from others 
 by idleness and want of employment would not 
 be an excuse for committing sin and doing 
 mischief, and following a course of outbreaking 
 crimes against society and the community; 
 besides, there will be the happiness arising from 
 having something to do, for " constant employ- 
 ment is constant enjoyment," especially in right- 
 
80 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 doing, and when voluntary and so attractive. 
 This is the true democracy of living, of labor, 
 and of promoting reform. 
 
 This town reform has a strong tendency to 
 influence men to "love their neighbors as 
 themselves," treating each other as brothers 
 and sisters, not with the lip merely, but as 
 daily exemplified in the active association of 
 heads, hands, and hearts in all the intercourse 
 and enterprises of the town. 
 
 The tendency would be to progressively edu- 
 cate all classes in intelligence and virtue, so that 
 a council, chosen by the people of the town, 
 would be able to regulate its manners, morals, 
 and religion as fast as the advanced state 
 of public opinion would admit, for "wisdom 
 would be justified of her children " in this as 
 in other towns, thus placing the responsibility 
 more clearly on each and every one, and with 
 such a weight as shall be heartfelt, but which 
 now our citizens so generally overlook, being 
 insensible to its importance. Thus each can see 
 the influence he or she exerts on an associate 
 for common weal or woe ; and if the commu- 
 nity as a community sow to the wind, they will 
 reap the whirlwind ; if they sow to temperance, 
 virtue, and religion, they will directly reap its 
 
ITS MORAL TENDENCY. 81 
 
 rewards, in good counselors, good citizens, and a 
 naturally good and religious and prosperous 
 town. 
 
 It will have a tendency to prevent outbreak- 
 ing selfishness and crime from ruining individ- 
 uals and families. As the author or authors 
 will soon be known and excluded from the 
 town, as we have observed, if there is no pros- 
 pect of their reformation, and if on the whole 
 their influence is corrupting and ruinous, they 
 will be paid their dues and suffered to depart 
 into the wilderness to eat the husks of a selfish 
 world, until they have learned wisdom by suf- 
 fering, and are willing to reform, and come back 
 to enjoy the festivity of the prodigal's board in 
 the model town of virtue and goodness. 
 
 The tendency will naturally be to make all 
 of one heart and mind; as it will be true in 
 their material and mental as well as their relig- 
 ious interests, that where their treasures are, 
 there their hearts will be also. For if they can 
 agree by majorities as denominations or churches 
 in their higher and more important spiritual or 
 religious interests, how much more in their ma- 
 terial interests, when they can clearly see this 
 union to be founded on the laws of nature and 
 mind, as its success is seen around them ; and 
 6 
 
82 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 that by denying themselves as wise men and 
 women to promote the public good, is the way 
 to become prosperous and happy in society and 
 the place. 
 
 One moral tendency will be to strengthen 
 the family relation, as the husband and wife 
 will not be so dependent on each other's labor 
 and means to live ; or the wealth they have 
 will not, in gaining or spending, in idleness or 
 industry, cause so many individual and family 
 quarrels and separations. Each has an oppor- 
 tunity to work for him or herself, and their 
 children for themselves, without the excessive 
 fear that each will bring the other to poverty 
 and distress, to be candidates for an auction or 
 the poor-house, friendless, homeless, and for- 
 saken, a burden to themselves, and the town 
 they happen to live in, as is so often the case 
 with the ignorant, unfortunate, and industrious 
 poor. 
 
 Nor will sons and daughters, brothers and 
 sisters, be compelled to leave their homes and 
 wander among strangers, to be their drudges 
 and slaves ; but they will live at home and be 
 educated to pursue their own chosen business, 
 cheerful and happy, in their own native town ; 
 to marry or not, as or whom they please, with- 
 
ITS MORAL TENDENCY. 83 
 
 out the anxious fear of want, distress, and 
 trouble being their lot. 
 
 Another moral tendency will be, to educate 
 children socially, physically, mentally, and mor- 
 ally in the way they should go, that when they 
 become old they may not depart from it. Not 
 only under the eyes of the parents, — as they 
 are not obliged to be sent to the school and 
 seminaries of strangers, — but also under the 
 eyes of the community in which they dwell and 
 of which they are to form in future so import- 
 ant a part, and which has an interest in their 
 education, as their parents in a measure, if it 
 would feel it ; for from them come the numbers, 
 strength, and prosperity of the town and the 
 State. But they are too often left by parents to 
 grow up in idleness, dissipation, and sin, for want 
 of some of the correctives of life, profitable and 
 attractive employments suited to their ages and 
 tastes, and also on account of the poverty of 
 their guardians. And when employment is pro- 
 vided, it is partial and monotonous, and at such 
 extreme length as to become burdensome, pain- 
 ful, and disagreeable. And so poor are many 
 parents that it is with difficulty they can provide 
 for themselves food and raiment and a hired 
 house, on account of the high prices of specu- 
 
84 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 lators and landlords, and the disorganized state 
 of industry and society. For this and other rea- 
 sons these children cannot be placed under 
 proper '^ tutors and governors appointed by the 
 fathers," and thus be educated in many useful 
 and agreeable studies and employments. It 
 has been well observed and properly desired, 
 by an experienced teacher in the mental and 
 moral education of children, when he said 
 that " If all the children of the city of New 
 York could be placed in the asylums of that 
 city, they would be better physically, mentally, 
 and morally educated than in private fam- 
 ilies." The truth is, that many parents send 
 their children, after they arrive at the age of 
 twelve years, to a boarding-school or seminary, 
 to be educated in manners, morals, and religion. 
 And they cannot do any better as things are at 
 present ; and the family has become a mere restr 
 ing place for idle young men and women, wait- 
 ing for some business to come to them or for an 
 offer of marriage or settlement in life. Many of 
 them would like some business, but where can 
 it be found ? There is a chance, it may be, that 
 some ignorant speculator or boss has obtained 
 capital and started a small manufactory, who 
 would employ a few in the town at his small 
 
ITS MORAL TENDENCY. 85 
 
 wages, and his long hours and days. We have 
 known some young ladies to work in such, at 
 thirty and forty cents per day only, — this is all 
 they could earn ! 
 
 Now many of the benevolent institutions and 
 asylums of our large towns and cities educate 
 and train material for self-reliant and self-made 
 men and women, who take a leading place in 
 society and the community wherever they re- 
 side. And we think that many country youths 
 would there be better trained and educated than 
 in their poor, neglected homes, where the par- 
 ents are too poor or selfish to give them reward 
 or encouragement for their industry, and con- 
 sequently they become profane young row^dies ; 
 and when such leave their homes, they go to 
 the large towns and cities, and join themselves 
 to their fellows, — ignorant, idle rowdies ; and 
 one great reason is the want of employment, 
 or proper reward for their labors, and encour- 
 agement in the spare, desert country. 
 
 Now the different trades and manufactories of 
 the nation are becoming more united, and have 
 a fellow-feeling for each other's success. And 
 there are many divisions of parts, by science and 
 machinery, so that the youth of both sexes can 
 be employed on many things of use and profit, 
 
86 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 which they could not do a number of years ago. 
 So that in a model town, in the nature of the 
 case, and for its own prosperity and preserva- 
 tion, the people would see that the youth had 
 good and respectable employment and teachers, 
 and a thorough education in the dilBTerent de- 
 partments of industry carried on in the town. 
 Each trade might have a model town of its 
 own pursuits, with their famihes, and work on 
 their own land when their business is unprofit- 
 able. The town would make such arrange- 
 ments, in the selection of teachers and profess- 
 ors, as would secure the highest proficiency in 
 whatever branch of business or industry might 
 be undertaken, which no separate family could 
 possibly succeed in accomplishing. 
 
 In such a town the parents would be permit- 
 ted to train their children in their houses, apart- 
 ments, or families, if they wish. But a public 
 nursery would be provided for them by the town, 
 to relieve many a feeble, burdened mother ; while 
 generally the parents can have oversight, and 
 can plainly see that education in the nursery is 
 wisely conducted ; that these plants will grow in 
 health and vigor, and become fruitful trees of 
 goodness for the family circle to which they be- 
 long, adding to it ornaments and graces which 
 
ITS MORAL TENDENCY. 87 
 
 the separate family circle cannot possibly at- 
 tain; because of the many conveniences and 
 capable nurses and teachers which would be pro- 
 vided to educate them in a physical, mental, and 
 religious manner, which no private family, how- 
 ever wealthy, could so successfully perform. 
 But, says one, " This invades the sanctity of the 
 family." By no means ; each parent will still 
 have the oversight of their children, as is the 
 case when sent to our public schools ; and if they 
 are abused they can be taken out to their own 
 home, house, or apartment. But the general 
 good of the children will not allow of this 
 abuse. And as God's Word has predicted, 
 " Knowledge shall increase," so it has, and will 
 increase, and shed light on this as other ob- 
 jects of utility and reform. The parents will 
 see that their child can be more completely 
 cared for and educated in the public nursery, as 
 a social and moral being, than at home, and, as 
 numbers can be educated together and learn 
 self-denial and benevolence, far better than by 
 the separate family, with its selfish and spoiled 
 pets, who are taught to live only for them- 
 selves and not for the public good. This is to 
 be considered in training children, as well as 
 mere selfish family considerations ; for when so- 
 ciety or the town is endangered by the false 
 
88 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 and erroneous training of the children in the 
 family, the authorities must step in to avert so 
 great a public danger and peril, and demand that 
 they should be as well educated in manners, 
 morals, and religion as the generality of the chil- 
 dren in the town, for its own security and public 
 happiness, and for usefulness in the world. Chil- 
 dren, then, are to be trained to do good in the 
 world. And whether these lambs can best be 
 trained in a separate family pasture only, is 
 yet to be proved. A lamb will be a sheep when 
 it becomes old, trained in whatever pasture ; the 
 question is, which is best for the public good, for 
 the flock, the State, the nation, and the world ? 
 Says a learned Christian writer, "Nobleness 
 commences when one arises above self and fam- 
 ily, and looks abroad on the family of mankind ; 
 when he takes the attitude which in a man is es- 
 sentially great ; when he no longer feels around 
 him the little necessities which compel, or the 
 little pleasures that allure, and yet is able to 
 contemplate men as a great brotherhood of im- 
 mortals." This, we say, will cause us to feel the 
 necessity of educating children, the whole of 
 them, in the best way and in the highest de- 
 gree. Before bringing our subject to a close, 
 we will answer a few objections to the fnodel 
 town. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 
 
 It is said that some such attempts have failed. 
 This, in part, is true. There have been some, 
 who, as Associationists, have followed Fourier, 
 and have not laid the foundation of their tow^n 
 on evangelical education and religion ; and 
 have made material prosperity to overshadow, 
 weigh down, and demolish the two great pillars 
 of a town or society, education and religion, and 
 and therefore have been unsuccessful. 
 
 We do not undervalue the attempts which 
 these pioneers have made to advance the mate- 
 rial good of man. But where evangelical relig- 
 ion and its institutions were so much overlooked 
 and disregarded. Providence could not prosper 
 those thus attempting to set aside Christian 
 doctrine, laws, and government. Nor could in- 
 telligent Christian men and women look on with 
 favor and a desire for their success. When they 
 put education and religion, which should be first 
 in society, the last, or make them of no account 
 
90 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 in their organizations, and when they put aside 
 the best political economy of the best and wisest 
 book in the world, the Bible, we must expect 
 such organizations to fail. 
 
 Another reason why some attempts have 
 failed, is because they have attempted to do 
 great things at once, and without correspond- 
 ing means and capital to carry it on. Without 
 men and means, any enterprise of this kind 
 would fail. They have expected — those who 
 have made the attempt at cooperative industry 
 — the fruit before they have got the trees well 
 planted and grown. 
 
 Let it be distinctly understood by those who 
 believe, or have faith or confidence in the suc- 
 cess of the model town we advocate, to relieve 
 man from many of the social, physical, mental, 
 and moral evils which he now suffers, that from 
 the rough commencement to a complete model 
 town, one need not expect there will be no self- 
 denials or hardships to endure, for if he does, 
 he will be greatly disappointed ; there will be 
 in its general details some failures ; but as to its 
 final success, if intelligently and patiently la- 
 bored for, there need be little fear. Some town 
 attempts will be gradual, and others will be com- 
 pleted in less time, according to the circum- 
 
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 91 
 
 stances of the township in numbers, families, 
 capital, and natural advantages. Who ever 
 knew of a new colony or institution which did 
 not have self-denials and hardships to endure 
 for the great end to be accomplished ? Did not 
 the Pilgrim Fathers of New England, when they 
 formed the model towns of their age, in the 
 wilderness, among savages? But how much 
 more convenient are the materials and machin- 
 ery of the present, natural and moral, than what 
 they were in that dark age, for building model 
 towns ! No, we must not expect a material and 
 moral Eden until we have collected the mate- 
 rials for it, any more than we can expect a Sol- 
 omon's temple to be built without collecting the 
 materials and building it. That there are mate- 
 rials enough in the world to form a model town, 
 which would be an Eden of material, mental, 
 and moral harmony and happiness, in compari- 
 son with the best towns now built by capitalists 
 and speculators, we firmly beheve. But these 
 materials, men, families, and means, it is for the 
 people, with the blessing of God, to collect, and 
 " arise and build." Do we expect musical har- 
 mony without using the different notes of the 
 scale ? Neither can we expect social and mental 
 harmony without bringing together the different 
 
92 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 notes of society in its material and industrial 
 interests, according to the social scale which we 
 have described, and which may be more fully 
 fomid in the teachings of the philosophers of the 
 science of wealth, mechanics, and the arts, in 
 their present advanced state. 
 
 Another reason why the many particular 
 attempts have failed is, because they permit 
 selfish party and sectarian divisions to dissolve 
 them. They too often confound the natural 
 harmony of man's material interests, with the 
 moral harmony of his spiritual interests. This 
 is sufficient to break up the efficiency and pros- 
 perity of any town, society, church, state, or na- 
 tion, when thus pursued. But is there any 
 need of this being done ? Cannot a number of 
 families come together and form a town on 
 these principles, and take the Bible as their 
 guide in morals and religion? Cannot they 
 ao-ree in the fundamentals of relisrion — re- 
 pentance, faith, and love to God and man — 
 and carry out this material and industrial re- 
 form ? This must be the first step agreed upon 
 before undertaking so important a w^ork as 
 forming a model town ; for it implies that the 
 inhabitants are agreed on their system of 
 education and religion, of whatever particular 
 
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 93 
 
 party or sect they may be, at least the outward 
 choice of all mature minds who would be suc- 
 cessful in carrying forward the model coopera- 
 tive industrial town reform with success. What 
 say you, unionist in church and state ? 
 
 We need not speak much of the common ob- 
 jection against the reforms of age, that " they 
 are infidel," for such terms show either gross 
 ignorance or prejudice, or a selfish or malignant 
 spirit, very commonly used against all reforms 
 and reformers, from Christ, the Prince and Model 
 Reformer, to the reformers of the present time. 
 And if He was called Beelzebub, the prince of 
 devils, the same or similar language will be 
 used against his followers, who follow in his foot- 
 steps by doing temporal and moral good to 
 mankind. 
 
 Another objection is, that men are so self- 
 ish and sinful, — another name for selfishness, — 
 that they cannot carry on their material inter- 
 ests in so near and close a relation of society as 
 a model town presents. But has not this been 
 the objection against almost every enterprise 
 which has the good of man at heart ? Have we 
 to give up every work because sin manifests 
 itself in the heart of man, and because he may 
 abuse the good things which our societies and 
 
94 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 towns have or may provide ? Is this acting as 
 our Father in heaven has set us an example ? 
 He has made a universe of intelligent beings, 
 and has given them knowledge of a way to be 
 happy. But He knew some would be selfish 
 and sinful, and He knew in the nature of his 
 mind and being what sin was, and what misery 
 it would bring, and that it was as necessary in 
 the universe as a fact,-as the science of num- 
 bers ; for where there is no knowledge of sin, 
 there is no knowledge of holiness. That this 
 knowledge is necessary for a being to have any 
 moral character at all, is as certain as that two 
 and two make four. Blot out the knowledge of 
 right and wrong, and you have no morals, piety, 
 or holiness ; indeed, it is the foundation of these. 
 Shall there be no created universe or world be- 
 cause sin is in it ? And shall we not be an organ- 
 ized society of human beings because they have 
 a knowledge of sin and will be sinful ? No, we 
 must show our right actions and benevolence by 
 forming model towns, and thus show that not- 
 withstanding sin will be in the world and in 
 men, yet we can prevent greater evils and sins 
 by having these model towns than by not hav- 
 ing them at all. As selfishness is the foundation 
 of all sin, if we can form a town which prevents 
 
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 95 
 
 in a great measure sin from doing the harm it 
 now does, all will be gainers who carry out this 
 wise and benevolent plan. For instance, if by 
 such an organization we can save families, soci- 
 ety, and the town from the frauds of speculators, 
 manufacturers of shoddy, and the adulterations 
 of a selfish trade and unlawful commerce, and 
 encourage men to be industrious and unite their 
 labor and means, to save their money, time, 
 energies, and lives from unrequited toil to sup- 
 port these suckers or leeches of society, can 
 there be any objections to this? Surely, to ac- 
 complish such an object should be the en- 
 deavor of every true man and woman. 
 
CHAPTER YII. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 The cause then which we advocate and would 
 urge on all is — The systemaiic organization of in- 
 dustry in a Model Toiun. 
 
 It is then for men of industry to organize 
 themselves with their families in this manner, 
 and insist, by their voice and vote, that each 
 State shall, while aiding other institutions of in- 
 struction, philanthropy, and benevolence in so- 
 ciety, aid also in forming model towns of in- 
 dustry ; that the j)Oor toiling men and women 
 may no more be compelled to be slaves, and 
 thrust with their families into small houses and 
 apartments in villages, towns, and cities, by land- 
 lords and capitalists, to enrich themselves by 
 their toil, without a spot of land on which to 
 grow tree, fruit, shrub, or flower, to cheer and 
 comfort them. Let them demand that model 
 towns shall be organized and assisted ; that 
 model families may be raised, with their product, 
 — model men, women, and children ; and on the 
 
CONCLUSION. 97 
 
 lands of the town, — your town, — model cattle 
 and sheep will be raised for your table ; and 
 model fields, gardens, grains, fruits, and flow^ers 
 will bring forth their abundance for you ; for 
 from the soil of the township can these be pro- 
 duced, in the old as well as in the new States, 
 since in the soil of both are the natural ele- 
 ments. There is waste of vegetable, animal, and 
 liquid matter enough, when scientifically and 
 systematically applied, to provide food and rai- 
 ment for the inhabitants of every model town, 
 and all may receive every needed good with 
 the blessing of Heaven, that can make life 
 desirable, and all universally contented, pros- 
 perous, and happy. 
 
 Now, one great reason why farming is not 
 thus thoroughly performed is, the want of time, 
 strength, capital, skill, labor, and machinery, all 
 of which is organized and appUed in the model 
 town. 
 
 " All flesh is grass." Grass then must be had 
 to produce '' flesh," or mankind. Let every one 
 see that he raise one spear where none grew 
 before, to help, preserve, and raise mankind ! 
 From the soil mainly, then, by united, scientific 
 labor in a model reformed town, can the inhab- 
 itants expect to be abundantly sustained and 
 
 7 
 
OS THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 supported. When this enterprise is successfully 
 prosecuted and carried out — 
 
 " Will earth's wild waste in verdure rise, 
 And a young Eden bless our eyes." 
 
 Ye men and women of industry, here is your 
 temporal salvation ! Here is hope and a re- 
 ward for all your toil and sacrifices ! If you 
 choose, and use these means, you may have 
 these blessings. " If ye are willing and obedient, 
 ye shall eat the good of the land," materially 
 as well as religiously. We are " not to look on 
 our own things " merely, which is natural and 
 important, but to be unselfish and disinterest- 
 edly benevolent " by looking on the things of 
 others," aiding others as well as ourselves, if w^e 
 would succeed in benefiting our fellow men, our 
 brethren of mankind, in this great, good, and 
 noble work. 
 
 Ye legislators ! turn your attention to this 
 town reform^ and not so much to State and na- 
 tional affairs, and laws and offices of trust, for 
 if the individual, family, and town do not pros- 
 per, neither will the State or the nation. 
 
 If men and women of industry and of the 
 common education of the North will take hold 
 of this subject as they should, they will not 
 only be the means, by their capital, labor, and 
 
V CONCLUSION. 99 
 
 skill, of piercing Hoosac mountain by a tunnel 
 to bring blessings to the State, but a mountain 
 of difficulty will be pierced by these means, 
 which will result in bringing unnumbered tem- 
 poral and moral blessings to all individuals, fam- 
 ilies, and towns of the State and our conunon 
 country, as we have described ; and therefore we 
 earnestly commend this reform in the material 
 interests of man to the public for their adoption, 
 as neither opposed to reason, nature, or Scrip- 
 ture, and that it may bring man to the Eden of 
 temporal prosperity and happiness, when " every 
 man shall sit under his own vine and fig-tree, 
 with none to molest or make him afraid." And 
 when " men shall build houses and inhabit them, 
 and shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of 
 them : " " they shall not hiiild and another inhabit ; 
 they shall not plant and another eat ; for as the 
 days of a tree are the days of my people, and 
 mine elect shall long enjoy the tvorJc of their hands'' 
 We believe that not one jot or tittle of God's 
 word will fail ; but in man's material as well as 
 in his more glorious spiritual interests, it will be 
 abundantly fulfilled. If not, why are there so 
 many discoveries in nature and art ? And are 
 they not designed to bless all men ? This the 
 hearts of all earnestly desire, both the righteouS 
 
100 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 and the unrighteous. But in order to accom- 
 pUsh this, we must study the laws of nature and 
 mind, and carry them out, and show our faith in 
 them by our works ; and we are to have confi- 
 dence in our brother man, as in our Helper, God. 
 
 We say that it can be done. " Yea^' — in a 
 model town, — " they shall eat and he satisfied, and 
 praise the Lord!' " The wilderness, and the solitary 
 place shall he glad for thern^' — these brotherl}^ 
 and sisterly united workers, — " and the desert 
 shall rejoice and hlossom as the rose'' See also 
 the thirty-sixth chapter of Ezekiel, for promises 
 which may be fulfilled all over this dark, selfish, 
 and sinful earth, respecting man's temporal as 
 well as his spiritual interests. 
 
 Awake, then, ye men and women of industry 
 and progress, and go unitedly to work in one 
 of the greatest and noblest of reforms ! For all 
 things are ready and waiting for united heads, 
 hearts, and hands to assist in bringing about a 
 temporal Eden for earth, as well as hastening 
 along a spiritual millennium. . Prove your faith 
 by your " good works ; " let them glorify your 
 " Father which is in heaven ; " and then, when 
 all are thus united through the world. His king- 
 dom will surely come, and His will be done as 
 it is done in heaven. Such a conformity to 
 
CONCLUSION. 101 
 
 social, mental, and moral law, as far as known, 
 will bring peace, happiness, and prosperity to 
 the abodes of all men. 
 
 But God will not bring about a temporal or 
 spiritual kingdom wdthout man's cooperation. 
 Arouse yourselves then, ye Antinomians, for 
 there is a great work of temporal and moral sal- 
 vation to be performed in the world, and by 
 every man uniting with his brother man ! " The 
 night is far spent, the day is at hand ; let us 
 therefore cast off the works of darkness," selfish- 
 ness, and sin, '• and put on the armor of light." 
 The kingdom of love and good-will to man is 
 within you ; act it out and bring it to pass, that 
 it may be seen on earth as a city set upon a hill. 
 
 Who then will lift up a standard for the peo- 
 ple v^hen the enemies of man — conscious or un- 
 conscious, enlightened or unenlightened, as land- 
 ow^ners, landlords, speculators, tj^rants, and op- 
 pressors — are flooding the fair heritage of earth, 
 given to all men, as a desolating flood ? Who 
 will aid to build with united skill, capital, and 
 labor these model towns, these cities of refuge, 
 for the poor, down-trodden, hopeless, toiling 
 masses ? Who then will return to their father's 
 and brethren's house, where there may be found 
 bread enough and to spare ? Who then will 
 
102 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 answer to the cry of " No work ! no work ! " 
 which comes so often from the cities, towns, 
 villages, and institutions of our land, East and 
 West, North and South ? Who w^ill respond to 
 the cry which so often comes from this and 
 other lands, " Starving ! starving ! " 
 
 Thank God there is a remedj^; hank or no 
 hank ! Corn laws or no corn laws ! It may be 
 found in the united industry and provisions of 
 a model town. 
 
 We then present it to men and women of all 
 sects, names, and parties for their adoption. We 
 commend it to the patriot, philanthropist, and 
 Christian, believing it to be a reasonable, true, 
 and just town reform well worthy of being car- 
 ried out in society and the community, for the 
 benefit of the poor, ignorant, and oppressed mil- 
 lions of earth ; and we believe that it must and 
 will, — to harmonize the material interests and 
 industries of man with his brother, — finally 
 succeed, prevail, and triumph. 
 
 We especially w^ould commend this great 
 and glorious cause to intelligent Christian men 
 and women in our churches, and invite them to 
 to be leaders of industrj^, and in forming these 
 model towns whose homes shall be made types 
 
CONCLUSION. 103 
 
 of heavenly mansions, — such Christian towns 
 as will be earthly types of " that city, whose 
 walls are precious stones, whose gates are pearls, 
 and the streets pure gold, as it were, transparent 
 glass." That every model town shall be made 
 from a cottage to a palace complete in every- 
 thing which makes an intelligent, refined, and 
 happy Christian society, of useful and industri- 
 ous men and women. That a model town shall 
 be formed which will far exceed the present or- 
 ganizations in order, harmony, beauty, and pros- 
 perity, as much as the most prosperous town 
 now exceeds in intelligence, advancement, and 
 progress the first town settlements of the Pil- 
 grim Fathers of New England in the wilderness 
 among savage men. That the institutions of 
 education and religion may assist in leading 
 and founding on a permanent basis the agri- 
 cultural, manufacturing, and mechanical pursuits 
 of a town ; and that all the inhabitants may be 
 so fed and clothed, and made prosperous and 
 happy, that there be no complaining in its 
 streets; but a town of cheerful and happy peo- 
 ple, enjoying and luxuriating in every social, 
 material, mental, and moral blessing to the de- 
 gree that each person is capable as a physical, 
 
104 THE MODEL TOWN. 
 
 industrial, and religious being ; and that eacli 
 may thus endeavor to bless mankind and honor 
 God by loving his neighbor as himself, in faith, 
 hope, and charity. 
 
lay