Chapter XXVI: The Marlboro Association

As in New England, so in Ohio, the general socialistic excitement of 1841 and afterwards, gave rise to several experiments that had nothing to do with Fourier's peculiar philosophy. We begin with one of these indigenous productions.

Mrs. Esther Ann Lukens, a member of the Marlboro Community, answered Macdonald's inquiries about its history. We copy the greater part of her story:

_Mrs. Lukens's Narrative._

"The Marlboro Community seems, as I think of it, to have had its
existence so entirely in dreams of human advancement and the
generous wish to promote it, and also in ignorance of all but
the better part of human nature, that it is hard to speak of it
as a _bona fide_ portion of our plodding work-a-day world.

"It was originated by a few generous and ardent spirits, who
were disgusted with the oppressive and antagonistic conditions
of ordinary labor and commerce. The only remedy they saw, was a
return to the apostolic manner of living--that of 'having all
things common.'

"The Association was first talked of and its principles
generally discussed in Clinton County, some years before
anything was done. Many in all parts of Ohio participated in
this discussion, and warmly urged the scheme; but only a few
were found who were hopeful and courageous enough to dare the
final experiment.

"The gathering commenced in 1841 on the farm of Mr. E. Brooke,
and consisted at first of his family and a few other persons.
Gradually the number increased, and another farm was added by
the free gift of Dr. A. Brooke, or rather by his resigning all
right and title to it as an individual, and delivering it over
to the joint ownership of the great family.

"As may be supposed, the majority of those who gathered around
this nucleus, were without property, and very slenderly gifted
with the talent of acquiring it, but thoroughly honest,
philanthropic, warmly social, and willing to perform what
appeared to them the right amount of labor belonging to freemen
in a right state of society. They forgot in a few instances,
that this right state did not exist, but was only dreamed about,
and had yet to be realized by more than common labor with the
hands.

"The Community had but little property of any value but land,
and that was in an uncultivated, half-wild state. There were a
few hundred dollars in hand; I can not say how many; but
certainly not half the amount required for purchases that seemed
immediately necessary. There was a good house and barn on each
farm, each house capable of accommodating comfortably three
families, besides three small tenant houses of logs, capable of
accommodating one family each. There were also on the premises
four or five horses and a few cattle and sheep.

"It became necessary, as the numbers increased, to purchase the
farm intervening between the one first owned by E. Brooke, and
the one given by Dr. A. Brooke, both for convenience in passing
and repassing, and for the reason that more land was needed to
give employment to all. The owner asked an exorbitant price,
knowing our necessities; but it was paid, or rather promised,
and so a load of debt was contracted.

"The members generally were eminently moral and intellectual. As
to religious belief, they were what people called, and perhaps
justly, Free-thinkers. In our conferences for purposes of
improvement and domestic counsel, which were held on Sundays,
religion, as a distinct obligation, was never mentioned.

"Provisions were easily procured. One of the farms had a large
orchard, and our living was confined to the plainest vegetable
diet; so that much time was left for social and mental
improvement. All will join with me in saying that love and good
fellowship reigned paramount; so that all enjoyed good care
during sickness, and kindly sympathy at all times.

"About a year and a-half after its foundation, the Community
sustained a great loss by the death of one of its most efficient
and ardent supporters, Joseph Lukens. It was after this period
that a constitution or form of Association was framed, and many
persons were admitted who had different views of property and
the basis of rights, from what were generally held at the
beginning.

"The existence of the Community, from first to last, was nearly
four years. If I should say there was perfect unanimity of
feeling to the last, it would not be true. Yet there were no
quarrels, and all discussions among us were temperate and kind.
As to our breaking up, there was no cause for it clear to my
mind, except the complicated state of the business concerns, the
amount of debt contracted, and the feeling that each one would
work with more energy, for a time at least, if thrown upon his
own resources, with plenty of elbow-room and nothing to distract
his attention."

Mr. Thomas Moore, also a member of this Community, gave his opinion of the cause of its decease in a separate paper, as follows:

_Mr. Moore's Post Mortem._

"The failure of this experiment may be traced to the fact that
the minds of its originators were not homogeneous. They all
agreed that in a properly organized Community, there should be
no buying and selling between the members, but that each should
share the common products according to his necessity. But while
Dr. A. Brooke held that this principle should govern our conduct
in our interchange with the whole world, the others believed it
right for any number of individuals to separate themselves from
the surrounding world, and from themselves into a distinct
Community; and while they had every thing free among themselves,
continue to traffic in the common way with those outside. And
again, while many believed they were prepared to enter into a
Community of this kind, Mr. Edward Brooke had his doubts,
fearing that the time had not yet arrived when any considerable
number of individuals could live together on these principles;
that though some might be prompted to enter into such relations
through principles of humanity and pure benevolence, others
would come in from motives altogether selfish; and that discord
would be the result. Dr. A. Brooke, not being willing to be
confined in any Community that did not embrace the whole world,
stepped out at the start, but left the Community in possession
of his property during his life; believing that to be as long as
he had any right to dispose of it. But Edward Brooke yielded to
the views of others, and went on with the Community.

"For some time the members who came in from abroad added nothing
of consequence to the common stock. Some manifested by their
conduct that their objects were selfish, and being disappointed,
left again. Others, who perhaps entered from purer motives, also
became dissatisfied for various reasons and left; and so the
Community fluctuated for some time. At length three families
were admitted as members, who had property invested in farms,
and who were to sell the farms and devote the proceeds to the
common stock. Two of these, after having tried community life a
year, concluded to leave before they had sold their farms; and
the third, not being able to sell, there was a lack of capital
to profitably employ the members; and the consequence was, there
was not quite enough produced to support the Community.
Discovering this to be the case, several of the persons who
originally owned the property became dissatisfied; and although
according to the principles of the Community they had no greater
interest in that property than any other members, yet it was no
less a fact that they had donated it nearly all (excepting Dr.
A. Brooke's lease), and that now they would like to have it
back. This placed the true Socialists in delicate circumstances.
Being without pecuniary means of their own, they could not
exercise the power that had voluntarily been placed in their
hands, to control these dissatisfied ones, so as to cause them,
against their will, to leave their property in the hands of the
Community. The property was freely yielded up, though with the
utmost regret. My opinion therefore is that the experiment
failed at the time it did, through lack of faith in those who
had the funds, and lack of funds in those who had the faith."

Dr. A. Brooke, who devoted his land to the Marlboro Community, but stepped out himself, because he would not be confined to anything less than Communism with the world, afterwards tried a little experiment of his own, which failed and left no history. Macdonald visited him in 1844, and reports some curious things about him, which may give the reader an idea of what was probably the most radical type of Communism that was developed in the Socialistic revival of 1841-3.

"Dr. Brooke" says Macdonald, "was a tall, thin man, with gray hair, and beard quite unshaven. His face reminded me of the ancient Philosophers. His only clothing was a shirt and pantaloons; nothing else on either body, head, or feet. He invited us into his comfortable parlor, which was neatly furnished and had a good supply of books and papers. Our breakfast consisted of cold baked apples, cold corn bread, and I think potatoes.

"We questioned him much concerning his strange notions, and in the course of conversation I remarked, that such men as Robert Owen, Charles Fourier, Josiah Warren and others, had each a certain number of fundamental principles, upon which to base their theories, and I wished to understand definitely what fundamental principles he had, and how many of them. He replied that he had only one principle, and that was to do what he considered right. He said he attended the sick whenever he was called upon, for which he made no charge. When he wanted anything which he knew one of his neighbors could supply, he sent to that neighbor for it. He shewed me a brick out-building at the back of his cottage, which he said had been put up for him by masons in the vicinity. He made it known that he wanted such work done, and no less than five men came to do it for him."

Macdonald adds the following story:

"I remember when in Cincinnati, one Sunday afternoon at a
Fourier meeting I heard Mr. Benjamin Urner read a letter from
Dr. A. Brooke to some hardware merchants in Cincinnati (the
Brothers Donaldson in Main street, I believe), telling them that
his necessities required a variety of agricultural tools, such
as a plow, harrow, axes, etc., and requesting that they might be
sent on to him. He stated that he had given up the use of money,
that he gave his professional services free of cost to those
whose necessities demanded them, and for any thing his
necessities required he applied to those whom he thought able to
give. Mr. Urner stated that this strange individual had been the
post-master of the place where he now lived, but that he had
given up the office so that he might not have to use money. He
also informed us that the hardware merchants very kindly sent on
the articles to Dr. Brooke free of cost; which announcement gave
great satisfaction to the meeting."