People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 August 1895 — Missplaced Confidence. [ARTICLE]

Missplaced Confidence.

J. A. WayHnd has sold his interest in the Coming Nation, his share in the town of Ruskin, Tennessee, and the* colony. This news came as a surprise to his many readers in this county, of whom he has several hundred. In a letter to the public he says: “You will be surprised to know that next week will be my last week with the Coming Natior. and Ruskin. Misplaced confidence. I leave all to them. It cost me *20,000 to learn a lesson, but I’ve learned it. After a needed rest I will be in the field fighting as I have—except for iso’ated co-operation.” Greeley lost his Tribune; I lost the dear old Coming Nation. But “sich is life.” Commenting on this letter The Road, of Denver. Colorado, has this to saj : “Another thing Brother Wayland should have learned, and s hat is this:

He has done more in his brief career, as editor of the Coming Nation, to ruin populist publishers than any man that ever embarked in the business. He has educated the people to believe a populist editor ought to live on wind and go naked. This he has done by making people think that 50 cents per year is enough for a publisher to charge for a weekly paper. So far as his loss of $20,000 is concerned, we waste no tears, for he is able to stand it. He left Pueblo with $150,000 in gold, hard, yellow, gold in his jeans, as the result of speculating in corner lots. Greeley was bilked out of his paper by that prince of sneaks, J. Whitelie Reid—we do not say the people Wayland sought to help are any better than Reid. The lesson Wayland’s failure teaches is this: Humanity isn’t ready to be saved. When it is, it will save itself.

The Atlanta Constitution hit the nail on the head when it said: “During hard times the people grow patriotic and found cooperative colonies on broad, liberal and humane principles, but the moment times improve they desert their plans to improve society and eagerly return to the scenes of competition where in the mad race for the almighty dollar they kick, scrap, gouge and claw as fiercely as if they

never had learned the co operation principle of live and let live.” The only co-operative colony that can hope to live is the one which is based upon liberality and intelligence. The idea of herding a lot of ignorant, hungry hobos in a colony with a view of progession in all rot. We heartily believe in the principles of socialism but we believe the steps must be taken slowly. First follow the example of New Zealand by acquiring, through public purchase, the ownership of all utilities. The steps following these are dark and uncertain and can only be taken after the people have become sufficiently enlightened to place peace, prosperity, merit and honesty above their love for the almighty dollar.—Logansport Advance.