Show f l I FORA FOR A BOUNTIFUL V THANKSGIVING Wiser Than God J By THURMAN SENSING The coming of the Pilgrims to the New England coast in 1620 forms a glamorous chapter chap chap- ter in American history THE FACT that is generally ignored overlooked and unknown unknown unknown un un- un- un known about this landing at Massachusetts Bay years ago is that it marked the first Socialist settlement in America The main lesson about this settlement that is generally ignored ignored ignored ig ig- ig- ig nored overlooked and unknown unknown unknown un un- known is that this experiment experiment experiment ment in socialism failed within with with- in three years' years time and and- for their very the survival Pilgrims had to turn to what we know as the free enterprise enterprise enterprise enter enter- prise system THROUGH THE years it would have been-and been it still would be a valuable lesson to the pupils in the classrooms studying American history if this lesson in the failure of socialism the dictionary gives the same definition for communism communism communism com com- were emphasized Before landing the Pilgrims entered into what is known as the Mayflower Compact Under this Compact Plymouth set the share-the- was up as a wealth community NOBODY owned anything Whatever was produced belonged belonged belonged be- be be be- longed to the community as a whole They called this system the course and condition They lived under this system system system tem from the desperate dis dis- dis- dis ridden ease-ridden first winter of 21 1620 until the hungry spring of 1623 THEN THEY changed to private enterprise Why We find the answer in a book written by William Bradford one of the leading original Pilgrims and second governor of Plymouth Colony entitled Of Plantation The Pilgrims weren't long under this course and condition writes Bradford Bradford Bradford Brad Brad- ford until it was found to breed much and discontent and ment that would have been to their and comforte For the young men that were most able and fitte for labor and service did repine that they should spend th thair ir time and strength to for other mens wives and children chiLdren chiL chile dren without any recompense TIlE THE STRONG had no nomore nomore nomore more in of and than he that was Upon the all being to have alike and all to doe alike they thought themselves in the like condition and one oneas oneas oneas as good as another And so if it did not cut off those relations that God hath set amongst men yet it did at least much diminish and take of the respects that should be preserved amongst them INSTEAD OF a Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Thanks Thanks- giving feast in the fall of 1622 there was literal starvation and hopelessly low morale So they begane to f hinke how they might raise as much come corne as they could that they might not still thus languish in misere AT LAST after much debate debate debate de de- de- de bate of things the governor Bradford himself gave way that they should set corne every man for his own per- per And so assigned to every family a parcell of land This had very good success success success suc suc- cess for it made all hands very industrious so as much more corne come was planted than other waise walse would have bene bone THE PILGRIMS offered thanks for deliverance from socialism with a great Thanksgiving Thanks Thanks- Th Thanksgiving giving feast in the fall of 1623 Then Bradford philosophizes somewhat The experience that was had in this course and condition tried sun- sun drie years and that amongst Godly and sober men may maywell maywell maywell well evince the of that of Platos Plato's and other ancients applauded by some of later times times that that the taking away of and bringing bringing bringing bring bring- ing in into a com com- mone wealth would make them happy and as if they were wiser than God TINS THIS IS the story about the Pilgrims that should be in schools be taught our cause that of Platos Plato's and other ancients is still applauded by some of later times Men still have the idea that the taking away of and bringing in into a wealth would make them happy and ing SOCIALISM had been tried many times before Plymouth Colony it has been tried many times since It has always always al always al- al ways failed It is always destined destined destined des des- tined to fail because it vi violates violates violates vi- vi certain fundamental economic and moral laws that simply will not be vi vi- As if it they were wiser than God |