Title:
The Flaming Sword
Accession#:
2006.08.29
Pubication Date:
1922/06
Object ID:
PA—0248
Collection:
Flaming Sword
Additional Notes & Full Text:
Current Events in Our Community Life
BY D. J. RICHARDS
June 1922
INASMUCH as June is the month in which officers are selected to represent the county and state for a specified number of years, it will not be amiss to say a few words concerning the primary election in Estero on June 6, and the part the Unity took in it. Our vote in the county, while not large numerically, has in it nevertheless much potential strength in the aggregate, because we all vote as a unit. The Master laid much stress on the influence of the ballot, concerning which he has expressed himself in unmistakable terms. In "Purity of Koreshan Patriotism" (F. S., Dec. 13, 1901) he says:
"KORESH and Koreshans recognize and endorse the laws of the nation, state, county, and towns of the domain of the United States. We place the laws of the nation above the laws of the state, and maintain that to perpetuate the integrity of the national Government, the states (in the creation of their laws) should be subordinate to the general government. . . .
"This is the opportune time to begin the consideration of the questions which interest the common people on the basis of broader issues than have ever been declared; and it is upon this basis that the Koreshan Unity purposes to make its attack upon the political corruptions of state and nation. We propose to wield an influence in the politics of Lee County first. If this is a criminal purpose, then the people of Lee County, the state, and the nation are criminals, and we are not alone in this criminal exploitation.
"If there obtains a purpose on the part of Koreshanity to enter into the political field, it is that the principles of Koreshanity may be exploited for the good of the masses of the people, in opposition to the criminal course pursued by the gigantic trusts, whose octopian tentacles clasp every avenue and source of private effort to maintain its tenure of existence."
The article deals at length with railroads, public ownership of public utilities, and the part Koreshanity will ultimately play in world affairs, but we have quoted enough to show that KORESH intended we should use our influence through the ballot. But the ballot is not alone our source of power in the county; in fact, it is as yet the smaller part. The greatest influence for good, and so acknowledged, not alone by our friends, is the power of The American Eagle a paper born out of protest to the then existing conditions of the county, when the politicians at our county seat undertook to rule us out of an election because the Unity vote was cast in that particular year for Theodore Roosevelt. This, of course, is now ancient history to many of our readers, but new to a host of others.
The election this year was held at the Unity Art Hall, which proved a great convenience to our people, particularly the sisters. If the women of the country will take to the ballot as have our sisters at the Unity, it will prove a weapon that will cause the oldtime politician to tremble. The old time politician is surely passing, as results in Indiana and Pennsylvania show in the selection of Beveridge and Pinchot, the latter even without a machine, but supported solidly by the women.
There were 56 votes cast in our precinct, 46 of these from the Unity. The music of the ballot sounds sweeter to the politician or office seeker than any other, and it is to our advantage to give it all the volume possible. We might have swelled the above number by at least ten votes from the Unity, but some were away, and some were indisposed. KORESH says:
"We purpose at all events to make our influence felt by bringing our people from the world into the common fold of the Communism of Koreshanity, and to still further utilize our elective rights as citizens of the United States,in the regulation of the affairs of the county in which we reside. . . . We do not purpose to violate any law, but we do demand our rights, and we purpose to demonstrate our power (what little we may possess) at the polls. . . . We are bold in our enunciation, because we know the power which has ordained this movement, and which will protect and direct its movements to the accomplishment of its purposes."
By concerted action a fine young grove of avocado pear trees was recently set our by a number of brothers at the Unity. As luck would have it, the rainy season set in at least a month ahead of time. We have not had such a rainfall in ten years as we are having this year.
The bees have been unusually active this spring, so active that Brother Frank Wilson has already made two extractions, filling several barrels with delicious honey from bloom gathered off the saw palmetto. This bloom is about gone; but in this land of flowers there is always something new for the bees to work on, and at present they are busy on the black mangrove, which remains in bloom for from six weeks to two months.
Our new barn is not fully completed, but sufficiently to turn the cows in. It is built very much on the latest approved model for dairy barns, with plenty of light and good ventilation, the floor where the cows stand is made of cypress blocks, with cement as a binder; the rest of the floor is solid cement.
Mrs. James Newcomb of LaBelle, Fla., with her two children are at the Unity on a visit.
We are pleased to record the return of Sister Florence Graham, who has been on a two months vacation to Miami, Fla.; her father and brother are engaged in the dairy business in the above city,
We had to do without electric lights for about a week, the engine driving our small plant having given out; but there are prospects of an early resumption with the installation of another engine.
Through the kindness of Mr. L.M. Boomer, of New York City, we are enjoying the Burton Holmes Travelogue pictures at our movie entertainments. The ones already shown were scenes along the Rhine, and the City of Brussels. We are looking forward to the series to be presented with a great deal of pleasure.
It has been successfully demonstrated in many parts of Florida that bananas can be successfully grown in the state, and the fact is now being fully demonstrated at the Unity. With this in view, a piece of land covered with a ledge of rock is now being blasted, preparatory {o the planting of bananas. Brother Ezra Stewart, of the Shaker Colony at St. Cloud, Fla., has shipped us the plants to start a fine grove of the variety known as the lady finger. These are preferable to those sold in our local market, shipped in from Cuba. The Shakers have several acres of this variety growing in rich muck soil which yields abundantly, and for which a ready market is found.
BY D. J. RICHARDS
June 1922
INASMUCH as June is the month in which officers are selected to represent the county and state for a specified number of years, it will not be amiss to say a few words concerning the primary election in Estero on June 6, and the part the Unity took in it. Our vote in the county, while not large numerically, has in it nevertheless much potential strength in the aggregate, because we all vote as a unit. The Master laid much stress on the influence of the ballot, concerning which he has expressed himself in unmistakable terms. In "Purity of Koreshan Patriotism" (F. S., Dec. 13, 1901) he says:
"KORESH and Koreshans recognize and endorse the laws of the nation, state, county, and towns of the domain of the United States. We place the laws of the nation above the laws of the state, and maintain that to perpetuate the integrity of the national Government, the states (in the creation of their laws) should be subordinate to the general government. . . .
"This is the opportune time to begin the consideration of the questions which interest the common people on the basis of broader issues than have ever been declared; and it is upon this basis that the Koreshan Unity purposes to make its attack upon the political corruptions of state and nation. We propose to wield an influence in the politics of Lee County first. If this is a criminal purpose, then the people of Lee County, the state, and the nation are criminals, and we are not alone in this criminal exploitation.
"If there obtains a purpose on the part of Koreshanity to enter into the political field, it is that the principles of Koreshanity may be exploited for the good of the masses of the people, in opposition to the criminal course pursued by the gigantic trusts, whose octopian tentacles clasp every avenue and source of private effort to maintain its tenure of existence."
The article deals at length with railroads, public ownership of public utilities, and the part Koreshanity will ultimately play in world affairs, but we have quoted enough to show that KORESH intended we should use our influence through the ballot. But the ballot is not alone our source of power in the county; in fact, it is as yet the smaller part. The greatest influence for good, and so acknowledged, not alone by our friends, is the power of The American Eagle a paper born out of protest to the then existing conditions of the county, when the politicians at our county seat undertook to rule us out of an election because the Unity vote was cast in that particular year for Theodore Roosevelt. This, of course, is now ancient history to many of our readers, but new to a host of others.
The election this year was held at the Unity Art Hall, which proved a great convenience to our people, particularly the sisters. If the women of the country will take to the ballot as have our sisters at the Unity, it will prove a weapon that will cause the oldtime politician to tremble. The old time politician is surely passing, as results in Indiana and Pennsylvania show in the selection of Beveridge and Pinchot, the latter even without a machine, but supported solidly by the women.
There were 56 votes cast in our precinct, 46 of these from the Unity. The music of the ballot sounds sweeter to the politician or office seeker than any other, and it is to our advantage to give it all the volume possible. We might have swelled the above number by at least ten votes from the Unity, but some were away, and some were indisposed. KORESH says:
"We purpose at all events to make our influence felt by bringing our people from the world into the common fold of the Communism of Koreshanity, and to still further utilize our elective rights as citizens of the United States,in the regulation of the affairs of the county in which we reside. . . . We do not purpose to violate any law, but we do demand our rights, and we purpose to demonstrate our power (what little we may possess) at the polls. . . . We are bold in our enunciation, because we know the power which has ordained this movement, and which will protect and direct its movements to the accomplishment of its purposes."
By concerted action a fine young grove of avocado pear trees was recently set our by a number of brothers at the Unity. As luck would have it, the rainy season set in at least a month ahead of time. We have not had such a rainfall in ten years as we are having this year.
The bees have been unusually active this spring, so active that Brother Frank Wilson has already made two extractions, filling several barrels with delicious honey from bloom gathered off the saw palmetto. This bloom is about gone; but in this land of flowers there is always something new for the bees to work on, and at present they are busy on the black mangrove, which remains in bloom for from six weeks to two months.
Our new barn is not fully completed, but sufficiently to turn the cows in. It is built very much on the latest approved model for dairy barns, with plenty of light and good ventilation, the floor where the cows stand is made of cypress blocks, with cement as a binder; the rest of the floor is solid cement.
Mrs. James Newcomb of LaBelle, Fla., with her two children are at the Unity on a visit.
We are pleased to record the return of Sister Florence Graham, who has been on a two months vacation to Miami, Fla.; her father and brother are engaged in the dairy business in the above city,
We had to do without electric lights for about a week, the engine driving our small plant having given out; but there are prospects of an early resumption with the installation of another engine.
Through the kindness of Mr. L.M. Boomer, of New York City, we are enjoying the Burton Holmes Travelogue pictures at our movie entertainments. The ones already shown were scenes along the Rhine, and the City of Brussels. We are looking forward to the series to be presented with a great deal of pleasure.
It has been successfully demonstrated in many parts of Florida that bananas can be successfully grown in the state, and the fact is now being fully demonstrated at the Unity. With this in view, a piece of land covered with a ledge of rock is now being blasted, preparatory {o the planting of bananas. Brother Ezra Stewart, of the Shaker Colony at St. Cloud, Fla., has shipped us the plants to start a fine grove of the variety known as the lady finger. These are preferable to those sold in our local market, shipped in from Cuba. The Shakers have several acres of this variety growing in rich muck soil which yields abundantly, and for which a ready market is found.
Author:
[various]
Category:
8: Communication Artifact
Object Name:
Periodical
Subcategory:
Documentary Artifact
Phys Desc:
24 p.
Publisher:
Guiding Star Publishing House
Publication Place:
Estero, Fl.
Search Terms:
Flaming Sword
Community Current Events
Community Current Events
Subjects:
Periodicals——Theology