[Editor: An article from the newsletter of the Cosme colony (of Australian socialists) in Paraguay. Published in Cosme Monthly, December 1894.]
What Cosme aims at:
The Constitution of Cosme published in the November “Monthly” deals only with the working organization of the colony.
Cosme is not a “Common-Wealth” but a “Common-Hold”, all capital being held in common and used in common but being owned in equal share by the families, any or all of whom may withdraw their share upon giving due notice; the value of enough land for a family to live from — the fair share of land — is likewise withdrawable, the rest of the land being held in trust for future increase in membership.
Thus a family of Cosme is so far free that it has the power to leave without loss, and to work and live if it leaves.
True freedom is not the being able to vote; it is the living of the life we ought to live, the liking to live so. Cosme has certain difficulties to face, and has suffered in getting experience of actual communistic settlement. She has therefore adopted a method of government which will be charged by the thoughtless with denying human rights, in spite of the fact that on Cosme every man holds continually and individually the only economic requisites to Freedom — the means to work with and to live by. Therefore there can be no denial of human rights since each one enters of freewill and remains of freewill alone.
The life we ought to live is not a miserable slavish dependent outcast suspicious life, but an earnest free independent social trustful life. This is what Cosme aims at, even in her grass huts. And she aims too at finally opening her doors wide to every suitable man and woman who want to try for the same end. Already she offers to these Free Entry on Trial, during which trial they work and share earnings like full members, paying from their work, before they become full members, the amount they may then withdraw.
Cosme was founded to hold up the old virtues as well as to [text obscured] maintains marriage [text obscured] English speaking people. It is teetotal. Those only are suitable who will resist [text obscured] of living as well as industrial slavery, knowing that the world can never find joy in life so long as it does not recognize and obey the laws of living.
Any who desire to know more of Cosme may write direct to the Colony or to the Australian Agent William [text obscured]. They should understand beforehand that the colony is still in its struggling days and has no place for any but those who have faith and grit.
This “Monthly” will be sent to any address for 2/6 per year; stamps taken. All enquiries must enclose stamps for reply. Exchanges invited.
The Cosme Letter Circle invites sympathizers to correspond.
Source:
Cosme Monthly (Cosme, Paraguay), December 1894, pages 1–2
The Institute of Australian Culture
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