--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1845 to 1846. authors: - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints editors: - Ebenezer Robinson - Don Carlos Smith - Smith, Joseph, Jr. - Taylor, John collections: - periodicals tags: - newspaper - times-and-seasons - nauvoo - nineteenth-century periodical: Times and Seasons volume: 6 number: 15 published: 1845-08-15 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“Association in Germany,” *Times and Seasons* 6, no. 15 (August 15, 1845): 999–1001." printed_title: ASSOCIATION IN GERMANY. source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1845-08-15_6_15 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v6n15.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair) identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1845-08-15_6_15 start_page: 999 end_page: 1001 curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement. rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1845 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1845-08-15_6_15 publication_year: 1845 --- # Association in Germany In these times and in our America, where all is movement, and ideas seem to rush into deeds, we are something curious to know what is doing in Germany, or rather what is thinking there. What verdict does the Civilization of this nineteenth century, with its Pauperism, its Commercial Feudalization and its false Democracies, receive from those weariless abstractionists, as most of our German friends are?-Under what forms does the New World, of which no simple-hearted man is now without some presentiment, dawn upon them? Which of the present commands of humanity are they receiving and laying to heart? We have long been aware that the doctrines of Universal Unity was not without zealous apostles in Germany. Good books upon various branches of social science have been published, and some of the most respectable journals have given their testimony to the weight of the facts and arguments of which the Associative school makes use. We have too abundant rumors that Communism,-the most natural of intellectual reactions,-finds numerous adherents and even occasions alarm to the authorities. For some months we have had lying in our portfolio, more exact intelligence as to some of these matters, waiting to be presented to our readers. We presume that though thus in fact not new, it will not be without interest to them. It is extracted from that excellent journal, the "Deutsche Schnellpost," of New York. It seems that not far from the first of last November, the king of Prussia took the lead in the formation of a "Central Society for the benefit of the lower classes," For this society and for the Berlin philanthropists generally, the correspondent of the Schnellpost has no reverence whatever. He says their benevolence is no better than hypocrisy and Protestant Jesuitism. A meeting was held at Cologne on the 10th of November for the formation of an auxiliary society. Here the influence which presided at Berlin was subordinate, and at the first stage of the proceedings a warm discussion arose as to the name of the Society. The words "lower classes" were rejected. The Society was called the "Union for mutual aid and improvement." In its rules the tendency of Society to ascend into the next stage beyond civilization-called guaranteeism, appears in a striking manner. For the improvement of the material condition of its members, the Union contemplates,-1. Arrangements for diminishing the effects of misfortunes by means of funds for mutual aid, hospitals, &c. 2. Arrangements to ensure food and homes to those who are temporally without labor. 3. Provisions for mediation between laborers and employers. 4. Arrangements by which the individual can attain independence, such as Saving's Banks, the purchase of land and buildings to be rented on reasonable terms to laborers, &c. 5. Arrangements for an economical and comfortable mode of life, for example, common kitchens and dining halls, the erection of spacious and wholesome dwellings, the purchase of the necessaries of life at wholesale, and distribution of them at retail at cost, especially in the winter. 6. Arrangements for supplying the products of labor immediately to those who wish for them; for example permanent halls of industry, in which manufactured articles can be exposed for sale, like provisions in the market. By this means the laborer will be protected from speculators and forestallers, and can expect a more just compensation for his exertions than is possible under the present relations of things. 7. Arrangements which will make it possible for the workman, without property, to support the competition with the power of capital, for example, funds to be loaned upon work done, establishments for the provision both of materials and tools, the union of single laborers for a common purpose, &c. For "Culture," the Union adopts the following means. 1. Arrangements whereby the beneficent effect of intercourse between men of all classes of society, and all professions, can be produced. 2. Arrangements for direct improvement, such as trade-schools, and also higher trade-schools for instruction after the age in which trades are usually begun to be practised [practiced]; together with schools for the development of peculiar talents and for education in special trades and branches; conversations and lectures upon useful subjects, collections of books, models and tools; reading rooms, the disseminating of useful writings, &c. The formation of this Society naturally excited great interest not only in Cologne, but throughout the whole province. Social equality, the right of all to labor, and the duty of Society to furnish it to every one, became common words. the Government interfered to prevent the prosecution of the undertaking, and what has been its ultimate fate we are not informed. At any rate we may be sure that the ideas thus planted, will sooner or later bear abundant fruit. And indeed, as we learn from a more recent number of the Schnellpost, notwithstanding the opposition of the Government the discussion of those questions which are everywhere commanding the attention of the most advanced minds, is carried on with vigor, especially in Westphalia. The men most active in it, are the educated classes. According to the Breman Gazette, from which the account of the Schnellpost is taken, many crude and erroneous views are mingled with the truth which is at the bottom. These time will remedy. Meanwhile we know that Germany is not unconscious of the mission of the age and is not likely to be silent respecting it. The movement of Cologne,-the only one which has a directly practical tendency, contains, as we said above, the germs of that order of society, which lies between complete Association of all interests and all classes, and the unfortunate state called Civilization. This tendency appears universally , though our eloquent declaimers upon social progress, of which they know about as much as they do of the man in the moon, never take any notice of it. Technically speaking, we call this coming order of Society, Guaranteeism. Its distinguishing feature is the application of the principle of mutual guarantee,-imperfectly developed indeed in the Cologne "union," to the various relations of life and business. It makes of society a grand fraternity for universal mutual insurance, and in this way produces union, peace, recurity [security], and real benevolence, instead of the discord, strife, uncertainty and selfishness, which are the soul and very heart's blood of civilization. We consider all steps towards such a state of things wherever taken, as advances towards the sublime and happy destiny of the race, and accordingly shall take every occasion to advocate them to the best of our ability. Such institutions as the Brook Farm Phalanx, and the other associations formed in this country are, be it understood, at present only attempts at Guaranteeism. But this is only a transition. It is the territory through which, for want of means, we are compelled to pass. City of Joseph, Sunday Morning, } 10 o'clock, June 15,1845. } This morning, the earth has been refreshed by a gentle thunder shower, followed by a cool and refreshing breeze. For a short time the sun was obscured by the remnant of the thunder cloud, which shortly subsided, and the King of day broke out with all his native glory and splendor, thus smiling upon the congregated saints as they sat with anxious expectation to hear from the ministers of salvation. Present of the Twelve, President Young, Orson Hyde, Orson Pratt, Amasa Lyman, William Smith; also Bishop Miller, Father Cutler and Father Cahoon; also Judge Phelps. The meeting was called to order by Orson Hyde, and the choir sung "Come you that love the Savior, a name," &c.-prayer by Judge Phelps, after which the choir sung "The morning breaks, the shadows flee, lo, Zion's standard is unfurled," &c.