The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-03-27
then expire, is one of the marvels OF
| history. But Childe Harold SAYS

| First Freedom, and then glory when that fails,
Wealth, Vice. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES at last.
Sometimes l fear that our American
republic has passed the first two stages
of Freedom and Glory" and entered
upon those of Wealth, Vice, and
| Corruption. If that be so, the end is
inevitable, and the time not far off when
the last stage of the republic will be
reached.
The most potent cause that led to the
decay and fall of Rome was communism.
This fact has not sufficiently arrested
the attention OF writers and publicists.
Rome, as city or municipal part of the
Empire, exercised an undue and monop-
olizing influence, AS Paris has done in
France, but in far greater degree and
extent. The ambitious demagogues of
the Roman Empire sought to curry
favor with the populace OF the city by
catering to their caprices ut the public
expense. The populace of Rome and
the Pretorian Guards made and I'M
made Emperors, overawed the Senate,
and dictated to the Government. The
Emperors, as far back as Augustus,
commenced recognizing the demands for
special priv es and favors, and sue
cumbing OF clamors, of the rabble.
And what was it they demanded? Free
admission to the circuses, theaters and
amphitheaters and next subsistence.
This abuse grew year by year, until it
hardened into an imperative custom.
The gigantic coliseum, begun by
Vespasian and completed by Titus, to-
wards the end of the first century, was
erected for the purpose of furnishing
the Roman Communists bloody, excit-
ing, tragic amusement. 1t was large
enough to seat and stand 10000 spec
tators, nine-tenths of whom entered
and enjoyed the scenes on free tickets.
The Government deadheaded them
at the expense of the taxpayers of the
Empire. In this arena, tens of thou
sands of gladiators and wild beasts
fought and destroyed each other, for
the base qualification of the turbulent
and bloodthirsty Communists of Rome.
Half-a-dozen other amphitheaters were
constructed in different parts of the
city, at public expense, for the gra-
tuitous qualification of the same class
of people. Enormous circumstance
courses in fact-were constructed by
the Emperors to afford amusement to
the proletarian class.
The circus of Maximus, on the
ground celebrated as the scene of the
Sabine rape, was 2, 1877 feet long by $50
feet in breadth. The circuit of the
seats was one mile in length. 1t would
seat $50, 900 persons. Sometimes ahun-
dred chariots would enter for the race
at on e and the Emperor himself
would drive one, and compete for the
prize, and the applause of the Com
munist deadheads who watched the
races and roared their appreciation.
The Circus of Maxentius was ! $50 feet
long by $50 broad, and would seat 100,-
900 spectators. Nero built circus on
the ground where now stands ST. Peter S
Church, which would accommodate 70,
600 spectators. There were several
other smaller ones.
But the fastidious tastes of the Com
munistsrequired higher order of amuse-
ment, called theaters and large num-
Der Of these were constructed and
operated for their edidcation and de-
light. The best Thespian talent of the
Empire was procured at the expense of
the Public Treasury. Tragedy, comedy,
farce, melodrama, and the spectacular
ballet were all brought out and pre-
scented to the critical discernment of the
hypercritical deadheads, who applauded
or Kissed the acting, just as one sees
nowadays.
A fourth kind of amusement provided
by the State was called the Baths, or
Therme, which were really club. houses,
got up on style of magnificence un-
known and unapproachsble in modern
times. The ruins of these Baths ex-
cite little less wonder now that the stu
pendous remains of the Coliseum itself
The ruins of the Bath of Caracalla EN-
brace space four or FIVE times as great
as the Court House square of Chicago.
Those of Constantine, Nero, Titus,
Trajan, and Agrippa, were not greatly
inferior to Caracalla's. None of them
could be built now for less than many
millions of dollars. In one of those
club houses, the chief bathing pond or
lake would accommodate 1.600 persons
at one time. There were a dozen smaller
and more private bathing apartments in
this building Streams of hot water
poured into the ponds to temper the
GOODNESS of the water. In each of these
great Therme was grand Public Lii
brary Hall, built after the style of q
temple, supported by lofty marble or
granite columns. The walls and cell
, ings were frescoed with marble, in the
most exquisite taste; and the very floor
was fresco-work. The library. room of
the Bath of Dioclesian is now the
Church of st. Bernardo, and is one OF
the largest and most beautiful in Rome.
The enormous granite and marble pill.
: lars of the old libraryroom still sup
port the massive brick -arched roof, a
} hundred feet above the floor, which has
/ rested securely on these supports six
, teen centuries. The great bath at this
/ establishment accommodated 300
! swimmers at one time and the circum
, ference of the whole building was more
/ than three-quarters of a mile TIL,
quantity OF. its ruins still visible is pro
digious.
Y In these club-houses the news of the
/ day was discussed. In the library anC
l reading rooms the latest news was dis
Q played on bulletin-boards, and read anC
speculated upon. just as one sees nova
! DAYS at bulletin-board containing tel
t egraphic dispatches. These club o
lighthouses were also free to the com
y ,,nnity They were built and suDDOrt