Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-07-04

theory open to the meanest citizen
they were confined in fact to those who
had the longest purses, or the most
ready use of the tongue on popular
platforms. Distinctions of birth had
been exchanged for distinctions of
wealth. The struggle between pie
beians and patricians for equality of
privilege was over, and a new division
had been formed between the party of
property and party who desired
change in the structure OF society. The
free cultivators were disappearing from
the soil. Italy was being absorbed into
vast estates held by few favored fami-
lies and cultivated by shares, while the
old agricultural population was driven
of the land and was crowded into
towns. The rich we're extravagant, for
life had ceased to have practical inter.
est except for its material pleasures /;
the occupation of the higher classes
was to obtain money without labor,
and to spend it in idle enjoyment. Pa.
triotism survived on the lips, but pa
triotism mean the ascendency of the
party which would maintain the existing
order of things, or would ovtrthrow it
for o more equal distribution of the
good things which alone are valued.
Religion, once the foundation of the
laws and the rule of personal conduct,
subsidized into opinion. The educated
in their hearts disbelieved it. Temples
were still built with increasing splen-
dor the established forms were scru-
puously observed. Public men spoke
conventionally of Providence, that
they might throw on their opponents
the odium of impiety, but of genuine
belief that life had any serious mean
ing there was none remaining beyond
the circles of the silent, patient, ignor-
ant multitude. The whole spiritual
atmosphere was saturated with cant
cant moral, cant political, cant reli-
gious an affectation of high principle
which had ceased to touch the conduct,
and flowed on in an increasing volume
of insiDcere and unreal sp ech. The
truest thinkers were those who, like
Lucretius, spoke frankly out their real
convictions. declared that Providence
was q dream and that man and the
world he lived in were material phe.
nomena generated by natural forces
out of cosmic atoms, and into atoms to
be again resolved.
Into struggle, then, between wealth
and poverty, between the rich aristo-
Gratis and the multitude that had nc
power, bu. their votes, no property but
what they got by selling their votes or
their military services to the aristocrats,
the Roman Republic plunged. 1t was
prolonged struggle of classes, varied
by conflicts with the pirates of the
Mediterranean, wars with the barbara.
ans of Germany and the barbarians OF
Asia, until Caesar appeared and by his
genius ended the intestine conflict and
gave the nation new lease of life.
In the mean time, the country was
little less than an organized anarchy.
While the great men of Rome were
building palaces, inventing new dishes,
and hiring cooks at unheard of salaries,
the barbarians were at the gates OF
Italy" These repulsed, Mithridates
threatened to steal from Rome its east
| ern provinces. "The Senate had No
feet, they had no armies available
The treasury was empty, individuals
were immensely rich and the State was
bankrupt" Foreign enemies found it
easier to encroach upon the rights of
Rome by bribing the Senators than by
fighting. The mob and the Senate
agreed only in one thing, that the
spoils of war, the taxes of the provinces,
the treasury, in fact, should be spent,
not in defense of the State, but for
luxury and pleasure in Rome. They
differed only as to whether the aristo-
Gratis or the populace should have the
benefit of the money. There were
fights in the forum. Young mobiles
with their gangs broke up the elections
and drove the people from the polls.
The soldiers of Marius afterward took
their revenge; fifty Senators persisted
and thousand knights were killed.
For many days the city was preyetl
upon by robbers and cut-throats, "the
peasant proprietors were melting away;
Rome was becoming choked with i'm
poverished citizens who ought to have
been farmers and fathers of families,
but who were degenerating into rab-
BILE, fed with corn grants, and occupied
with nothing but spectacles and poll
tics" Laws were set aside by either
party whenever party success was
hindered by them. The passage OF
disagreeable laws was hindered by
d" fillibustering." According to an
ancient precedent whenever consul
declared the auspices unfavorable leg
islation must stop and the Senate ad-
journ. In ancient times this was q
sacred ceremony, but in these degen-
crate days one of the consuls in behalf
of the party to which he belonged
would survey the heavens, watch the
birds, consult the sacred chickens, and
pronounce the aspects unfavorable, OF
would pronounce day after day to be
holy, when no legislation could be had.
There was law, too, against the bring
ing of arms into the forum; but the
forum was frequent place of armed
encounter between the factions. Hun
dreds were killed on both sides. The
Tiber was covered with floating bodies;
the sewers were choked the forum had
to be washed with sponges; houses
were wrecked by the opponents OF
their owners. It was no better in So
cial life. Licentiousness of the gross.
| est kind was too common to attract at-