The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-02-19
WHITTIER ARE WE DRIFTING7

Dear COLUMBIAN Governments
have had their glory, dominion and
decay, in all ages. The lessons of cx-
ample and experience are the best.
The Republic of Rome commenced to
die when the Gracchi died--it was
finished completely when Caesar water
ed his horse in the Rubicon and march
ed on to Rome, and for a crown.
There we're essential causes that pro-
duced the death of the Roman En-
pire. Her conquests enriched her, and
she plunged into luxury, profigacy,
corruption. The many peoples she
conquered became neve affiliated with
her though subiugated they were
aliens. She dragged them at her
chariot wheels to adorn her triumph
ed marches with all their wealth she
robbed them of as trophies. Many Of
the conquered were dungeoned and
destroyed many were thrust into her
armies that rendered them alien and
dubious armies. Millions were for
eigners and annuled the loyalty and
force of the native born. By a sue
cession of conquests she acquired dom.
inion and area that she could not man
age, hence constant revolts abroad or
social and interrecine war at home.
Her tyrant emperors, while depriving
the people of all voice in the govern.
ment, administered to their venality
and corruption by giving them free
shows. The Coliseum held an hun
dred thousand spectators to look down
upon the arena Of gladiators struggling
with each other, or with lions and
these emperors fed the populace free
OF charge, thus keeping them in indo-
lence. Oppressive taxation and dom
inion and power of the priesthood were
great agencies IN sinking the people
into vassalage. Roman generals when
they got beyond the sight of Rome,
did pretty much as they pleased The
Romans divorced their wives on al
most any pretext, they owned hun
dreds of slaves apiece, foreign and
native thorn, and owned their lives
which they could save or destroy.
What could keep Rome from falling
under these circumstances ? We turn
from Rome to ourselves. We have no
politics in this article. The minds of
our people naturally turn to finance,
taxes, economy, decreased expendi-
lures, honest and enlightened legisla.
tion tariffs, railroad, telegraph monopo-
lies, that are robbing the people to
the administration of the revenue laws,
to embezzlements and robberies of the
Treasury by dishonest Office holders,
TO give out immense contracts by
which vast fortunes are rapidly made,
to the monopoly of our public lands
by foreign capitalists and home mon
ey kings and railroads to subsidies of
untold millions of bonds to the same
purpose to lobbyists, gamblers and
spectators that infest Washington
under every administration, Demo
cratic or Republican Office holders
go in poor and come out rich--the peo.
Pile foot the bill Whittier are we
drifting Is our vast population of
80 millions to sink into the vassalage
of the Roman populace ! What then
will become of the country? We
may talk about the American Eagle,
the star spangled banner, the sover.
eighty of the people, the elective fran
cbise the great American Republic in
the face of all these circumstances. 1t
is mere bosh. These things have be-
come delusions while the Republic is
sinking into corr upton, vassalage and
rum. K. j. b.