People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-17

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Tax Collector had almost unlimited
power.
AS illustrative of the times, we are
told by the Historians that Caesar
had liberated a slave named Lioinius,
and had given him an Office. He
was so useful to his Roman masters
that he was promoted and finally
became one of the Tax Collectors
under Caesars nephew, Augustus.
Licinius was robber, and had been
so exceedingly cruel and greedy in
his exactions that when the Emperor
came into Gaul the people indignant
" denounced Lioinius. The En-
peror decided to punish the scoun-
drel, but was led away from his pur-
pose by q shrewd trick. Llcinius
carried the Emperor to the vaults
where his plumber was slowed, and
said, "Behold the treasure [ have
gathered for thee. I was afraid if
Gauls kept SO much gold they would
use it against thee. I now deliver it
to thee"
Augustus received the stolen goods
and let the thief go his way unpun-
ished. Of course, Licinius, when
the Emperor had returned to Rome,
went on robbing the helpless people
worse than ever.
Such instances as this prove the
abuses to which the Roman govern
ment was subject, and we can i'm
agine how the spirit of a brave peo-
pie was worn away and broken by it.
There was more wealth in Gaul shan
there had been, but the National
spirit had nothing around which 1t
could build civilization which would
improve the entire people morally,
as we'll as materially. The Gaulish
Mobiles erected splendid temples, but
they were dedicated to Paganism.
The Religion of the Druids had been
suppressed, but no better one had
been introduced. The minds of the
people, high and low, were left with
out single great motive which
could elevate them to nobler things.
In the reign of Nero there was a
great rebellion III Gaul, and but for
the sudden Encouragement of its
leader, the result might have been
success.
Nero was the last of the twelve
Roman Emperors who are called
"the Caesars" He was a terrible
monster in cruelty and lust, but,
strange to say, had some accomplish
ments in the fine arts. Among other
things he was a musician.
A Gaulish Noble, named Vindex,
excited an instruction against Nero.
He harangued the people and told
them of the Emperor's crimes-how
he had violated all laws of decency,
and had even murdered his own
mother. He also derided him as a
''miserable fiddler" Nero seemed
to care little for the accusation as to
his mother, but the Indictment that
he was a "sorry fiddler" broke him
all up. He called a great meeting
of the people in Rome, made them a
speech, denied that he was a sorry
fiddler and played tune or two to
prove that he could ''tickle the cat
GUT with skill and ability. Being
sorry fiddler myself, I can under
stand Nero's feelings.
Vindex, however, was not to be
convinced by any amount of fddling,
good or bad, and soon had his army
in the field. He suffered a defeat
from one OF Nero's generals and
committed suicide. If he had waited
ever so short a time, he would have
witnessed the downfall and the death
of Nero.
One of the Chieftains engaged in
this rebellion claimed to be a great
grandson of an illegitimate child of
Julius Caesar. His name was Sabinus.
After the defeat and death of Vim
dex he took refuge in the vaults of
his palace and caused a faithful slave
to burn down the house above, and
to spread the report that he was
dead. Only two servants knew the
secret and knew the way into the
vaults.
Even the wife of Sabinus sup
posed him dead till the faithful
slaves told her the facts. At night