The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-05-24

the land and 96 per cent owned none
wien Grcce died. Have YOU studied
the remarkable likeness of the causes
which led to the decline and fall of
Rome and the causes which are opera
ting IN this country to-day? In
Rome's most gala days S. per cent Of
her people owned lands. To the evil
Of land monopoly or rather as
cause or it, there was a decline IN the
money volume Of the Roman Empire
from $500, 900. GOO at the Christian
era, to the end of the fifteenth century
when It had shrunk to 5000, 900. 900.
Property values and laborer's wages
declined proportionately. The his
torian declares Of the conditions IL
Rome during this period, that popu-
lation dwindlcu, and commerce, arts,
wealth and freedom all disappeared. .
The people were reduced to pow
erty and misery Of the most degrad-
iny character Serfdom and slavery
with their attending evil consequences
polluted society. We are told that
there were 1OO.OOO,O0O Of human
beings in the Roman Empire IN the
time Of Augustus, more than half OF
whom were in condition of slavery.
Augustus was able to boast Of Rome
that he found it brick and left it
marble. But how WAS he able to do
it? BY cnslaving and surely rohbing
and enslaving the masses Of the toll
inc millions Of Rome. When Rome
finally declined and ceased to be a
great nation, 1000 men owned the
whole of the Roman Empire. Have
YOU noticed the striking parallelism
between causes, conditions and un-
nistakable signs prior to the French
Revolution and causes, conditions
and unmistakable signs confrontln.
the American people to-day? Said
Louis of France as he lay upon his
death bed, after me the delu9c.
The Leluge Of which he prophesied
came 1t was the great bloody
French Revolution, perhaps the
blcotliest revolution ever known t.
history. France had ''sowH to the
wind and was now to reap a whirl-
wind The last century and Il half
of French history had been enacted
as Il tragedy. 1t was here as in every
such tragedy, there is always a re
turn OF the deed upon the doer The
French peasants came to realize the
injustice Of the oppression resulting
from the few accumuiating to them
selves all the wealth, and supporting
none Of the burdens of state. While
-. 10000 of brother serfs, posses
sing comparatively none of the vas
wealth Of the country yet supported
all of the burdens of state. 1t wa:
| in France. as in Rome, and as here
agriculture became unremunerative
farm homes had to be abandoned
and sure and rapid decline of price
steadily continlel to the end. Cl,i
lnatclv. re..ribrtlon followed. Th,
oppressed arose. as might have beer
anticipated and pulled the burtlensom'
rotten. lOathsOm structure down upOl
themselves. When oppression be
comes intoerable, there always come
Il time in which matldened dcspa;
refuses to he dictated TO by reason
Do we refuse to be warned by tn
suicide of Rome? DO we find II,
lesson of moderation from the fate 0
France? Are we prepared to aver
the awful calamity visited upon ,h
nobility and the money power Q
France? Were the oppressed o
France less tolerant and more trucu
lent than the oppressed of this couu
try under the same criminal goading
Are our oppressed more sycophanti
han the oppressed of Frarce? Plu
tocrats, be not deceived by labor
patient delay.-Pi,>tied. Ill.,, Advo
cate.
COXev.s On to Washington NOV