The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-25


TIE Engfish historian Alison. In she
early part Of this century. affirmed thsa.
ore Of the most efficient caases Of the
Decay os the Roman empire ~as the sx-
Ssasesso1 Of tie silver mines in Spain.
which reduced the volume OF money ii
circulation. LAfer researches Of SEf5szks.
Morsnsen and other critical sz1feTz.s o
Roman history confirm this opinion. and
emphasize IL by showing that. beginning
with the more prosperous days OF Rome.
sas luxurious habits OF the people. am
especially OF the Roman women. occa-
stoned a permanently adverse halarce q
trade and a steady export OF tne precious
metals from Italy 70 the Orient TIE
injurious consequences OF this condition
Of trade were heightened by competition
between the farmers Of Italy and t2se
cheap agricultural labor OF the Roman
provinces especially OF Egypt
L r. startling 70 be confronted I'm Ro-
man history with tie silver question ard
free sya1e which We are apt TO conslSer
peculiarly modern topics But Mr., Adams
resea riches prove that both these ques-
sioHs were OF vital importance 10 the
Romans. ard that the ruin OF the en-
pire vas mainly duo TO failure 20 conpFe-
hers5 and leglsiase intsshg@ntIy concern
Ing them.
The story Of re impoverished Italian
farmer 201o years ago reminds the reader
Of tzls decline OF English agriculture dur
tng the past fit years caused by the I'M
porsation OF cheap food products from
Russia. India and South America. The
comparison becomes more impressive
~aen we read Of the gradual disappear
ance OF the English yeomanTy. the most
vigorous element OF the population. just
~ history relates. the decay and dis
appearance OF the s1me element In Roman
popuistion-the men OF brave hearts and
esalwart arms who, during xhe best period
OF Roman historv focked from the farms
of Italy TO fight The battles ana win The
victories OF Rome. Tho danger Of conpe-
fition from inferior races cannot. espe-
cially at this time, be too earnestly I'M
pressed upon our own people II Is EVIL
dent thai much OF the distress which the
friends OF free silver attribute 20 the de-
snonetization Of that metal may justly BE
charged 10 the competition which has Grip
pied English agriculture and diminished
our foreign markets. The lesson laugh.
b. Roman history. touching the danger
10 national welfare, OF an inadequate vol
ume OF money and deprecated currency.
II particularly Instructive just now In the
United GATES. The decline OF Rome fol-
lowed the decline In the volume Of her
money. unused by the exhaustion Of her
mines and the export OF her coin. This
led 20 lower prices. TO hard times. to the
concentration Of hand In the hands OF the
wealthy. TO the impor. alton Of cheap la
Dor and 10 the expulsion Of the native
farmer from the soil and soon. step by
step. 10 the ruin OF the empire and the
occupation OF Italy by the harder ruces
OF the north.
This chronicle OF history IL impressed
upon our mind with redoubIed force at
this crisis In our nations life. when
struv~le Is going on to drive out our gold,
40 depreciate our currency and 10 remove
every barrier from the competition of the
cheap labor Of the Occident and the old
world. These pages OF history teach that
n is the right and duty OF every nation
90 protest itself against the competition
OF inferior races. and against both the
scarcity OF money and the depreciation
or Its quality.
Mr.. Adams has evolved novel theory
20 explain the rise and decay OF the civil
1zafion Of nations. and this work Is de-
voted 20 illustrations and defense OF this
theory. He claims that two opposite
passions or IMPULSES mainly determine
the course of civiliza;ion-fear and greed
that thu former IL the product of pow
erty and ignorance. while the latter is
the source OF wealth and INTELLIGENCE
The former marks the PASTORAL ages. and
j. The aren't % superstition. The latter
characterizes the commercial ages. fos-
tf'rs indepe ndent thoughts ami antago-
mes bigotry. They express the oppoS-
ing conditions Of dispersion and cerfinl-
The author discovers in the operation
OF these forces the cauSe OF the cycles
Or history. the extremes OF which are
barharism and civilization
Tho tarhatic age, with natural powers
developed by dangers and conflicts. and
the imaginative qualities unrest rained by
knowledge. tends 20 physical yigor and
fertility and 20 the highest expressions
or the imagination in literature and the
arts The commercial spirit. by concen-
fraing population and wealth In cities,
gradually destroys the agricultural classes
by Turing away their tssst men and by
competition through commerce with in
ferior races of food producers At tho
same time the Injuries aud corruptions
OF cities ignpoverish the vigor Of their
Inhabitants. morally. mentally ana physi-
caiiy.
The tendency through long periods IS TO
deseneracy. to return 10 barbarism,
wherein the race FOR ages lies faliow. ac-
cumuhs,ing sls natural powers TO start
men on the road 10 civilization
The concluding part OF this work Is es-
pecisily Interesting In view Of the ques-
tons now dividing the great political
parties OF 'h-s country. II reviews the
Efforts OF the rfoneyoA class, the credit
ors. represented BY bankers and others
who control the active capital OF the
world. 20 dcprociate the value OF labor AMI
che products 81 The promising classes. hv
persistent legislation 20 iiguit the volume
% real money.
TIE history OF this movement. beginning
IN sha is~cr part cr ths eiEhtcan{h essr-
fury. is carried forward TO the present
tiule. a1st is well worth careful study ~
al who desire % leEislate wisely for tha
American people.
Ccnrarrently WITH these efforts ana
leading 20 Tho Same result. though r,ar
haps blinlly AMI uuls.t.ntioually. hsz hs.-,
the operation Of commercial enferrr{Sea
supported by aggregated cars;al in Faclli-
rafin$ ready communication anf iuts,r-
c@frss between the Inferior races ~ no
Past. wsh thsir capacity for ,hsap la
ecr. Sri ne h}sh-ore3 races az ghc West.
Incapable 81 sustaining such coFsFesff tfor
The Ery3f.sf step N tlafs connection Ma
The ogSs1iaE ~ She Sggez canal which Nj
Adams ls-Nanot;vrcs 'sssictte'' for the tr.
StFssrial Glasses % the West. strength
ing The power ~ vsSlth oy trcrssss I-s, its
command over she pr,SiucsS e Industry
al eessa sing tAe condition % he masses
q civilized mankind
The raHs1ftv - this movement .Rlrgre,
THE fASt 9rarTcr OF century arf 20
danger q I~srt~rtss - TIE civilization, e
the West. reT~ts 70 historian % por.raS
= - going On before our Own svvs ara is
~fesrf$ are too conspicuous 20 - ,ssS-c-
sarteA brief vxtrss~s concerts, "a les
NJ Adams views into 8 few Tires.
Thus religions ara ,,~s~a~s.Ss a~4 ara
rorEotteFl. empires r{ea ant NaIi 4>{i,~so-
y9@r< are t~egn ara die. arr ars nee
tlocn1 ans ea*e. as societies rAses e~1r,
tnc cssntssratsor NnsssTear ehe su4eira-
tson sriless 20 the c,srzso3i .sag!ors ss<,s..
pTwssgars efStS IN ssStA
Mr. Aea1ss e~s.cr,es taeSe Nt4w@ ~ -
Fes>o~fS az history. AM w-seehs~ - -.
srsocs>3~i or no; IN r1safas ss~trx ther. Ass
BOOK ~Ll sse r0a1 wsta intense tn..~s.<,