The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-04-18
AN ANCIENT GREEK FINANCIRR,


AN ANCIENT GREEK FINANCIER.
CORRESPONDENCE of The Progressive Farmer.
I5 Is now over Two years since was
fought TO a 6nish, one of the most
marvellous fnaDcial battles Of modern
history-a battle in which over 1000,
600 men in the victorious army were
array ed against nearly 1000, 900 van
uuish4d men; the victory turning on a
comparatively paltry majority OF less
than 400 OOO,-the Presidential election
of 1896
Silver expansion" was then the
issue. Now It Is territorial and trade
expansion. Varied are the prophecies.
Optimism foresees glory, wealth and
power. Pessimlsm forebodes, 1.-The
do wnfall of the Republic dating from
the election of VIM. Mckinley"
Two processes are rapidly going on
The absorpUIon of Individual and States
rights Oy the National government
rne absorption OF individual and o
porate properties and powers by the
trusts
Perhaps not one person in hundred
| of the population of THESE Ulited States
knows rhet one of the best authenti-
/ Gated events Of the earliest history OF
Greece Is a great financial war grow
Ing out OF similar condi ions, a war In
which S lvar Expansion" was one OF
/ tie issues This ancient struggle be
| tween capital AID laoyr occurred 594
3 g., nearly $500 years ago.
FIr the purpose Of placing this
dawn OF history C NEST before The
| Progressive Farmer readers this Is
written That voIuminous and accur
historian. G -Ote, Is relied on for the
facts The quotations are from his IL
| comparable History of Greece
I'VE now approach a new era In
G -eecian history the first known ex-
ample Of a genuine and d~isinterested
c institutional reform and the fret
| foundation stone of hat or a fabric,
which after wards became the type OF
democracy In Greece
b. the preliminary statement, the
historian has previously shown that
AvtIca, at this period one Of the
autonomous states of Greco ha6
| emerged from the twilight OF myth
into the light of authentic history by
less thau one hundred years. Toe
primitive AtnenIans were divided inc
tribes, which were s%ubdlvided into
Phratries, these again toto Cans, toe
latter into families composed OF lndl
vidusls. These divisions grew out OF
tue social and religious life of tn
Greeks Toe Ct rs was Ia theory al
those families and persons descended
from a Common god, or hero, OF thar
mythical age from which this people
had 80 lately emerged
For political and State purposes TIT
tribes were divided into TrIUtys which
we're composed of N~aukrarIes. o.
chief householders. These N4ukrarie
levied the taxes, ,ntribuTIons of mel
and means, for local and s ate pur
poses aud superintended their ex pen
dmure both In peace and war.
Each Gems had stated festivals a
which all It's members met for socis
5odnion and religious rites IN honor O
the common ancestral hero, or god.
Toe land was divided geographical,
into demes, closely resembling on
townships, the chief local officer bein
styled the demarch.
At q still earlier date legend state
that AttIca consistsd of Independent
cities aud denies which combined onl
in times of common cause, or peri
The hero god, rneseus. was said
have combined ('nationsliz9d'0 a
. these petty, Independent corporation
into the Attic State governed by th
: Senate of Athens. He is also said I
have divided the people into tire
. classes as to wealth, religious, politics