The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-10-27

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and doubtless the complaints on the part of
taxpayers were quite as frequent as they
are today. Property owners in Nippur had
to pay 'sking's tax, an army tax, a tax
for the maintenance of canals and for the
improvement of streets and roads. Thus
it is seen that the special assessment depart
ment is also matter of considerable an
tiquity
Miss Susan B. Anthony possibly is ia
miliar with the position of women in Nip
pur 5000 years ago, though it is not re-
called that she has ever cited it as a pre-
cedent which modern nations would do well
to follow At any rate, the women Of
Nippur had in some ways greater rights
before the law than the women Of the
United States possessed when Miss An
thony began her work. Thus Babylo-
Man woman, married or single, could own
property in her own right and could even
engage in business. As today, marriage
might be effected either by a religious or a
civil ceremony.
The officers who are entrusted with the
enforcement of the Compulsory Education
law in Chicago may be interested to learn
that their ancestors in Nippur had an
equally hard time of it in getting the small
Babylonians to 90 to school rather than
fishing or swimming in the gently flowing
Euphrates. Every free born citizen of
Nippur was well educated, and even the
slaves were given the advantages of man
ual training schools The slaves were also
protected by law from cruelty on the part
of their masters, and were even allowed to
own property in their own names.
More than 5000 years ago there were
sculptors in Nippur and big art bronze
foundries, for both splendidly executed
statues, carved from solid porphyry and
other stones, and cast bronze figures have
been found in great abundance. The skill
with which the sculptors did their work is
evidence that the Nippurian toolmakers
were not far behind those of the present
generation There were great jewellers,
too, in those days, for the ruins are full of
beautiful amulets and other ornaments.
When it comes to music and the arts,
the people of Nippur would, if one may
judge from their remains, give Boston a
close shave for supremacy as the Hub of
the Universe Libraries were common, and
tablets have been found giving directions
to students as to how they should proceed
in drawing books from the library. From
this it would appear that the libraries were
catalogued, and that then, as now, there
were people who would keep out the latest
novels more than two weeks if fine or
other punishment were not provided.
There were several schools of literature
in Nippur. Tablets have been found which
go to prove that the spring poet has been
abroad in the world for at least 5000 years,
and there is even an epic poem called the
"Gizdhubar, which dates back as far in
the history of Babylonia as the Iliad of
Homer does in the history of Greece.
The greae libraries of Babylonia have al
ready given to the world books on poetry,
law, geography, science, religion, astron-
omy, mythology and magic, to say nothing
of fables and proverbs In fact, the modern
literary man, after reading the catalogue of
the public library at Nippur, may well de-
spair of finding anything new to lay before
the public.
The seventh son of the seventh son did
business in Nippur in the same old way.
There are books giving series of spells
for relieving pains in the head, and other
evidences that some of the most recent of
pseudo medical cure-alls were known and
practiced by the Babylonians One of the
stone tablets recently discovered is prom
issory note on which the person whose sig
nature is at the bottom promises to pay
certain amount at rate of interest which
would be considered fairly remunerative
even by the ''salary loan sharks of the
present generation.
In addition to their other taxes the peo-
pie of Nippur were obliged to turn over
tenth of all their yearly produce to the
authorities at the temple In the temples
are found stone tablets carefully kept in
sets giving the exact receipts from the tax,
so that it is possible by multiplying the sum
total set down on these tablets by ten to
get approximately the total production of
the district for given year. Immense
stores of wool, copper, seed corn and other
products were kept in the temples, which
were warehouses as well as places of wor-
ship, and in time of famine corn was given
to the farmers for seed, wool was loaned
out to the weavers, and in every way the
people were assisted, as if from a common
store.
Modern merchants may imagine that
they are adopting the latest plan in offer
ing to take back goods if not satisfactory
to their customers, and in issuing written
guarantees such as are now often given
with watches, bicycles and other goods.
And yet tablet has been found dating
from 500 B. G. on which the firm Of
Murashu Sons, jewellers, guarantee for
twenty years the setting of an emerald in
a gold ring bought by certain Mr.. Bel
Bazuzu. If the emerald drops out of its
gold setting within twenty years the firm
of Murashu Sons are to pay a penalty of
10 mana of silver. Nobody knows where
the ring has gone to, but the guarantee is
still perfectly legible.
Another tablet dating back to 427 B.
G. would amuse one of the professional
straw bailers at Chicago police court. 1t
is a bail bond made out in due form and
signed not only by the principal, but by no
less than five witnesses. 1t sets forth
that Nidintum Bel was in prison, out of
which his uncle, Bel-ah- iddina, wished to
deliver him until such time as the Nip
puritan Grand Jury should act upon his
case. Accordingly, he was ordered released
on condition that the uncle should forfeit
10 mana of silver if he was not produced
at the proper time.
The age of these various tablets is not SO
much matter Of speculation as might be
imagined Almost all of them are stamped
either with the year of the reign of the
King in which they were made or with
some reference to the year of the building
of the temple or other important event.
Lists of the Kings, with the number of
I