Graham guardian., 1900-10-19

tructi0n OF Rome. Inc Roman
soldiery known as the Pretorian
bands, through their licrntious
fury, was one among the frs SYM
toms Of the decline of the Roman
empire, and at a time, too, when
they numbered only about twenty
thousand men. They were first
instituted by Augustus. This
guard was finally located perman
entity at the city of Rome by Tib-
erius in we'll fortified camp on
commanding situation. In the
luxurious idleness of the opulent
city their pride was nourished by
the sense of their irresistible
strength. They saw that the seat
Of the empire was in their hands.
They not only demanded double
pay, but all sorts of donations and
rewards with the privilege of in
dulging in their pleasures. They
soon became determined that they
had the right and the power to
choose the ruler of the empire,
and after assisting Pertinax, pro-
claimed from the ramp lrts of their
fortified position that they would
sell the Roman world at auction.
JuEanus came forward, and, after
bidding what was equivole"t to
two hundred pounds sterling for
each soldier, was declared Emper-
or. A ter that, and for many
years after the establishment of
the empire. The Romans only
combatted for rulers, and all new
ly acquired provinces were sacrific-
ed to the averice of spectators
and the rapine of the soldiarv
The pretorian guards were af'er-
ward increased to the number Of
fifty thousand, and their pay in
creased enormously, and the COM
mander Of that h@dv became = 3
tf.ar 4 =" m"..e. "lla..
: ons ;ho Roman empire became
! tie constant scene of war, eXtor-
ton, confiscahon and rapine. "The
slave of that imperial despotism,
whether he was condemned to drag
his gilded chains in Rome, or to
wear out life of exile on the bar
rem rock of Seriphus, or the frozen
banks Of the Danube, expected his
fate in silent dispair. To resent
was fatal, and it was impossible to
fly. On every side he was cncom-
passed with q vast extent Of sea
and land which he could never
hope to traverse without being dis
covered, seized and restored to his
eritated master"
There should have been no
necessity for the present great in
crease in our army. 1t is not need
ed except to do something that we
ought not to do and would hardly
have been thought Of had not the
Mckinley administration abandon.
ed our old policy and trampled
under foot the prin ciples that made
us so great and strong. When the
bastard imperial child, which was
the result of illicit intercourse with
crowned heads, was born, a large
standing army was insisted upon.
. 1t is, indeed, horrible thing to
contemplate the fact that we are
brought face to face with militar.
ism-a proposition which we have
ever secuted. But we have been
invited by republicanism to adopt
, the colonial system of European
monarchs and sytem ofmilitarism
and great armies which have been
the curse of all European nations
, and to all the eastern continent
1t means oppression of the people
and an absolute conquest of labor
by the forces of capital, This
. change of policy is intended to en-
able us to commit atrocities in
invitation of England and Spain as
the vicegerents of Jehovah and to
, spread and propagate the doctrines
that Hannaism is divine agency
, to extend the reign of trusts, cor
ruption and satrapic rule over the
, benighted islands of the sea, and
, in the mean time, to force us to
lake to our embrace poisonous
serpents, mongrels of tho east with
their breath of pestilence and the