Daily camera. [volume] (Boulder, Colo.) 1891-1928, 1900-10-24
THE VITAL ISSUE.

not unlike our own. The early Romans
like the early people of America were
moral and practical. They loved liberty
because liberty to them meant, not free
dom to do as they pleased, but freedom
to, do what was right. and every citizen
before he arrived at civil pri, ileges had
been schooled in the discipline of obed-
ence.
They placed the highest value on hu.
man virtues. The ManIii and Valri,
were patterns of courage. The Lucretas
and Virginias Of purity. The Deci, and
Curtii of patriotic devotion. The Regli
and Fabricii of stainless truthfulness
They even had a Censor Morum, an
inquisitor who might examine into the
habits of private families, rebuke extrav
agance, check luxury. punish vice and
self indulgence, and even remove from
the senate. persons whose moral conduct
was reproach to that body
Morality thus ingram in the national
character and grooved into habits of
action, creates strength as nothing else
creates it.
Such the Romans we're when their
dominion had not extended beyond the
limits of Italy, but with expansion of
territory and exercise of dominion over
foreign people they commenced to de.
generate so that by the time they became
rulers of the world, not vestige of their
former morality remained. The virtues
which we are accustomed to associate
with the Roman name belonged to the
early period of Roman history. On the
other hand their terrible vices all came
at later period, being the outgrowth Of
"Commercialism" and armed dominion
over subject peoples.
A glance at the map Of the world as
known in those days will show the com.
mercial advantage of Italy, situated as it
was midway of the Mediterranean S
length and that too in the day when
water craft and the backs OF animals
were the only means of transportation.
The sober wholesome manners of life
among the early Romans had given
them vigorous minds in vigorous bodies.
Italy had fallen to them by natural ex.
pansion like that of our own nation on
this continent) but from beng sovereigns
of Italy they became race of imperial
conquerors.
Suddenly, in a comparatively few
years, they became the actual or virtual
rulers OF the entire circuit of the Med
iterranean. The coast part of Spain,
France, lllyra, Greece, Sicily, the shores
of Asia Minor, ETC., were Roman prov
inces, governed under Roman magls-
trates. On the African side a portion
was Roman dependency, portion had
been annexed to the empire. The in
terror of Asia Minor up to the Euphrates
in Syria were under sovereigns called AL
lies but subject to Roman Protectorate.
Over all this enormous territory, rich
with the accumulated treasures of cen.
turtles, the energetic Roman government
established what we have been pleased
to call "Commerciallsm," gathering into
their hands the trade, the financial ad
ministra,ion, in fine the entire CONNER
cial control of the Mediterranean basin.
They had been trained in thrift and
economy, in adherence of debt, in strict
est habits OF close and careful manage.
ment. Their frugal education, their
early lessons in the value of money, led
them as a matter of course to turn to &C.
count their extraordinary opportunities
Governors with their staff, permanent Of
fcials, contractors tor the revenue. ne.
gotiators, bill brokers, bankers and mer
chants were scattered everywhere IN
Money poured in upon them |
in rolling streams of gold. The largest