Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-09-03
LOCAL LABORINC MEN
IN A MONSTER PAR ADE

trusted his fellow. E.nnity took t3la
rlaee OF sraternal charity. and nation
/ ilated nation. The Creator had hid
den His face and the heart OF man
was empty without Him. Everyone
htngered for and sought the first
cause of all. Some thought they
heard His voice in the waters of the
ocean, the roar of the wild beasts, or
the loud resounding thunder Some
believed that they saw Him in the sun
or the element of TIRE. The saints
sighed for his coming ami called on
the clouds to rain Him down What
then was the condition of labor?
Let us take up a rapid glance
through the history of Pagan times
and we will learn. Passing over the
history of the Queen cities of Athens,
Antioch, Alexandria and Carthage, let
us consider the economical and social
conditions OF Imperial Rome. There
the theory of government was that e.
rything--property and population
was for the state. Rome reached out
and conquered and annexed vast
amounts of territory. Italy, Spain,
France, Austria, Germany, Great Brit
ain, Switzerland, Greece, Africa, Asia
Minor, Egypt and other countries were
incorporated into the Roman Empire
and were placed under tribute. Rome
became the center of the world From
the golden milestone of the Forum,
roads, like vast network, spear out
over her immense possessions. From
every conquered country came slaves
and the spoils of war In the city OF
Rome Wealth accumulated and mon
decayed.' She became city of pal
aces and OF Fabulous wealth. We read
how Roman emperor made gift to
his subjects of a large square of more
than 1000 feet with three colossal
buildings upon it, The first building
contained free libraries, picture and
sculpture galleries, music halls and
other provisions for mental culture
| The second building was a gymnasium
for riding, wrestling and other athlet-
| ic sports. The third building contain
ed system of baths--tepid, vapor
and swimming baths-with perfumes
an6 an army of attendants These
buildings were decorated in alabaster
and marble. The pavements were
wrought in mosaics and the ceilings
were frescoed. The walls were meas.
ed in ivory and were hung with mir
ros. All these things were free to ev-
cry Roman citizen. Yet amid such
splendor there was no real freedom.
The slave lords owned the slaves. the
emperor owned the slave lords ana.
in the last analysis, the popular whim
owned the emperor.
What then was the condition of Ia
Dor? Turn we now to the internal
and moral condition of Romal society.
According to the law of the Twelve
Tables, husband could sell or dis
miss his wife. When child was
born it was placed at the feet of the
father. If he lifted it up it might live
and be reared. if he spurned it, it was
exposed to die, or was put to death.
The great institution of the Roman
state was slavery, and no Roman writ
| ever ran in the house of the slave
| lord. He had absolute control over
the life and the belongings of the
slave. Seneca tells us how free labor
fell into disrepute and how the lands
of the hardy Sabines were delivered
over to ''fettered feet, bound hands
and branded faces" All work-com-
mon and skilled-belonged without
price TO the master. Free labor al
| first became disgraceful, and after
some time became impossible Hence
the tillage of the soil, domestic ser.
vice, and craftsmanship became exclus
lively the work of the Roman white
slave. Industry, trade and commerce
were conducted by masters through
| their slaves. All manual labor then
was slave labor. Now look we to thu
social and moral condition of the Ro
man Slave, that is, of the workins
classes, under Pagan Roman law. The
slaves received no wages. Male ant
!. female slaves could not marry. The
sexes, at certain times, We're permitted
to co-habit for the caprice or the
/ profit of their master. The honor
morality and happiness of the slaves
were the perquisites of his lord. AduI
terry and seduction, as between mas
ter and slave were unknown to Ro
man law. The infamy Of slave prostitu
ton became so common among slavt
lords that the government offered
premium to free citizens who woulr
marry Cato, "The Censor, "--Cicero'
model of a virtuous old man-ssaw n,
slaves, save that slaves were reason
able and docile and could be made re
sponsible." When his own slaves be
came old or helpless he sold them O
drove them away. Under Roman Law
paupers and manned people were load
ed into boats and taken out to see
There the vessels were scuttled an,
sunk with their human freight An
all this was done in the Imperia
Rome-eternal Rome greatest O
Pagan states! And such, my brother
and sisters, was the condition Of IL
Dor in Pagan times, and for many Ger
4 turtles. Working men and womer
what think you Of such life for a lie
borer now? How would those cele
brating this holiday like such cor
dition of life for themselves? Refiec
on this. No wages, no home, no hus
band or wife, and no security agains
the lust of the employer or his sons
Was it not time for the end of tn
world or the regeneration of man? 81
Ignatius represents redemption as
divine tragedy. The choirs of angel
plying the people of earth, came il
turn before the throne of God and o!
fered themselves as victims of recon