The weekly examiner., 1901-06-08
BREAD AND AMUSEMENT.
How the old Roman Cry Holds True
 In Later Times.

In Later Times.
 Bread and circuses! A learned and orthodox theological writer, comment ing on this demand of the Roman pop ulace, remarks that such is the cry, not of the pagan, but of the human heart. Another, rather of different sort, but much better known, especially to. those whose have just learned to read print without much trouble, expresses the same idea in describing an old woman, Who-what do you think
 Lived upon nothing but victuals and drinkf
 Victuals and drink were the chief of her diet,
 And yet the old woman could never be quiet
 Certainly not! How can it be expect ed of man or woman tosbe content with daily bread alone as is the machine with it's daily oiling? Even when by "bread" we mean all that was found in the feshpots of Egypt, man needs something more. The mind must be fed
 Twenty centuries ago Rome's wisest rulers recognized this fact-recognized that man is not a machine-and the lawmakers of today are slowly learn ing that man, even though with 'the emptiness of ages in his face" cannot be transformed into a machine any
 
 one. Labor and food and rest were not enough for him even when his meat was the flesh of the cave bear. Then war was his pastime. In semicivilized Rome when he shouted for circenses he meant no less than mimicry of war, and so to furnish him with recrea- tion the human prisoner and the wild beast fought to the death in the arena, while his animal spirit, unburdened with toll. made holiday in that pande monium.
 "Other times, other mannersw The shedding of blood is no longer regarded as recreation, but as an unpleasant duty of somewhat doubtful necessity. Men look elsewhere for their amuse- ments. and the word circus suggests only daring equestrian feats, venerable jokes and rubicund lemonade. But still the cry is heard "Panem ct circenses," though worded differently when men demand the eight hour day.
 As bread means much more now than it did when the Roman artisan lent his lungs to the clamor for panem, so circenses may be translated to stand for all of these pastimes in which man may find that diversion so necessary to his we'll being.
 Why should he to whom life means but a continual grind between the up per and neither millstones, poverty and toll be denied the respite and recrea- ton which the eight hour day would open up to him?
 While the eight hour day is recogniz- ed very generally as being capable of bringing recreation to the workers, few see that in it is to be found one of the safety valves of society.
 The unemployed, that great army 1 in whose hands has so often rested the l fate of empires-their numbers must 1 be reduced! How shall it be done? l Shooting them might be recommended tIpon tire ground Of dispatch, starving them would be rather a slow opera ton; but they will submit to neither.
 There is remedy, and it is proposed by their fellow workingmen, and it is l to be found in the better distribution | of labor that the eight hour day brings. |
 The man at work is Willing-nay, anxious-that his idle brothers should | have that chance, knowing full we'll | that with SC. many hungry men fighting l each other and all fighting him for his | job he can have but little hope of an | honest return for the sweat of his | brow.
 So up with the old cry of your Ro- l man prototypes, fellow workers, ceas- | ing only when we have that division of | food and amusement that should be | ours by every right and reason.-D. l Douglass Wilson in Machinists' Jour- l nal