The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1903-03-28
The Early History of Labor

Man is not governed III his
acticns-as is supposed by many
bv an instinct the same as an AM
mai. He has the faculty to rea.
son on a thought before he per
forms the action He does not
have TO obev his every thought for
he can. BY the power Of his will;
DO 40 o. not iust as he decides
vii bc be-, suited t. bis purpose.
TIE tjrS becomes the master OF
his own actions and if the result
is detriment2l 20 himself, he can
not say, that it is due to chance
or fate, but must blame himself,
and come to the conclusion that his
judgements were at fault.
Society, like the individual,
must abide by the results of its
past mistakes If its thoughts
have tended in a wrong direction
it is because its members lacked
the knowledge which could only
attained by time and experience.
When w look back into the
history of the past, we cannot
help but notice that every unjust
economic system must toe tlyed
and endured and found to be q
failure, before the world can enter
a period in which Justice and
happiness can reign supreme.
We see the early nations struggling
for existance, fighting with each
other for the possession of terri
tory. We see that the men Of that
day were of warlike nature
priding themselves on their physi
cal strength and endurance, but
while we know this to be true,
we must not forget that it was the
circumstance which surrounded
them, that made them so. The ru
lers of the nations had great am
billions; They wished to place their
country in the lead and thus gain
for themselves unlimited power;
they wished to improve their own
people at the expense of others, Sc
they taught by example, and many
other means, that it was manly to
be a great warrior; and the com
mon people were easily led to be
lieve that everything done, and told
to them, by the ones who assumed
to be their superiors, was perfectly
right and proper.
The masses, being very ignorant.
were not able to see that all this
war and pillage, was only done
inorder to make wealthy the few
who ruled. They thought it easier
to fight than to till the soil.
They were only able to view the
present, and the future was never
thought of. They only saw that
if they could make prisoners OF
their enemies and compel them tc
produce for them the necessities
of life. they would be saved al
such drudgery;and if they conquer
ed another territory and collect.
ed tribute therefrom. they would
be able to enjoy much, while living
a life of idleness and pleasure.
There were in those days, tive
classes of labor, The Free laborel
and the Slave. The free laboreI
only existed in the countries whicl
were successful i'll the wars: so, i
was always possible that he migh
be free to day and a slave to NOR
row, and vice versa. just as til,
fortunes of war might decide.
In every country, the rulers
the officers Of the armies, and th,
pagan priests took control of tn,
land, and gradually the free Ia
bOrers became slaves, thus Great
ing great dissatisfaction anon.
the working classes In the LAM
of the Jews, a law was made b.
which land should be devide,
every fifty years, and this place,
the labOrer in better condition
than in any other country; bu
when the Jews fell under the yok
of the Romans: all this was chang
ed and slavery predominant,
throughout all of the Roman EN-
lpire.
| About this time, Jesus was borl
in Bethlehem; He was of poo
Darenta0e. was horn i'm q mapoar