Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-11-26

corrupt. There are none that doeth
good-no not one not one"
Ills true. q carping critic and ca
lamity bowler against rulers and ma
tional laws. that modern governments
are not all that they ought To be. This
is not the age OF perfection even in leg
islative hall or presidential cabinet or
privy council of the king. Perhaps Eng
land did not do right in her dealings
with the African Beers. Possibly the
United States government did not do
right in compelling Mexico at the point
of the bayonet To cede to her all of
Texas. all of New Mexico. one-half of
the present state of Colorado. all of
Arizona. all of Nevada. all of Utah and
the whole of California. We know that
Russia. trying To steal Manchuria. and
Turkey in her massacre of the Arme
mans. have been outrageously wicked.
We know that Spain. in her cruelties
toward Cuba and the Philippines. and
the United States government. in its
cruel treatment of the North American
Indians have done wrong. But though
our modern governments In some of
their dealings with the weaker nations
and with their own weaker subjects
may have been sinfully culpable the
present governments are as far ahead
of the ancient governments in right
eousness and justice as the brightness
of midnoon is ahead of the darkness of
midnight.
England's Ways Versus ROme's.
Compare the conquests of our day
with the conquests of ancient times.
Like the eagles of ancient Rome. the
British standard has been unfurled in
every cline. 1t waves over an empire
greater than Rome ever dominated.
What does England do when she con-
quers Il country? Study her treatment
OF India. SHE Immediately stamped out
in India the horrors of infanticide and
suffice. She Immediately made the
home safe and compelled man to re-
spect the liberties of man. She gives
to her subjects of every land she rules
civil and religious liberty She makes
it possible for every man to worship
God in his own way. What England
has done for India and her other colo
MES the United States government is
doing for Alaska and the Philippines
and Porto Rico. What did ancient
Rome do when she conquered a coun-
try? Did she consider her conquered
colonies sacred trust? Did she care
for their rights as carefully as she
would care for her own peoples rights?
Oh. no. In ancient times the law Of
conquest implied the right to enslave
and Cypress the conquered foe. When
Scipio .Emilianus returned from his
celebrated Carthaginian wars what
did lie do: lie brought back with him
| 10000 of his late foes whom he had not
slain upon the field of battle and sold
them i'm the common slave markets to
be the chattels of the Romans. These
men who fought for their country's
liberties now had TO moan and vince
and beg for mercy under the slave
masters LASH When Caius Marius
made his triumphal entry In Rome he
handed over 100000 Cimbri as spoils
for the slave markets. .Emilius Pau
lus' conquest over the Greeks glutted
the Roman slave markets with 10000
captives of war. while the cOnquests
of Pompeius and Caesar gave to Rome
at least 1.OOOOOO new slaves. ask
you are not our modern governments
in their treatment of fallen foes more
merciful and just than were the an
Gent governments?
Ancient Rulers and Their Tyranny.
Then compare the administration of
our rulers To that of the ancient rulers
over their subjects In ancient times
the rulers had absolute power of life
and death over the inhabitants of their
Kingdoms. as Roman subject at will
could slay any one of his slaves and be
held accountable TO no law. We read
in history how Nero. the Roman en-
peror. used to revel in cruelty and out
rage No life was safe under the tyran-
ny of that monster Any excuse served
for the qualification of his lust for
bloodshed Even his own mother and
his most faithful adherents fell victims
to his Unsuitable brutality. But we do
not have TO 60 clear back to the Roman
era to find the unlimited power over
life and death of subject vested in
the hand of king or prince. In 1870
only little over 400 years ago. Mo-
manned H. the sultan of Turkey.
| summoned famous Venetian artist
Giovanni by name. TO paint the picture
Of himself and his mother. While n
guest of the Turkish court Giovanni
| painted picture for the sultan emit
tied John the Baptist's Head In a
Charger" Mohammed looked at the
picture little while and then said:
Artist. think your picture is wrong.
When mans head is decapitated the
cords and the muscles of the neck
shrink and contract instead of expand.
Let me prove To you that I am right"
With that tie sultan drew his jeweled
sword out of its jeweled scabbard. and.
with Il sweep of his arm. he cut off the
head of Il courtier who stood near him.
AS the head fell at the feet of the artist
| the sultan said: See. | am right. The
cords of the neck always contract"
The Mortified artist said. Yes. your
majesty think you are right" Then.
for fear of losing his own head. Clio