The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1906-02-08

large sums for the promotion of learn
ing, ETC., which tends to offset his de-
fects as cited by historians.
However, I have no desire to deIve
into the history of oriental nations;
their very traditions are thoroughly
blended with belief of the power Of
gold; and even today the natives Of
realms in Asia worship images of met
ais, recognizing and holding gold and
jewels in higher esteem than their
ancestors.
In Greece we find recognized powers
struggling for supremacy. Eloquence
they admired. Who has not read those
great creations of the Grecians, appeal
ing to their rfellow-citizens-for recogni-
tion of justice, peace and right; but in
vain, for money sowed the seeds of cor
ruption which can never be effaced
from the history of renowned nation.
Science and philosophy flourished there.
There rhetoric attained its highest
fame. In all branches of learning the
Greeks have never been excelled,,
scarcely equalled. 1t was there that
Socrates became immortalized. And
as Emerson, think, has said:
"The isles of Greece! The isles of Greece!
There burning Sappho loved. There Minerva
sprung,
There grew the arts of war and peace.
Eternal summer glides them over, >,
Rnt all have cot aYcont their sim
It would be shallow, stinted mind
that would presume to inveigle any
one into belief that time-honored
Greece succumbed to any other than
money. For the pages of history teem
with incidents of prominent Grecians
selling their country for mess of pot
tage. Even the famous Pyrrhus paved
his way by the liberal use Of gold, and
ransacked holy temples for it to bribe
the Roman generals. He expected to
conquer the Western world as Alexan-
der the Great had the Eastern world,
and he based his expectations on the
power of gold. But he encountered
race of people then at their zenith
the Romans. They scorned his gold
and he was expelled from the country.
Had the Romans remained incorrup-
tible the pages of history would not
display an unparalleled state of affairs,
during great empires existence.
For centuries the Roman empire
fourished- as no other ma
tion ever has. Her generals subdued
the eliminate orientals of the East;
: conquered the barbarians of the North
and West. But there came a time
when the empire quivered and tossed,
exerting herculean efforts to remain
firm, and finally tottered over the brink
of destruction. What caused the down.
fall of that empire, which Gibbons
points to with admiration and pride,
and that civilization to which he in
scribed the highest happiness which
the world has ever enjoyedI
For answer 1 quote from Lords
, "Beacon Lights of History" "The
central spring of society was money,
since it purchased everything which
Epicureanism valued. No dignitary
, was respected for his ofice-only for
the salary or gains which his office
brought. All professions which were
! not lucrative fell into disrepute; and
, providing they were lucrative, it was
r of no consequence whether or not they
were infamous" The ultimate result,
r as we we'll know, was the downfall Of
> Rome.
So, in tracing the power which un-
: dermined the civilization of Egypt,
. Persia, Syria, Greece, Rome, and what
: constituted, in ancient times, the
o World, we find as solution that the
= power of money was the primal and
Q direct cause of the dissensions among
: nations and their overthrow. Occa-
Q sioning, as it undoubtedly did, inter-
q nal dissensions, corrupting the men
j. who yielded to influence and paved the
d way for disaster to those nations,
b and men who yielded to its power.
{? But, to quote again, "Creation shall
d succeed destruction; melodious birth
Q songs will come from the fires of the
l. burning phoenix, assuring us that the
f progress of the race is certain, even II
Y nations are doomed to decline and
It fall whenever conservative forces are
ls not strong enough to resist the torrent
d Of selfshness, vanity. sim" ERID.