Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-05-18
ORGANIZED LABOR
HAS EXISTED SINCE BUILDING
OF SOLOMON'S TEMPLE.

HAS EXISTED SINCE BUILDING
OF SOLOMON'S TEMPLE.
Some Side Lights Upon the Conditions Sur
rounding the Working Glasses in Past Ages
Were Potent Forces in Development Of
| Military Strength and Civil Prestige Of Rome
Their Reward Was Death, Under the Charge
OF Conspiracy-tier Armies We're Composed
OF Aristocrats. Common Laborers Being Con-
sidered Too IsnobIe for Such Duty-This
Was the Germ Of Her Downfall.
BY BYRON MILLETT.
Investigations Of arctaologists dur.
ing recent years have led to many
important discoveries concerning the
conditions and surroundings of an.
cient peoples; facts which were omit.
ted, or have been lightly touched
upon by the historians of former times,
because, the records compiled by such
historians related to the wars OF DO.
tentates, the achievements and acts of
the rich and powerful classes, whether
commendatory or otherwise. Some of
the histories OF those ancient times
were written by men Of fine scholar
ship, who deemed it only necessary to
record accounts of scenes of carnage,
the victories and defeats on battle
fields, and the achievements attained
in given epochs or during the reigns OF
certain monarchs, whether on the part
OF tho rulers themselves, or by promi-
nent courtiers and parasites.
Again, many of these records were
compiled by sycophants in order to
commend the acts of vain potentates,
influential and powerful aristocrats
appearing on the stage of action
among great nations aod in vast EN-.
pires from time to time. The customs,
the ordinary everyday life and condi.
tions environing the plain people, who
furnished the fighting strength OF great
nations, the products of whose labor
fed great armies, equipped them with
weapons of war, built extravagant
tombs, great pyramids, magnificent
temples and structures have received
slight mention on the part of the
early historians; especially from those
commentators whose writings have
been handed down to us. Plutarch
and few other writer's might be ex.
cepted from the long list. Further.
more, it would seem that q consider.
able portion of the worlds annals in.
scribed on parchment and similar sub
stances have been mutilated, devolv-
ing upon scholars Of modern times.
the laborious tack to extract frag-
ments here and there from the writer's
Of the histories of former ages. and
supply the omissions by resorting 10
the evidences furnished by the chisel.
ings upon the rocks and slabs more
recently discovered amid ruins and in
caves; oftentimes located many feet
beneath the surface OF the earth.
The old story of the luxurious king,
"Behold great Babylon, that I have
builded," is often repeated BY histor.
ians, ancient and modern, who seem
to have been oblivious OF the existence
of the working classes. Little has
been said and written about the multi.
tudes of slaves, workmen, skilled and
unskilled, who labored incessantly to
construct the immense battlements
and hanging gardens of the great city.
Those laborers toiled through long
years in rain and sunshine to construct
vast canals, to build magnificent pal.
aces and structures, for rulers and par
asites to enjoy, while the toilers. tho
men who reared them, dwelt in novels,
were driven to their daily work by the
lash in the hands of cruel masters,
only receiving bare pittance for their
labor till death came to their relief
and their remains found repose in the
city Of the dead.
"Oh, tombs what virtues are yours!
You mingle the dust of tyrants and
kings with that OF the meanest slaves.
announcing to all men "the sacred
dogma of equality"
How did such multitudes of workmen
live, among the nations OF antiquity,
who willingly or unwillingly took upon
themselves the burdens of their mas
ters? How did they feel while they Ia
bored for drones and parasites to enjoy
the fruits Of their toll, and if they
dared to rebel against their oppressors.
were murdered by the thousandsf
OF late years. these are matters which
have been more or less puzzling to
political and social economists; many
inquiring students of economics. whose
faces were turned towards the light,
have asked the question: Could those
magnificent structures, like Solomon's
Temple, the temple of Diana ct Ephe.
sus and the Parthenon at Athens,
have been designed and constructed by
men, who we're too ignorant to under.
stand and appreciate the advantages Of
organization and cooperation among
themselvesf Many Of US arc familiar
with the contentious of eminent Free
Masons that their fraternity dates ito
authentic history from the building of
Solomon's Temple. one thousand years,
or thereabouts prior to the time of
Christ, under the supervision of Hir.
am, King of Tyre, who was . great
architect. On the other hand, schol.
ars, some Of whom belong to this