Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-05-18

1
careful researches that labor unions
! under the Solonic dispensations, flour
ished to remarkable degree in tht
Grecian states. The discovery of in
scriptions carved upon ancient monu
ments confirm the belief that long be-
fore the times of Numa and Solor
there were labor organizations. Al
Athens, 600 years before Christ, there
were washerwomens' and clothes.
cleaners unions. Volume 9, A. L.
149.
DR.. Oehler contends that the syste n
OF common meals adopted by the early
Christians was of ancient origin
were designated as love feasts, al
which philosophers like Socrates were
found discoursing about the sublim G
philosophy of love. His discoursea
excited the jealousy OF the aristocracy,
who regarded his teachings as attacks
upon their cherished interests and
vested privileges, he was therefore con.
demned, and compelled to drink the
deadly hemlock. The great principles
enunciated by this good aud great
man lived; are active to-day in the
realms and intellectual OF moral life.
"Men die, but princi Piles live"
Recent discoveries show there ex.
listed one hundred years before the
time OF Jesus in the country bordering
upon the Sea of Gallilee unions of
boatmen and fishermen; out of which
class, Christ selected His Apostles. St.
Paul was a tent.maker. When be
preached the gospel at Ephesus, he
came in contact with the silversmiths
under the leadership of Demetrius,
who made and fashioned idols for pub
lie and household worship. Undoubt.
edly, those silversmiths formed a
powerful federation OF laborers. When
the source OF their bread supply was
menaced, they felt like Christening
Paul. There seems to be ample proofs
disclosed in the Acts of the Apostles
and in the Epistles, by the writings OF
the early church fathers, verified by
more recent discoveries that the fol-.
lowers OF the Lowly Nazarine pretty
generally practiced communism in
those early days; that the rich were
not allowed to join the christian hosts
unless they disposed OF their property,
and gave the proceeds thereof to the
poor, that everybody embracing tho
new faith might meet on a common
level. It is significant that in the
reign OF Diocletian the prosecutions
in 9icted upon Christians were the
severest in localities wherein the labor
organizations were the most numerous;
the members sought hiding places in
deserts and forests, held secret meet.
ings in caverns, purchased and par
took of their food in common, where
seemingly secure from their perse.
cutors they listened to the promises OF
the Gospel.
1t has been urged that the early
Christians were compelled to practice
communism, that in times OF turmoil
and persecution they were not per.
mitted to acquire property, therefore
were compelled to restrict their efforts
to the procuring Of the simplest ne
cessities of life. Is this position sus.
tanned by the facts? Mr.. Ward shows
pretty conclusively in the first vol.
ume OF his Ancient Lowly," that the
greatest prosperity prevailed in Greece
and Rome when labor organizations
we're fostered by those governments,
that the practice of acquiring food
collectively and eating at the common
table was pretty generally observed
among the members OF those proletar.
ian organizations.
The efforts OF the workingmen in.
cluding the skilled laborers contribut.
ed more to the greatness of Athens
and Rome than her armies. Il is
doubtless true that many Of the
potentates, dissolute men and women
whose names have been passed down
to us by historians, could not even Ill
they had the disposition, with their
own hands and personal efforts, have
built the humblest shack, or sewed
together the parts of the plainest gar
ment.
When Rome sought to crush the
labor unions, and introduce slave
labor in the workshops and upon heI
agricultural lands, tho seeds of her
dissolution were sown, the mighty EN-.
pire began her march along deaths
highway to the final destiny of na.
tions.
A BAsHFUL young couple, who were
evidently very much in love, entered
q crowded street car the other day
"Do you suppose we can squeeze in
herei" he asked, looking doubtfully