Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-04-13
TIBBRIUS AND
THEODORE
\ CLASSICAL COMPARISON BY
PRESIDENT CEURMAN or
CORNELL UNIVERSITY.

American people as the latter davs
OF the Gracohi of Marius and Suua
of Crassus aud Cato. OF Pompev ana
julious Caesar
When the olnr Gracious appeared
ON the scene Rome was stiu a re-
public whieh hH1 undergone transfer
nation from ,he earlier city state
with It's ccnturies OF COURAGE. civic
virtue and great achievement Romo
had become a world power ana was
bearing The responsibilities and tho
burdens of empire.
Her population was no lonper .
race OF farmers, her citizens left
The soil and crCvdod into the cities
The blood of the native stock had
become diluted with foreign str,ir
The state itself was distracted nv -
contest between the popular comitia
and senatorial oligarchy I'm which
each claimed ana strove TO secure
supreme sovereignty.
Unhappily for Rome. a self-con-
stitnted savior OF society apneared
who had eyes TO see that the times
were ont of joint aud conceit to he
l.eve that he was born to set Them
right iIe was a man OF imnuIsivo
temperament Who could not even
appreciate sincere difference of
opinion In an honest opponent
Vain self confidence, reckless. au-
tocratic' he was also thoroughly hon
est and deeply persuaded OF his own
GOOD Intentions. And. as fate would
have II, he posse sed the gift OF elo-
quent sneech This man, who thought
himself foroordained by the gods 10
be the rcgenerator Of Rome. was ri.
berius Gracious. He was. saws the
historian:
One OF the most striking instances
IN history OF the amount OF evil that
can be brought about by a thorough
ly honest and well meaning man.
who is SO entirely convinced OF the
righteo guess Of his own intentions
and the wisdom of his own measures
that he is driven to regard any one
who strives TO hinder him not only
foolish but morally wicked.
The type OF exalted doctrinairo
who eVrlaims that any constitutions,
check hat hinders LIS plans must he
swept away without further INJURY
that e7ery political opponent Is a
bad man who mus, be crushed. has
been known in many lands and ages
from ancient Grcoce down TO tho
France of the Revolution
The historical reauits would bavo
been Entirely different had not ri
boriue Bracchus lacked a Just sense
OF realty a knowledge OF business.
and perception Of the dominance
Of natural Law I'm The sequence Of
economic phenomea. and had he not
injected into crave and complex
question Of Roman politics person
ality OF boundlees self-conndcncc and
antola'ry equallv impatient Of oppo-
sition md Incapable Of judicial in-
vestigat'on and confederation
From the Now York Evening
POST
The. college professors are an
orphic lot TER speeches need
commentary. Hero is President
schurman Of Corng pronouncing a
'uloey ON the late COY. Higgins. and
turn'ua aside to draw n warning
from ifc example Of Tiberius Grac-
ohus He 1T appears. was. "a self
constituted savior of society who
'brooEed no opposition 70 his viii.
and could not even appreciate
sincere difference of opinion I'm an
honest opponent Moreover. ne was
"yan 'f-confdont reckless and au-
iorrlfir but 'thoroughIy honest.
and deeply persuaded Of his own good
int~nUons' This old Roman was.
fW cr so entirely convinced Of his
oT" r'9hteousness and the wisdom
oi ,s own measure" chat he was
driven TO regard any one who stroyc
to- hinder him as not only foolish.
but morally wicked" Ho was in thc
habit 0' cxclaiming that any con-
s'itut'Dr1l check To- his plans must
to swept away without further ln-
Iq1iy. while every political opoueut
was % bad man who must be crush
ed Sow we ask whom ON earth
could president schIrmau have been
driving at p ~ is impossible That he
bad tho meek and correct HIGGINS
Zoo his eNo. but what other man in
public NE could no. possibly have
meant 'o bid us pazc upon in me-
mirror of Tibcrius2 Sometime these
college men are too clever bv baif
We recall that German profe. eos
who printed q voracioue study of
Caligna yet '' made thc rmuoror
william friends violently angry
and tho iuoccuf historian barely os.
capped jain But washington bas
no form Of prosecution FOR maioe.
tat'beleidieung that IS. not yet