Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1913-10-30

When PericIes could put 100, 900
slaves on the job Of quarrying and
transporting marble from this noun
tain, the greatness OF the task dis
appears though not the importance
and masnificence OF the work. There
is where the Greeks stood pre-emin-
ent among the peoples of the B. G.
times. They had the brains to con-
ceive these works. the ability to
carry them out and the good fortune
OF telling their own story to those
who come after them.
zee
On another point Greece was more
nearly up to present standards than
other folks OF ancient history. Near
ly every town in Greece with q little
country around 1t was an indepen-
dent state and the people took part
in their own government. Some
times there would be tyrant who
would usurp power for few years
but he usually lost his head, figura-
lively and literally. The smallness
of the state enabled the people to
come together to choose their Off
Gals and to make laws, hence the
Greek government was naturally a
democracy. Participation in govern
ment was restricted to citizens, US
ually to a Weather class, and of
course there were always some COM
mon folks and slaves who had no
rights at all. There would be a
good deal of complaint of democ-
racy nowadays fashioned on the
Greek model But 1t was the real
self government by the people while
the Persians, the Hebrews, the Baby
lonians and the balance of "the
powers of those times, were gov
erned by kings or priests or despots
of some description.
e -
The Greeks are naturally just now
very chesty over the result of the
wars with Turkey and then Bulgaria.
This is the first time the Greeks
have really licked any one since the
time of Alexander the Great. By
the recent treaty Greece gets a lot
of valuable territory whose people
were mostly Greeks and therefore
can be assimilated, and practically
all the islands in the Aegean sea
she did not already hold. Those
Greek section hands whom we have
seen working on American railroads
and have not really appreciated,
proved to be good soldiers and the
campaign was well waged from start
to finish. This will give the Greeks
confidence in themselves and the re-
spect of their neighbors. If their
statesmen can keep the country out
of the Balkan Quarrels and devote
themselves to raising the intellect
tual standard, there will be a future
to Greece which would make old
Socrates sit up and take notice If
he could return. The worst features
of the Greeks of today correspond
to the weaknesses of two thousand
years ago. Every Greek wants to
be a soloist. -
Athens had the most remarkable
jury system of which ! have heard.
Every year the government drew the
names of five thousand citizens to
act as Jurors. They were divided
into juries of five hundred each and
were paid for their services whether
on duty or not. If you had a case
to be tried you had to take your
chance with a jury of five hundred
of your fellow citizens. If they did
not like you very we'll it was good
bye for you, unless your lawyer had
good lungs and talked them over.
Such a jury found Socrates guilty OF
impiety, about corresponding to our
conduct unbecoming gentleman"
When Socrates was asked what pun
ishment he deserved, he told the
Jury that he thought he should be
pensioned by the state. This made
the jury sore and they socked 1t to
Socrates with the death penalty. Ac-
cording to some authorities this is
tha origin of the motto ''soc ct