The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-21
I.

Neither does the present author ec-
cept without question tina economic
interpretation" OF Imperialism now so
current. together with that OF other
social and political phenomena, which
has been so strikingly employed In Col
Woodruff Expansion OF Races" In
which expansion is held to be a con-
sequence of "ssturation." or the Roman
expansion, at quite an early state OF
II, namely N the third century Is. C..
he points out that: Here was no over
crowdlng OF population" Rome "ac-
tually lacked men to settle the frontier
colonies, and had to borrow home
steaders from her allies to hold her
acauisition5.' And N note he adds:
The fact Is that the economist has
overstepped his bounds in Roman his
tory. The critic who tries to under
stand the growth of Rome from the
point OF view OF material needs will
never solve the problem. Primarily
Rome did not expand because Its citi-
zens needed land; It would be nearer
the truth to say that the Romans be-
came landholders. an agricultural peo-
pie, because they expanded and had
to hold their frontiers"
The story goes back tn the aboriginal
period, OF which so little Is really known
that to many readers the original In
habitants of Italy must have come to
seem an historical hypothesis. like the
Aryan. In any case II Is necessary to
post" an aboriginal race In Italy.
These autochthons were invaded, we are
assured, by the Indo- European immi-
grafton during the third millennium
B. G. These were farmers and herds
men, their governments were tribal and
the seat OF each Of them was the city
state." The distinction Of "patrician'
and "plebeian" is so ancient that the
author Is inclined to attach some i'm
portance to the belief that It may have
originally denoted the distinction be-
tween the conquering immigrants and
the aboriginal natives, citing az a par
ailel the condition which prevailed In
England after the Norman conquest
An easier explanation is the marked
difference in fertility and eligibility be-
tween the soils Of Latium, which
tempted large landholding, with space
for both summer and winter pasturage
At any rate, It does not appear that al
any time the italian peasants. the pie
beians. were reduced TO any such con.
dition Of serfdom or helotage as OBJ
Glasses were not no rigidly castles
Moreover. tho people Of Latium hat
somehow acquired a sense OF equity
which early took the form Of law. ant
prefigured capacity for political or
ganlzatlon. This resulted in the "city
state" or these the ancient writers re.
port that there were once no less thar
fifty. By successful fighting the Ro
mans captured the neighboring city
states and Incorporated them into Ro
man territory. with the nelghborinl
tribes they contracted understanding,
and made bargains and alliances which
were finally reduced to writing, recog
nzng Rome as the equal Of all tn,
other Latin cities together, and thi!
treaty was inscribed upon a column
which stood in the Roman forum q.
late as Cicero's time. II denoted tina
the future mistress OF the world wa,
already recognized as the mistress o
Latium.
The virtual annexation OF Capua fol
lowed, and the virtual absorption o.
other surrounding city states, in which
there was nothing more remarkapi,
:han the variety OF the treatment &C
corded to the settlements. conquered o.
received into alliance, That the con
quered or annexed communities should
he contented was from the first
cardinal requirement OF Roman policy
The nearest towns became parts OF tn,
Roman state. bur remained autonomous
in their municipal governments. Will
.helr inhabitants were admitted to full
Roman citizenship. Other towns o
which the loyalty was not so we'll as
sured, received a modified naturaliza