The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-07-10

lecture and decorative art, exempli-
fed in their public edifices, temples
and tombs, they have remained the
eternal masters and all who have
come after them have been only
their pupils.
Philosophers of later centuries
have sometimes approached, but never
surpassed the great master of ancient
Greece, in the profound reasoning of
that day. Greece has given to the
world that which is highest and best
in philosophy, and may be called
1.-THE Mother of Philosophers"
In government the founders of the
American Republic have taken from
these people some of the basic prin-
ciples which have made our form of
government the model of the modern
world. Twenty-four centuries ago
these people taught and practiced the
doctrine of equal rights and that
there should be no ruling class of
aristocracy among her citizens ex-
cept that founded upon real worth.
While the mobiles in that day, when
force and physical powess was nee
essary to secure advancement, both
in the individual as well as in the
nation, and was exercised and pos
sessed by all persons of rank, those
mobiles who once obtained advance
ment were required, in order to hold
their position, to exhibit the best
qualities of citizenship and intellec-
tual attachments of the highest order.
Men of such learning and wisdom as
the philosopher, Socrates, served
with distinguished bravery in the
ranks of the comon soldier.
In the modern world, all nations
who have attained lasting place in
history owe to this ancient people
a debt of inestimable value for what
they have given to the world that is
highest and best in civilization, and
yet the thoughtful student cannot
fail to contemplate that these peo-
pie with all their advanced civiliza-
ton were yet lacking in some essen
tial virtue necessary to make them
an enduring power, as a distinct ma
tionality.
The Roman Empire, as every
school boy knows, began to take it's
place in history back in the dim
and hazy mists of the legendary story
of Romulus and Remus, who, accord
ing to tradition, were nuTiured by a
she-wolf, and when they had grown
to the full stature of men, they found
ed THE Eternal Sity," sometimes
described as the City that sat upon
her seven hills and from her throne
of darkness ruled the world"
Her history to the end pf the
Western Empire covers a period of
more than IL centuries. Rome was
pagan during the greater part of that
time. She was never Christian in
the true sense of the term, for her
Christianity, even at best, was but
a caricature upon real Christianity.
Yet the influence which she exerted
in her own time, not only as the
dominant military power of the
world, but in her great advancement
in learning set high standard for
all nations that followed her in lit
erature, art, philosophy and the
sciences. Her achievements in the
way of developing her system of
civil law has left to the world a
priceless heritage. In that science
particularly as applied to contracts,
domestic relations, and kindred sub
jects, which relate to and regulate
conditions of society in it's ordinary
domestic affairs, the Romans brought
the civil law to high state of per-
lection. AS handed down to us by
them, it stands as a monument, for
all time, to the wisdom and great
learning of the statesmen of that
day. In our time many of the most
noted jurists have deemed it essen
tial to an understanding and capa-
city to interpret and apply the COM
mon law derived from England, that
they be versed in the civil law, and
much of the civil law has become
part of our system of Jurisprudence.
AS military power the Roman
Empire subdued all other nations
and reduced them to a state of vas
salage. For many centuries it was
not a mere idle boast for citizen
of the Empire to say that it was
greater to be a Roman than to be
a king. Notwithstanding the high
state of civilization to which this ma
ton advanced and its Overwhelming
military and commercial power, it