The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1914-01-08
DANGER AHEAD FOR THE
WORKING CLASS.
The Revival of Spartanism.

WORKING CLASS.
The Revival of Spartanism.
Editors Note-We publish below
the first portion of an article the sub
iect.matter of which could not, to
advantage, be presented fully in one
issue of the Commonwealth. Further
examples of the trend of the bourgeois
mind toward a recrudescence of Spart-
anism will be given next week We
have kept close watch on this insidi-
ous movement for some years, and 1t
would seem to us high time that the
working class be aroused to the dang
ers which may beset them before they
are fully aware of the sinister motive
behind this half-hidden movement)
In the more primitive communities
it has ever been the custom to apply
the death cure, or the death penalty,
as a solution of all physical, moral,
and social difficulties. man or wom-
an guilty of any act regarded as detri-
mental to the interest of the tribe was
forthwith slain, while the aged or
crippled or diseased were exterminated
in the same way, merely as a means OF
getting rid of social burden. And 1t
has been the custom to destroy mis-
shapen infants at birth, even among
peoples quite far removed from saw
agery. Such drastic measures were
considered necessary among tribes
whose very existence depended upon
the physical prowess of each member
of the family, or clan.
Among the more advanced races su-
perior intelligence takes the place or
brute force to such an extent that the
weak in body are. to a certain extent,
protected by the strong, or by the
skill of the more intelligent, so that
the necessity of killing the aged or
defective no longer exists.
If the more advanced among ancient
communities suffered economically by
the presence of number of physlc-
ally defective citizens, which is very
doubtful, they gained morally by the
development a more humane spirit
and by the exercise of benevolent in
pulses. It should be remembered, in
this connection, that the weak and de-
formed in body are often masters IN
science, literature, and art.
Sparta is the classical example of
country where the ancient custom of
killing weakly and deformed infants
survived advancing civilization. And
the death penalty for crimes was ap-
piled in Sparta with original vigor,
even for offences of a trivial nature.
But Sparta fell, despite her "eugenic"
laws and radical cures" for crime
and physical defects.
Among the Romans, during the
palmy days of the Republic, the life
of a Roman citizen was taken only
under stress of martial law, and the
revival of judicial homicide among
that people was coincident with the
beginning of their moral and political
decline.
Two Opposite Tendencies Developing.
Throughout the civilized world to-
day two opposite tendencies are de-
veloping, one in the direction of total
abolition Of judicial homicide, the
other in the direction of wider and
more comprehensive resort to judicial
executions, not only for murderers,
but for the insane, the imbecile, and
for so-called "habitual criminals"
In 1906, Representative Buckingham
introduced a measure in the Iowa leg
islature providing for the licensed"
killing of persons suffering from in
durable diseases and infants born in
state of deformity.
Common sense. is the keynote of
the argument adduced in support of
the measure" said the author of the
bill. Instead of human beings sub
jecting themselves TO damnation and
disgrace to their relatives by taking
their own lives when it is manifest
life is no longer worth living, the law
should provide an honorable death.
you'll see the day when we have
such law in every state in the Union.
It may be in advance Of the times, but
we're coming to it. You do as much
now for your dumb brutes II a horse
has broken his leg. you end his mis-
cradle life II should be the practice
TO choloroform human beings when
they have reached a condition where
they too. are a burden to themselves