The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-10-01

II IS u singular fact that the labor
troubles of today simply repeat an age
long conflict. Indeed the story OF the
race riots IN Washington and S"at't"
and Of III" great strikes In England ana
Canada are but r"p!.caS of the strikes or
= 900 and Zoo lars ago. The dlStln-
Guish,ri historian MaSpcro. n his cHra-
va,i"n: IN Egypt. found n full record Of
great strike between the kings and
princes Of Egypt and the workmcn who
were erecting the pyramid. 1t seems
that as each layer OF huge granite was
lifted into its place the workmcn drew
sand up TO IN" pyramid. Tho sand
%lupcd for an eighth OF n mile and up
tins slow ascent on small wooden rollers
with levers put in the roller. the work
men forced the granite up 10 the pYra-
mid. When the cap stone was IN place
this enormous quantity OF sand was dug
away and levcllcd and that left tho pyr-
amid 400 foot in height The structure
was a monument 10 the glory OF the
Egyptian king.
Finally the stone masons organized
urion- They elected representatives. To
confer with their ovcrSCcrs. Armed
with their hammers. levels and Chis"ls
they appealed TO force They demand
ed more food. increase of pay and short
or hours. Soon the ovcrSecr was terri
fed. Tho king agreed 20 meet the conf
ulittca Two days later the thron"
granted the demands Of the nIasons and
their helpers After two weeks having
tasted the sweets OF victory. they struck
again. This time they organized mob.
Marching to the kings palace. they
waved their weapons and lighted their
fro brands In the midst of the general
Xcitemcnt and terror the guards fled
and the mob was victorious. Soon the
collisions and Quarrels became chronic
and the strife ended with the victory Of
the mob A few years later, in the in
tcrest OF loot. the aGitators set fire 10
the whole city and brought down into
ruins. not only the royal palace. but the
public square, the great library. the ha-
zaars, the market place. all tho homes
and left the city desolate. Most Of the
~orlunen's families starved to death:
only a few escaped to adjacent coun-
tries. Egypt was never rebuilt
Later came tho strikes in Rome Tho
labor troubles began with III" bakers
md tho lonEshorcs1ncn. At that tim"
Egypt was the granary OF Italy. Tn"
Imperial city was always within n few
weeks Of starvation. Any day OF the
winter witnessed the arrival and d"par-
ture OF African wheat ships. Finally
the longShorcrnCn refused to unload the
wheat Obtaining possession OF wcap-
onS they refused t. allow any on" else
10 unload the vessels. Mranwhlr the
wheat heated and in that damp climate
began TO swcll and sprUut. One ship
exploded. Soon the bakers wcrc without
flour. Having tho city Mt their mercy.
the bakers went on a strike At last the
citizens Of Rom" divided up into classes.
One Of the Roman senators said: 1T IS
IA II tho hand refused to work unless it's
amount Of blood w. doubled: then the
legs refused to work: then the eye grew
angry and went "n a strike: then the
stomach turned AMI struck; finally tho
warfare ended with Il corpse: TO this
plight also our Imp'rral City has come
Tho prophecy OF ti8' patriot proved TO
be all too true. Rome was filled with
aliens from ever" foreign province:
there was no method OF assimilating
them Tho rorci~n"rs had no stake in
Roman civ.lizatI"n and therefore the
strife grew more and more. All things
were torn 1" p.rc"s. The farm houses,
villages. aud even tho great city itself
wont up In smoke. After that came
the Dark .ipS Even yet civilization
has not fully recovered from that hate
the envy. tho strife tho looting the
crimes that grew out OF the warfare be-
tween the rich and the poor manifest in
Tho strikes OF more than two thousand
years ago.