Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1920-03-12
PAST AND PRESENT
Facts Relative to Labor, Capital and
governments
(By John Bush.)


fcient American Benjamin Franklin
is invariable, and when we American
workmen read the contemptuous,
scornful putrefed fabrications in the
public press declaring that we are a
revolving menace to the nation and
are trying to send serfs to Washing
ton to tell the President how he and
Congress will be compelled to func-
ton the government we believe it is
an opportune time to publish a few
historical facts to prove the falslty
of the contention.
Despite the fact that the Declara-
ton of Independence, which is the
substructure upon which this great
nation was built, reads eve hold
these truths to be self-evident: that
all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator with
certain inalienable rights; that among
these are life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness. That to secure
these rights governments are mstl-
tuted among men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the gov
erned; that whenever any form of
government becomes destructive of
these ends it is the right of the people
to alter or abolish it and to institute
a new government"
Theer are many editors who seem
imbued with the idea that the work.
ing people of this free nation, as it
is called, have no right whatsoever
to exercise these privileges by send
ing Representatives to Washington
to ask Of the President, or any other
representative of the people, that
they be given some consideration.
History reveals that this same sell
fish spirit existed before Christ, and
has been the cause of many wars and
the destruction of nations and gov
ernments from then until the present
day, 1t is not an impossible event
that history may repeat itself if the
capitalists and subsidized press con-
trolled by them continue to anita
gonize an dendeavor to enslave the
American people.
When we note the conditions that
exist in America today and compare
them with history the truth of this
contention is apparent, for they are
similar to that of ancient Rome,
which were not unlike those existing
in America today. Capital and labor
in Rome We're represented by the
patricians and plebeians. The pie
beians found themselves losers in
politics, in law and in property rights;
they could control only minority of
votes in the assembly, and they had
no way even to get measure con-
sidered. At best they could vote
only upon laws proposed by patri-
clan magistrates and they could help
elect only patrician officers who had
been nominated by other patricians.
Though some Americans are loath
to believe it, the same conditions eX
ist in America today.)
The struggle of the plebeians to
right these wrongs lasted for a centu-
ry and a half. At first the masses
clamored for relief from the cruel
laws regarding debt and for share
in the public lands. At length the
plebs driven to despair by the cruelty
of patricians refused to serve in a
war until they were won over by
freeing all debtors. But when the
army returned victorious the debtors
were again imprisoned. On renewal
of the war, the betrayed plebs again
declined to fight but finally Mansus
Valerius was made director and him
they trusted Victory again followed,
Valerius was unable to get the con-
sent of the senate to his proposed
changes in the law. So the plebeian
army, still in battle array, marched
away to hill some three miles away
where they declared they were going
to build a Rome of their own. The
strike forced the patricians to make
some real concessions and the plebs
returned. Once more during foreign
war the plebeian army struck and on
other occasions it prepared to do so.
Between these factions there was
much bitter strife.
The patricians were especially
bitter toward any of their own order
who were great-souled enough and
brave enough to dare take the side
of the people. The first such hero
was Spurious Cassius. The patricians
raised the cry that he was trying to
win popular favor so as to make him
self a tyrant, and the foolish plebe-
ians deserted their champion and he
was put to death.
Those who observe the trend of the
time can readily see the similarity of
the two periods, and it is the duty as
we'll as the privilege of the working