Newspaper Page Text
Last week I gave you some- ac
count of a Roman plow-boy who rose
to be a great general and a ruler of
his people.
This week I will give you the
story of a boy who was born a few
years after the other one, and whose
folks belonged to one of the hightest
familes in Rome. They were
wealthy, educated and aristocratic.
*1 hey did not belong to the rag-tag
and bob-tail, and they had no feel
ing, but contempt for those beneath
them in riohes and social position.
They belonged to that select few
who seem to believe that God made
the world for the benefit of a special
class, and that they are the class.
The young man I am to write
about was named Sy Ila. He was
taught in all branches of learning.
He became what was called “cul
tured ’ and “accomplished.” In his
youth he was very wild. He frol
icked al! rround the town and spent
all the money he could lay his hands
on. He drank, he gambled, he did
no work, and he had a fine contempt
for those who did. Many of his
vices were so bad I cannot name
them to you.
About the time this young man
had run through with all his money,
and had got tired of his old vices,
and could not think up any new
ones, Marius, the plow-boy, was
enlisting an army to go to the wars.
Sylla concluded he would join
lie wanted to be an officer at the
very jump. He was not willing to
work his way up from the ranks as
Marius had done. He must be an
officer. Marius knew of his habits
and did not wish Sylla to be one of
his men. But somehow or other, he
finally decided to accept him. It is
said that Sylla had a female friend
who got him the place. Quite likely.
Anyhow, he got it, and off he went
’ to the wars.
He struck his talent. The excite
ment kept him from his worst habits*
and he soon became the best officer
in the army.
in the story of Marius, I told you
about his having a king among his
captives, in the street parade at
Rome.
Well, Sylla was the officer to
whom this king made his actual sur
render, and he and his friend claimed
that Sylla, and not Marius, ought to
have the praise. This caused bad
blood between the two generals.
Human-nature was just the same
* then as it is now. The jealousy be
tween Marius and Sylla reached
such a pitch that they almost had a
civil war over this question as to
■who captured that king. And he'
was an African king at that!
Two nations once went to war
over an old bucket. Ten thousand
men were killed. By the time the
fighting was over and most of the
dead had been buried, they had for
gotten about the bucket.
At the time (this dispute over the
African king '♦’PfrFT getting to be most
interesting, the Roman country was
invaded by rhe German armies men
tioned last week. Hence, Marius
and Sylla, instead of killing one an
other, went out to kill these Ger
mans. They did it.
When they got back home they*
not only had the African king ques
tion to hate each other about, but
they had many others. Chief among
these was the claims which Sylla
and his friends put forward that
Sylla, and not Marius, had done the
finest work in putting down the Ger
mans.
These two men not only hated
each other personally, but the friends
of the one hated the friends of the
other. They were leaders of rival
parties.
Marius had sprung from the peo
ple. He was ignorant and rough in
his manners. He had the unfortu
nate habit of saying what he thought,
lie was noted for tellng the truth
and for being honest. His friends
were mostly the laboring people.
The country farmers all had confi
dence in him and followed him.
Sylla, on the other hand, had
been born among the aristocrats.
His natural sympathies were all with
the higher classes. He loved money.
He didn’t care how he got, so he got
it. He could lie like a modern news
paper. He had no more conscience
than a run-away mule: no more pity
than an organ-grinder.
A clash between two such men
and their friends was bound to come.
It came in this way. Marius wanted
to be sent as general of the army to
manage a war in Asia.
Sylla wanted the same place.
This brought the trouble to a head
right away. It always does.
JPLE’S PARTY PAPER, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2 3,-1892.
xarius got the office. Sylla de
.mined to take it away from him
oy force. So, at the bead of his
soldiers he began his march to Rome.
This was against the law. Sylla
knew it very well, but like many big
men, he had no respect for the law.
So he inarched on. Some officers of
the law were sent to stop him. He
killed them, and marched on. More
were sent. He stripped them,
scourged them, and marched on.
Marius was in Rome but had not
expected such a thing as this. It
was a disagreeable surprise. He
felt outraged and astonished. He
hardly knew where he was at. He
got a few troops together and made
resistence. He got whipped. Then
he decided to get up and get —and
he did it.
I told you last week how he had
to wander around through the
bushes: what a tight squeeze it was
for him to escape death; and how hb
afterwards came back and took re
venge on his enemies.
Sylla marched into Rome at the
head of his soldiers, and took posses
sion.
The main cause of the feud be
tween the friends of Marins and the
friends of Sylla was that the Senate
of Rome, composed of a few wealthy
nobles, wanted to rule the country
without allowing the mass of the
people to have any part in it, at all.
The Senate said the people ought to
pay the taxes and do most of the
fighting in the wars, while they, the
senators, made the laws and got the
fat of the land. They looked on
the common run of people as mere
rag-tag and bob-tail. The idea of
their knowing anything about the
way to govern the country was ab
surd.
The Senate also thought that
those who lived outside the city
ought not to have any vote. For a
long time the Senate had their way.
The country people could not vote.
But after awhile the reformers took
hold of the matter and claimed that
the country people had a right to
vote —as much so as those in the
city.
This looks to us like a mighty
simple proposition, but it caused a
world of trouble then. The city
bosses didn’t want it that way at all
They abused the country people and
their leaders. They said the country
folks had no sense ; that they were
ignorant and full of prejudice; that
they were the mere rag-tftg and bob
tail, and that they ought to
work harder and talk less.
As to the leaders, the city bosses
gave them fits. They said these
leaders only wanted office; that
they -were stirring up strife; that
they would array one class against
another; that they were exciting the
country against the town, and that if
these leaders were killed “our peo
ple would all come together again.”
Lots of these leaders they did
kill, but the principles they repre
sented could not be killed. They
finally won the complete victory.
The Gracchii, about whom I told
you in my first story, upheld the
country people in their right to vote.
They were killed ; but the question
itself did not die. It met with com
plete success afterwards.
Marius favored the law, and so
did his friends. They had passed it,
and the country people were exer
cising their rights under it when
Sylla drove Marius out of Rome and
took possession.
One of the first things he did was
to repeal this law.
Another thing which Sylla did
was to confer on the Senate the ex
clusive right to originate laws. In
other words, the Roman people
were never to have the liberty of
presenting a measure to be voted on
as they had done up to that time.
Thus he took away one of the
dearest rights of the Romans and
gave it to a few aristocrats.
Another thing he did was to make
a law to the' effect that even when
the Senate submitted a measure to
the Roman people, the wealthiest
nobles, composing what was called
the first class, should have nearly as
many votes as all the other classes
put together. The Romans were
divided into five classes. He there
fore put it in the power of the first
class to rule the other four. Thus a
few great families got into the car
riage and rode while all the others
wore harness and pulled.
No wonder they did not want the
country demagogues stirring up
strife. No wonder they wanted “all
our people to come together again.”
Else, you see, the people might
not pull the carriage.
When Sylla had got all these
things fixed to his notion and the
demagogues had all been killed or
chased into the swamps, and the
people had “all come together
again,” put -the harness on once
more, and were trying to look happy
while they pulled the carriage—
when all these things had taken
place, iylla took command of the
army and went to Asia to carry on
the war which Marius had wanted to
undertake.
Ig was while he was off that
Marius came in out of the woods,
joined his friends, made war on
Sylla’s friends, cleaned them up, be
came ruler, took revenge on his ene
mies, and died.
Sylla, in the meantime, carried the
war in Asia to success. He never
lost a battle. He crushed his ene
mies and took all the money he
could find. He was one of the
greatest generals and freebooters
that ever lived. He never thought
a foe was completely disposed of
till he went through their pockets.
He levied at one time on the Greek
cities a fine of $24,000,000 and
made them pay it.
His thievery was highly correct in
matters of form. He had none of
the greedy hurry of the ordinary
boodler. He went at it coolly and
systematically.
When he had seized what plunder
there was in Asia, and had estab
lished the Roman authority in the
disputed territory, he set out on his
return to Rome.
Marius heard he was coming, and
went right straight and died.
This showed that Marius had lots
of sense. Under the circumstances,
it was the very best thing he could
do. He was old and worn out.
Sylla was young; was at the head
of a victorious army; had the big
gest part of all the cash there was
in the -world; -was the idol of the
aristocrats, and was the most bril
s liant and successful general of his
times.
No wonder Marius wanted to find
a hole in the ground. He found it,
and went in.
Sylla came back with a large
army. The civil war between him
and the leaders who represented the
people at once commenced. Many
young men of great ability led troops
against him. Among them was a
son of Marius. Many battles were
fought, many towns burnt, many
thousands killed, many homes left
desolate. There is nothing so dread
ful as civil war. After two years of
constant fighting, Sylla overcame the
patriots; partly by force; partly by
bribery and corruption. He knew
how to use his purse as well as his
sword. When he was once more at
Rome, and his victory complete, he
began the most cruel and cold
blooded series of political murders
ever known. At one thime he or
dered the murder of 6,000 prisoners
in a body, and their cries seemed to
be good music for him. He was
making a speech to the Senate at the
time, and the work of death going
on in his hearing, and almost within
sight, did not seem to disturb him
at all.
He made out a list of 4,700 of his
fellow-citizans and had them hunted
down and killed. He hired men to
do the work and they would fre
quently bring him the bloody head
of' a victim as proof that the job was
done. This was considered by Sylla
as the highest and best evidence that
a man was dead. Then he would pay
over the reward to the murderer.
He confiscated the property of all
those whom he killed. He kept as
much of it as he wanted himself, and
then let his friends have some.
Many of the finest estates m the
country were thus obtained by Syl
la’s favorites, male and female. In
this way he. surrounded himself with
bad men and women, who owed their
fortunes to him and who would have
therefore to stand by him in all he
did. The reign of terror he brought
about was not equaled by tne .
French revolution.
He gave all the public laud that
was left to his soldiers. He allowed
the country people to enjoy the
privilege of voting, but he passed
other laws which made those votes
amount to nothing. s
He did it in this way : He gave
the Senate all the power. Before
his time a senator was chosen by an
officer of the people, and this officer
could also dismiss a senator from his
position.
Sylla changed this. He nomi
nated the senators himself. Onoe
in, they stayed in for life. You
couldn’t get them out. Therefore
they could do what they pleased.
To make the people afraid to rise
against the Senate, he organized a
hired band of ton thousand guards
for it. He restored to the Senate
the exclusive right to originate laws.
He also made the Senate the highest
law court in the land.
His -whole scheme was'to enthrone
a class as rulers of the Roman peo
ple. A few millionaires were to be
the lords of creation; to enjoy all
the fruits of the conquests of the
Roman armies and all the profits
from the patient of Roman
labor.
Sylla was now the rhler of the
world. He had succeeded in all
things. He had won honor, more
praise, more money, more power
than he knew rhat to do with. He
decided to lay down the burdens of
public work and go off to one of his
palaces and have a good time the
balance of his life. He did so. He
left all the harl work to his under
lings, but he was really the boss
still. His army and his party were
in full charge of everything, and
they looked up to him as their chief.
At his pakce he passed his time
in hunting, ashing, writing, eating,
drinking ard the most shameful
vices. All the bad habits of his
youth came back to him in full force.
He soon fel into a most disgusting
disease and died.
His fune al was grander than that
of any o her Roman—before his
time or afterwards.
Students never tire of Sylla. He
was one q: the most remarkable men
that ever lived. His youth was
given to v ice, his manhood to ruin
ous ambiion and his old age to glut
tony, drunkenness and sensuality.
He was a favorite with fortune and
claimed that he was gifted with what
we call “good luck.” He feared
nothing, loved nothmg, and believed
in nothing high, pure or noble. He
had no idea of any other life than
this. Did not believe in the soul or
in a G)d. Was as superstitious as
an old negro woman just from
Africa
He was a great favorite among
women and married several times.
He was fondest of the wife named
Metela, who bore him twins, one a
boy, the other a girl. While he was
celebrating some of his “glorious
victories” with music, dancing,
carousing, street parades, etc., word
came that his wife, Metella, was sick
uuto death. He at once divorced
her (as he had a right to do under
Ronian law) and ordered her to be
taken out of his house. He was so
superstitious that he believed her
death in his house would bring him
“bad luck.”
So the poor dying lady, the mother
of his children, was taken out of the
house, carried to another and soon
died.
This was some years ago,
but as we read of it now, it it so
brutal, so inhuman, so horrible, that
it seems the act of a devil rather
than a man.
_ Once when there was a riot at
Rome, the people killed some of
their oppressors and sought to kill
Sylla. He ran and hid in the house
of Marius and thus his life was
saved. Instead of showing any
gratitude, to Marius, he made war
upon him soon after, forced him
into exile, hunted him as if he were
a wolf and set a price upon his head.
Manus escaped as I have told you.
W hen Sylla got back to Rome from
Asia, Marius was already dead, but
SyilfPs hatred of him was so great
that he dug up his nones and scat
tered them to the winds.
Just i few days before this terri
ble man died he had a magistrate
hung bf: use he was a little slow in
collec’ mg lie taxes. It is said that
•whilt he was abusing this poor
creature, he became so angry he
burst a blood vessel and so brought
on his own death. Others say he
was afflicted as Herad was, and that
great quantities of worms infested
his body.
When he died he 1 ...ft the reins of
government in the hands of a few
noble senators. He hoped this sys
tem would Ur. forever. In another
story, week after next, I will show
you bow his work was undone.
T. E. W.
I DIDN’T THINK.
From Youth's Companion.
I know a naughty little elf
Who never cah behave himself;
He beats His drum when grandma’s cap
Is nodding for a cozy nap,
And leaves his bill upon the floor
For Uncle James to stumble o’er.
’Twas he who tried to scratch his name
Upon a painted picture-frame ;
’Twas he who left the gate untied,
Which briudle cow pushed open wide ;
’Twas he who nibbed Lucy’s caxe
She took such pains to mix and bake ;
And, though we blamed the tricky mice,
’Twas he who cracked its fluted ice.
This little elf upset the milk ;
He tangled Aunty’s broidery silk ;
He went to school with m yidy shoes,
Though credits very sure ts lose.
Against his mamma’s gentle wish
Re took the sugar from the dish ;
He lost the pen, and spilled the ink ;
This elf we call “I didn t think. ”
Our house would be a nicer place
If he would never show his lace ;
We hope and hope some sunny day
The naughty elf will run away,
For oft he makes our spirits sink—
This troublesome “I didn’t think.”
Margabet E. Sanoster.
Sweet Words in the Home,
There is a tender sweetness about some
Df our common phrases of affectionate
greeting, simple and unobtrusive as they
ire, which falls like dew upon the heart.
| Sood night! The little one lisps it as,
I gowned in white, with shining face and
hands and prayers said, she toddles off to
bed. Sisters and brothers exchange the
jvish; parents and children; friends and
friends. Familiar use has robbed it of it.,,
significance to some of us; we repeat it
automatically without much thought.
But consider. We are as voyagers putting
jff from time to time upon an unexplored
lea.
Our barks of life set sail and go onward
!nto the darkness, and we, asleep on our
pillows, take no such care as we do when
twake and journeying by daylight. Os
She perils of the night, whatever they may
be, we take no An unsleeping vigi
lance watches over us, but it is the vigi
lance of one stronger and wiser than we,
who is the eternal good. Good and God
ipring from the same root.' are the same in
meaning. “Gqpdby*’ is only ‘‘God be with
you.” “Good night”is really “God night,”
ar “God guard the night.”
It would be a churlish household in
which these gentle forms of speech were
ignored or did not exist. Alike the happy
Mid the sorrowful day by day may say
' "Good night.”—Harper’s Bazar.
Girls and* Low Cu? Gowns,
The question of when to wear low cut
gowns can have but one answer, “Never in
daylight.” The rule that obtains for the
assumption of men’s evening dress —“from
dusk to dawn.”—is adjustable to both. For
every function of society held from midday
to a late dinner hour a girl’s dress should
be worn high, with long sleeves. If on any
gala occasion it should be desirable to re
lax the stringency of this ordinance, it
should be only to cut the dress open a little
below the throat, and to wear elbow sleeves,
a pretty girlish fashion, in which her youth
ful beauty loses naught. There is now ir
days to be had such a variety of soft hued,
crapy, clinging stuffs, than which nothing
can better enhance round contoursand fine
lines of nature, that a young woman need
not sigh for the additional attraction of
neck and shoulders revealed to an artificial
light in the afternoon.
A few years ago the experiment was
made of hostesses receiving at large after
noon teas in low cut dresses, but the con
trast between them and their guests in
every variety of outdoor garb, iheiuding
■ tailor made gowns, soon brought the fash
ion to an end. At dinners, evening parties
and balls it is so universal a modern cus
tom to equip young girls in decollete gowns
that there can only be the question of indi
vidual judgment in the matter to combat
it. The cut of such dresses is, however, al
ways modest. —Mrs. Burton Harrison in
Ladies’ Home Journal.
— i
Napoleon’s Mother.
Public attention does not seem to have
been directed toward Napoleon’s mother
until her son was proclaimed emperor in
1894. She then received the title of Mme.
Mere; and an income of 1,000,000 fraj»ssYsy as
settled upon her. And that Sae might
have a position of political importance she
was made protectrice generale of all the
charitable institutions of France. Such an
office admirably suited her. She frequent
ly solicited favors of her son for others
and was happy whenever her exertions met
with success. /
On one occasioh, upon learning of the <
arrest of the Due d’Znghien, she even
threw herself upon her knees before Napo
leon, imploring mercy for the unfortunate
prince.
After this it seems a pity that truthful
ness must make us say that even this great
woman had one littleness, if we may call
it so, of character. She evinced sometimes
a resemblance to the brother whose parsi
mony her sons had resented in their child
hood, by showing a lov« of economizing,
even upou trifling occasions. Tais proved
a source of frequent amusement among
the gay circles of Paris. The emperor
himself was sometimes a little scandalized
at her actions, although this did not hin
der him from most highly respecting her
character.—Chambers' Journal.
Curing for a I’recou o;is tuna.
Instead of proudly pushii« a precocious
child in his studies we hold him back be
hind his mates, and seek to restore the har
monious balance of his brain wth his body I
by an abundance of pure air,nourishing '
fo-fd and zistfui play. We him
from becoming a dullard or an imbecile. — •
Youth’s Comnanian.
BKulesA
We have at Wilsons Stables
a Choice lot oi
Temiesses Miles,
Which’we will sell CHEAPER than
any one on the market. We will
Duplicate Augusta Prices.
CABTER & THRASHER,
THOMSON, - - GEORGIA.
Geo. J. Fargo,
Mattings,
WALL
Houuohold Decorations
AND BABY CARRIAGES.
60 3 BROAD 'ST.. AUGUSTA, GA.
Yon are invited to call and examine hiv line of CARPETS and
FURNITURE and HOUSEHOLD GOODS now being offered at ROCK
BOTTOM PRICES.
Read thedist and see if there is anything you need. If you cannot c? n
write for samples and prices.
Furniture, Mohair Chairs, Blacking Cases,
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Mattings, Pillows. Bed Lounges,
Oilcloths, Feathers, Rattan Lounges,
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And Everything usually found in a first-class establishment of the k x
GEORGE J. FARGO, 603 Broad street, Augusta, Get /
SI,OOO
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These trees being grown in Geor
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The Proprietors of THE CHERO
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Four Soft-shell Pecans.
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The goods will be shipped direoi
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