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About Polk County itemizer. (Dallas, Or.) 1879-1927 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 17, 1908)
4 Election Bonfires H O U S A N D S of years ago, when barbarian man lived in a more precarious way than now and knew nothing of the teachings of science, he peopled the earth, sea and sky with demons who were able and willing to do him harm. They would prevent the dis covery of game, they would bring destruc tive storms and droughts, they would keep the fish from his net, they wou'd bring diseases upon himself or his cattle. What could he do to prevent their anger and secure their good w ill? His first thought, naturally, was that of bribery. He would give the god something to be let alone, something more if the god would show actual favor. How he hit upon the de vice of burning his offerings to the gods, who never deigned to appear in person to accent his gifts, cannot certainly be said, but there are a number of possible ex planations. The most probable is that the utter destruction of the article offered im plied giving it a spiritual quality like the soul of the dead. Numerous articles of food or use were burned or buried with the distinguished dead for use on their long journey, showing a belief that the most material things nad a spiritual rep lica. In other cases there was a belief T Just Between You and the Editor that the meat went up to the Rod in the form of smoke, that the god smelled a sweet savor and was vastly pleased with the gift and the giver. Possibly at first the sacrifice by fire was to some terrible fire-god only and afterward spread to other deities. At any rate, it was always the favored mode of sacrifice. The hunter, when he had made his kill, would express his gratitude by giving the god a little of the meat. The herdsman, when lie slaughtered, would make an of fering in like manner. Then, upon any occasion of special undertaking, rejoicing or danger, there would be sacrifice offered, an animal being slaughtered for the pur pose. But even then those undertaking the sacrifice thought that the god might well spare them a little of the meat and gradually it came about that when solemn sacrifice was offered the makers took all the best cuts and the gods got what was left. Finally, a few bones and perhaps a little fat and the entrails constituted the meal served up to the gods. The rest went to the devout worshippers. This liberality of the faithful in bestow ing bones upon the gods while eating the meat themselves could not fail to attract the attention of tile irreverent, \ ho have had their existence in every age, and the sacrificial fires were named bone-fires when out of hearing of the priests. A fter the introduction of Christianity sacrifices fell into disuse, but the features which gave them popularity still survived. The political barbecue, with its ox sacri ficed, roasted and eaten, is a lineal descendant of the old sacrificai feast. At certain seasons i r ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ jc ^ a n d and a few places i to the present day fires are lit in commemora tion of the ancient sacrificial fires lit with great ceremony at those very seasons. Now the only relics of the ancient cus toms are to be found only in the fire it self at the same season as of old ; in the fact that everybody engaged in keeping, Barbarism’s Last up the custom understands that it is es sential that there should be a bone in the fire, though they do not know w hy; and finally, in the name which they give, that is, bon-fire. It is the bone-fire, neither more nor less, o f the days of ancient sac rifice. Victory over enemies, in those early days, was always followed by sacrifice and to this day the tendency to thus celebrate remains. The sacrificial gift no longer is cast into the llames, but still the victors gather round the fire as did their ances tors thousands of years a g o ; and the name bonfire still remains. In New York and perhaps other cities the custom has de generated into a nuisance, in which there is no thought of celebration of victory. The small hoys simply think that election night is the time to start bonfires. So, without a mention of politics, these little rascals work together, appropriating and stealing boxes, barrels, etc., and as soon as the sun has set on election night thou sands of fires are lighted, the asphalt pave ments are damaged to tile extent of thou sands of dollars and the fire department is kcjlt busy looltrng after buildings endan gered or actually burning. Such is the perversion of custom which ignorance brings. Stand Written expressly for this Magazine H O S E readers of this magazine who went to school in the ’sev enties may remember the classifi cation of peoples into the sweeping cate gories of civilized, half-civilized and sav age. In the first category were placed all people of European race, wherever found. In the second were placed all Asiatic and North African people, while the negro population of Africa, the American In dians with a few exceptions, and a ma jority of the Malay race were roundly set down as savage. Profound indeed has been the change which thirty years have wrought. The old classification no longer can be consid ered. Barbarism is being swept from the face of the earth. In another thirty years every land will be civilized in the sense that was understood thirty years ago. The savage races, instead of undergoing the slow process of semi-civilization, pass at once to civilization. For a time, of course, there are grotesque lapses among the new ly civilized, which is not surprising when we consider how large a streak of primal savagery we ourselves possess. In America the Indian problem has been settled finally and forever. The In dians have accepted the inevitable, settled down to the occupations of civilized life and by intermarriage with the more num erous race are fast losing their identity as a people. In Central and South Am er ica and in M exico the Indian blood pre dominates in the mixed race which is de stined to remain in permanent control of those lands. In Central Africa the naturally peace ful disposition of the negro race has en abled European civilization to penetrate without any of the sanguinary wars which marked the conquest of America. The railroad, the steamboat and the school are now found where a few years ago the maps marked the territory of the unex plored. Japan, of course, is the classic example of a nation abandoning an old, fantastic, artificial and non-progressive civilization T fur the living, progressive civilization of those lands which have frankly accepted the necessity for continuous change. China, since the Boxer rebellion of a few years -go, when some of the conceit was taken out of the ruling officials, has been taking active steps to save herself by a like opening of doors and minds. It has been promised definitely that a constitu tional form of government will be adopt ed within a few years. Persia has forced upon an unwilling ruler a constitution, but like the Russian Czar, he is trying in every way to cheat his people and render null a concession rendered in a moment of peril and fright. Turkey has obtained free government by a revolution and in a few years more will have a far more civilized administration than Russia, which long has been considered one of the family of civilized nations. W herever freedom of religion, speech and educa tion goes the self-interest of the intel ligent leads to the adoption of the best features of civilization; and barbarism and ignorance speedily decline. One spot where barbarism is making its last stand is the kingdom of Morocco, where there has been a successful though not fully consumated revolution, not, as elsewhere, against ancient wrongs, but against a ruler suspected of having a lean ing towanl civilization. Three years ago it seemed that Morocco speedily would gain civilization through peaceful pene tration on the part of the Fren ch; but the unexpected action of Germany, actuated by jealousy at a move in expansion which she could not share, gave the Mahometan fanatics the needed encouragement and from that day to this Morocco has been engaged in war and steeped in misery. In time civilization will triumph here as alsew here: but meantime, it is interesting to take a look at the country where bar barism is making its last stand. The ancient name of Mauretania was applied to the present Morocco and a part of Algeria, the country to the eastward being known as Numinda. The native population, stretching westward from mereial wav, but there was once a time Egypt to the Atlantic, between the Great when the Barbary States were the gran- Desert and the Mediterranean, was a dark ary of Europe. Once the country was but people, one of ' the u----- branches *“ "* not black ----- * * ------- L" well wooded, but the forests have been of what is generally called the Caucasian wastefully destroyed, with resultant dam race. age to the soil. Whole tracts have been These people, where they have pre turned to desert, to remain such until served a measure of racial integrity, arc civilization undertakes irrigation and re- e n lla / l D n > k . . . -,,..« i h . ’ . -------- -- --- ------ i t . _ f n r o c t l i v r i n '1 •-! A w in M n ! . .« _____ t. _ _ The popu calleij Berbers. I? From this name came the foresting in an extensive way. 'r general designation Barbary States. They lation is supposed to be not far from are a naturally peaceful people and ever five millions. They have no national have been the prey of the conqueror. They spirit _ ....... ........ being divided into iii- whatever, were conquered by the Carthaginians, the numerable tribes and claps Romans and the Vandals in turn, always other t„ , v .. ew wo n k ■ being despoiled and enslaved, V « O g W»> ^ ' ot ,H nk the .„ a ir e d it all the Berber has survn .«the audience. 1 suna.i-to-be was able never having anywhere a shadu.. ui successfuli* to appeal in his warfare tional existence. against the sultan who, at the moment of In the year 747 the Mahometan Arabs writing, still clings to his tottering throne, conquered the wretched country and the I here is a sprinkling of negroes and Arab commander, Akba, arriving at the many of the Moors have an infusion of west coast, rode his horse into the waves negro blood. and bombastically, exclaimed: “ God of The prdouctions are those of a sub- Mahomet. Thou beholdest that but for tropical country, where everything is done the elements which arres. me, I would in an extremely primitive way. There is have proceeded in search of unknown na- no agricultural machinery and but few tions, whom I would have forced to wheeled vehicles are to be seen. For- adore T hy name.” eign machines are considered as forerun- The Arab conquerors had no difficulty ners of opposition to the sacred religion in imposing their language and religion1* °J the prophet and work goes on in the upon the Mauretanians or Moors and a °Jd toilsome, profitless way. Not more fusion of the two races rapidly took t*lan a hundreth part of the soil is cul _ I _ T7 _ . . 1 . ... (li/ n fp rl oi-w l n f ♦ 11 •«. !m * 1 . « — tivated and of this it is the custom to place. From .1. these mixed people came the Moors, who cut so large a figure in allow each field to lie fallow two years the history of Spain. During the time after one year of cultivation. of their ascendancy in Spain these Moors The Arabs arc more or less nomadic arrived at a considerable state of civil in their habits, but the Berbers are in ization and learning, but with their fall clined to live in houses. They inhabit, a period of stagnation and decay set in for the most part, the hilly country. The and the Moors are now a degraded peo women arc unveiled; and in other respects ple, living under a government which is they are lax in. following Mahometan a villainous compound of tyranny and customs. When the time comes, as come anarchv. For centuries Morocco, like the jf w ;n other n i l - Barbary Slates, maintained ........... ...... « “ piracy mo'unt' in^M orocco'the l Æ ^ o u b T s ' and the enslavement of Christians and will learn rapidly and at last become a it was not until i8zz that this finally civilized people. Meantime, under the ceased. leadership of Arab fanatics in this cor- Under the wretched native government ner of Africa, barbarism is making its the country amounts to little in a com- last stand. « Mr. Katzenlieb” on Receiverships Written expressly for this Magazine M V H A F hear that this wass the age B of electricity, of steam, of combi- ■ *" nations and of scferal other things already." remarked Mr. Katzenlief, as he laid down the daily paper. "T h at wass all wrong. It wass the age of receifcr- ships. There wass going to be a council upon the affairs of Turkey and the great powers a little wass going to make them- selfs the receifers yet of the assets by- Turkey and the rest of that crowd. They wass going to preserfe the peace by T u r key. When they wass through, there will not only be peace by Turkey, but efery- body wiil haf a piece of Turkey. That wass the European way of obserfing Thanksgifing Day. That wass an Amer ican holiday yet, but Americans wass not the only people who haf an appetite few Turkey. This wass not the first time that Turkey wass in the receifcr's hands a little. There wass one time, thirty years ago, when the Czar and the Sultan make a war and haf a lot of men killed and then the great powers make Bismarck the rcceifer by the affairs of Turkey. The great powers sit themsclfs down to con sider a little and when they get up they wass greater powers already. They wass receifers and they haf received. “ Now there wass a little Turkey that was ofcrlookcd at that time and the re ceifers wass called in once more. When they get through this time, maybe they leaf the platter und some bones, no? "That wass the way by receivers. They wass there to receif That was their busi ness. I helr motto >• ass not that it 'wass more blessed to gif than to receif.’ Their motto wass that findings was keepings, already yet. Their next principle, when they haf any princinles, wass that 'sharitv begins at home.’ When they haf no prin ciples there wass not much difference by fhe results once. The debtor wass lifing "There wass a receifer by a street rail* by allowances. The creditors were lifing way company vet, who has put up a no by hope a little and the receifers wass tice by the i that a man who will re- lifing by the fat of the land. ceif a ride and not pay a nickel wass a "The creditor wass hafing the satis faction that the debtor wass not lifing by dod-gasted tief, or words to that effect the creditor's moneys. The rcceifer*wass already. But he say that it wass all entitled to his pay for gifing him that sat right for a receifer to get two nickels isfaction. The debtor wass allowed to for one ride because he need the money, life und keep out by the chail and what lh at wass not tiefing, he say; it was re- more wass he wanting? The earth, a ceifing. What wass the use of being a little? End the receifer goes on receif- fief when you can be a receifer already yet? ing. I haf hear that the reformers wass go "A t last the affairs bv the debtor wass wound up. Tt wass different by a clock. ing to put all the trusts by the hands of receifers a little. O f course, the reform When a clock wass wound up it goes, but when a business wass wound up it stops ers wass going to name the receifers. going. The reason wass that the feller A ch ! The receifing that will be done! who winds up the clock takes away the Und when the receifers haf received all key and leafs the works, while the feller the assets by the trusts, they will be who winds up a business leafs the key ready to receif all the moneys of cfery- and takes the whole works. body else. Iss it or iss it not?’’