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About Cottage Grove leader. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1905-1915 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 1908)
4 Election Bonfires 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 will? 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 had a spiritual rep lica. In other cases there was a belief T h o u san d s up the custom understands that it is es sential that there should be a bone in the fire, though they do not know why; and, finally, in the name which they give, that is, bon-fire. It is the bone-fire, neither more nor less, of 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 flames, but st'll the victors gather round the fire as did their ances tors thousands of years ago; 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 boys 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., aul as soon as the sun has set on election night thou sands of fires are lighted, the asphalt pave ments are damaged to the extent of thou sands of dollars and the fire department is kept busy Ioolling after buildings endan gered or actually burning. Such is the perversion of custom which ignorance brings. Just Between You and the Editor that the meat went up to the god 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, wouid express Itis gratitude by giving the god a little of the meat. The herdsman, when he 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 the irreverent, who have had their existence in every age, and the sacrificial fires were named bone-fires when out of hearing of the priests. After 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 sacrifical feast. At certain seasons in Ireland, Scotland and a few places in England even 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 arc to be found only in tile fire it self at the same season as of old; in the fact that everybody engaged in keeping Barbarism’s Last Stand Written expressly for this Magazine H O SE 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 eople of European race, wherever found, n 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 he 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 Amer ica and in Mexico 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 P for 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 ago, 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 Tong has been considered one of the family of civilized nations. Wherever 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 consumatcd revolution, riot, as elsewhere, against ancient wrongs, but against a ruler suspected of having a lean ing toward civilization. Three years ago it seemed that Morocco speedily would gain civilization through peaceful pene tration on the part of the French; 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 alsewhere; 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 Egypt to the Atlantic, between the Great Desert and the Mediterranean, was a dark but not black people, one of the branches of what is generally called the Caucasian race. These people, where they have pre served a measure of racial integrity, are calleij Berbers. From this name came the general designation Barbary States. They are a naturally peaceful people and ever have been the prey of the conqueror. They were conquered by the Carthaginians, the Romans and the Vandals in turn, always being despoiled and enslaved. Yet through it all the Berber has survived, though never having anywhere a shadow of na tional existence. In the year 747 the Mahometan Arabs conquered the wretched country and the Arab commander, Akba, arriving at the west coast, rode his horse into the waves and bombastically exclaimed: “ God of Mahomet, Thou hcholdcst that hut for the elements which arrest me, I would have proceeded in search of unknown na tions. whom I would have forced to adore Thy name.” The Arab conquerors had no difficulty in imposing their language and religion upon the Mauretanians or Moors and a fusion of the two races rapidly took place. From these mixed people came the Moors, who cut so large a figure in the history of Spain. During the time of their ascendancy in Spain these Moors arrived at a considerable state of civil ization and learning, but with their fall a period of stagnation and decay set in and the Moors are now a degraded peo ple, living under a government which is a villainous compound of tyranny and anarchy. For centuries Morocco, like the other Barbary States, maintained piracy and the enslavement of Christians and it was not until 18.24 that this finally ceased. Under the wretched native government the country amounts to tittle in a com mercial way, but there was once a time when the Barbary States were the gran ary of Europe. Once the country was well wooded, but the forests have been wastefully destroyed, with resultant dam age to the soil. Whole tracts have been turned to desert, to remain such until civilization undertakes irrigation and re foresting in an extensive way. The popu lation is supposed to be not far from five millions. They have no national spirit whatever, being divided into in numerable tribes and clans who hate each other and who are united only in their hatred of the infidel. It was this hatred to which the rebel sultan-to-be was able successfully to appeal in his warfare against the sultan who. at the moment of writing, still clings to his tottering throne. There is a sprinkling of negroes and many of the Moors have an infusion of negro blood. The prdouctions are those of a sub tropical country, where everything is done in an extremely primitive way. There is no agricultural machinery and but few wheeled vehicles are to be seen. For eign machines are considered as forerun ners of opposition to the sacred religion of the prophet and work goes on in the old toilsome, profitless way. Not more than a hundreth part of tile soil is cul tivated and of this it is the custom to allow each field to lie fallow two years after one year of cultivation. The Arabs are more or less nomadic in their habits, but the Berbers are in clined to live in houses. They inhabit, for the most part, the hilly country. The women are unveiled; and in other respects they are lax in. following Mahometan customs. When the time comes, as come it will, that the French authority is para mount in Morocco the Berbers doubtless will learn rapidly and at last become a civilized people. Meantime, under the leadership of Arab fanatics in this cor ner of Africa, barbarism is making its last stand. “ Mr. Katzenlieb” on Receiverships Written expressly for this Magazine M W HAF hear that this wass the age M of electricity, of steam, of combi- * nations and of seferal other things already." remarked Mr. Katzonlief, as he laid down the daily paper. “That wass all wrong. It wass the age of receifer- ships. There wass going to he a council upon the affairs of Turkey and the great powers a little wass going to make them self« the receifers yet of the assets by Turkey and the rest of that crowd. They wass going to preserfe the peace hv Tur key. When they wass through, there will not only be peace by Turkey, but efery- body will haf a piece of Turkey. That wass the European way of obserfing Thanksgifing Day. That wass an Amer ican holiday yet, bnt Americans wass not the only people who haf an appetite for Turkey This wass not the first time that Turkey wass in the receiver’s hands a little There wass one time, thirty yean 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 receifer by the affairs of Turkey. The great powers sit themselfs down to con sider a little and when they get op they wass greater powers already. They wass receifers and they haf received. “ Now there war« a little Turkey that was oferlooked 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 hones, no? "That wass the way by receivers. They wass there to reccif. That was their busi ness. Their motto wass 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 principles, wass that ’shanty begins at home.' When they hal no prin ciples there wass not much difference by the results once. The debtor wass lifing by allowances. The creditors were lifing by hope a little and the receifers wass lifing by the fat of the land. “The creditor wass hafing the satis faction that the debtor wass not lifing by the creditor's monevs. The receifer wass entitled to his pay for gifing him that sat isfaction. The debtor wass allowed to life und keep out by the chail and what more wass he wanting? The earth, a little? Und the receifer goes on receif- ing “ At last the affairs hv the debtor wass wound up. It wass different by a clock When a clock wass wound up it goes, but when a business wass wound up it stops going. The reason wass that the feller who winds up the clock takes awav the key and leafs the works, while the feller who winds np a business leafs the key and takes the whole works. “ There wass a receifer by a street rail way company yet, who has put up a no- tice by the cars that a man who will re ceif a ride and not pay a nickel wass a dod-gasted tief, or words to that effect already. But he say that it wass all right for a receifer to get two nickels for one ride because he need the money. That wass not tiefing, he say; it was re- ceifing. What wass the use of being a tief when you can be a receifer already yet? “ I haf hear that the reformers wass go ing *0 put all the trusts by the hands of receifers a little. O f course, the reform ers wass going to name the receifers. Ach 1 The receifing that will be done! Und when the receifers haf received all the assets by the trusts, they will be ready to receif all the moneys of fiery- body else. Iss it or iss it not?”
