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Show THE ART OF QOVERNMENT. Wo frequently boast, and with much reason of the great advancement of modern civilization over that of former days; and in the art of mechanical nnd Inventive genius, we are unquestionably unquestion-ably far in advance of any prior age. But how Is It in tho art of government, and in dealing out Justice as between man and man? Is it true that wo arc In advance, or havo we not rather retrograded? Tho question Inevitably comes up on a consideration of the ancient code of laws which was promulgated by Hammurabi, Ham-murabi, who was King of Babylon about 22Z0 B. C. It is of course most probable that the laws hod then been In active operation for centuries, possibly for millenniums. But Hammurabi's glory was In having compiled them, put them Into exact form and specific words. The glory of modern exploration explora-tion Is in having found this code In De-comber. De-comber. 1301, and January. 1902, In tho acropolis of Susa, by an expedition sent out by the French Government under the direction of M. do Morgan. This find was of a block of black diorjtc, nearly eight feet high; It was broken Into threo pieces, which wcro easily rejoined. Another fragment was found, but it evidently was a duplicate of a portion of tho other, and belonged to another copy. The whole of this code was on the monument when found, and it has been translated in full, into English, En-glish, by President Harper of the University Uni-versity of Chicago. The original is in the curious arrow signs of the Accad-ians, Accad-ians, and each paragraph Is complete and is numbered. For precision and clearness, nothing of after times surpasses sur-passes this code, and seldom Indeed has there been anything to approach It In these particulars. It contains in all 2S2 paragraphs; and these deal with private as well ns public pub-lic affairs, a number of the paragraphs relating to sla'es and their treatment. A number relate to family affairs and discipline, Inheritance, and matters of dally life. For instance, (on a matter now up prominently In the church conferences), con-ferences), paragraph 1-1 L says: If tho wife of a man who Is living In his house set her faco to go out nnd play tho fool, neglect her house, belittle her bus-bund, bus-bund, they shall call her to account; If her husband eay "I havo put her away," ho shall let her go. On hex departure nothing shall bs given to her for her divorce. If hor husband say: "I havo not put her away," hor hunband may tako another woman. The first woman Hhall dwell In the house of her husabnd as a maid servant. ser-vant. Again, a matter of special Interest In this region, that being also a land depending de-pending on Irrigation for crops: 5-t. If a man neglect to strengthen his dyke and do not strengthen It, and a broak bo made In his dyke, and tho water carry away the farm-land. ih man In whose dyke tho break has been made shall rcstcro tho grain which ho has damaged. 55. If a man open his canal for Irrigation Irriga-tion and neglect It and the water carry away an adjoining field, ho shnll measure out groin on tho basis of the adjacent Holds. Another makes similar provision for compensation If the improvements of another are carried away: and there are numerous items on Irrigation. . Under this code, brigands were to be put to death If captured; but, paragraph 23 enacts: If tho brigand be not captured, the man who has been robbed shall In tho presenco of God.' make an Itemized statement of his loss, and tho city and tho governor, In whoso province and Jurisdiction tho robbery rob-bery was committed, shall compensate him for whatever was lost. Here is a distinct advance on modern methods of government. The man who was robbed was to be compensated in full, on duo' proof of the loss and the value of It, by those whose duly It was to protect him, and to whom he had paid his taxes for that purpose. Though the code Is 4150 years old, it has features fea-tures that are well worth the study of modern law-makers; and It Is so comprehensive com-prehensive and clear tha it might well serve for a model even now, with such elisions and additions as the changes of time and circumstances would suggest. |