University of Santa Clara - Redwood Yearbook (Santa Clara, CA)

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12 THE REDWOOD the Mediaeval times were not as wretch- ed as the poorest one-tenth now. The degraded poverty and misery of slums and factory districts were unknown. Such misery was prevented or remedied by the monasteries, guilds and charita- ble institutions of the day. It is a frequent boast in this country that a man of the poorest parents can rise to the Presidency. We think that merit is offered unusual opportunities to manifest itself, and that if a man ap- plies himself diligently he can improve his condition. In a measure this is true. But recall that there are numer- ous menial tasks in Modern life, re- quiring little mental effort; that there are many disagreeable positions which give ability no chance to show itself. How high can an operator in a cotton mill rise? What hope is there for a ditch digger with a moderate-sized fam- ily, or what fate confronts his chil- dren? No intelligent observer of Mod- ern life is unaware of the fact that there are many situations which neces- sity forces one to take and continue in, that offer not the slightest opportunity for advancement. Agriculture, the most general employment during the Middle Ages, in comparison with such occupations, is a Paradise. In Mediae- val times, if a man wished to become an artisan or a mechanic, he appren- ticed himself and v as quite sure of some day becoming a master in his trade. There were no positions such as tending machines that make the worker a machine himself. Anyone ' s chances might be greatly increased by studying at a University, attendance at which, not the direst poverty could prevent. If there were no chances to rise to such exalted positions as at present, there were far more chances for moderate advancement. One man could not become a ruler of a nation, but a million did not have to remain practically slaves. An interesting feature of industrial life in Middle Ages are the guilds. In a way they may be considered as cor- responding to the trade unions, though they differ in many respects. The guilds were formed to further the prac- tice of religion, to aid the needy and to unite the workers of one trade, for purposes of protection. They sought to increase spiritual welfare of their mem- bers by pious exercises and by present- ing morality plays; they conducted funerals and assisted the needy. As the employer and employee belonged to the same guild and associated together, trouble between capital and labor was unknown. Master and man, united as comrades in a fraternal organization, and as brothers in religion, presented a solid front to competition. There were strikes then, but the employees did not strike against the employers. The em- ployer and the employee both struck against some injustice done their trade. The guilds exercised a supervision over the training of artisans. They se- lected the apprentices, protected their rights and gave the examinations by which a journeyman became a master. In the Mediaeval cities there was an abundance of employment for skilled

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THE REDWOOD 11 even of the present time obscure and interesting only to the history student. Eight centuries have rolled by since scholasticism flourished, and we are still to find a system equal to it. ' ' Certainly the age which has given us a philosophy unimproved by eight cen- turies ' efforts, which has given us so great an educational force as the Uni- versity is not a Dark one. To elevate workers from slaves to free men, to make labor respectable, where it was dishonorable, is an achievement which would reflect credit on any age. This is exactly what was done during the Middle Ages. In the fourth century nearly all workers were slaves, the freemen that worked were looked upon with utmost contempt. Persons who labored were, according to the times ' opinion, worthy of no con- sideration whatever. The Church ex- erted her whole influence against this injustice. She taught a doctrine, quite u.nheard of before, that the rich were in duty bound to care for and aid their poorer brethren in case of need. She taught that all men were equal before God ; she did as much as possible to pre- vent the oppression of the workers. By the sixth century the rural work- ers had risen from serfdom to slavery. This was not an insignificant advance. Though bound to the soil they were no longer mere chattels, they could not be sold as domestic animals. The condi- tion of serfdom gradually became less intolerable and the serfs made substan- tial advances as the time passed. The Crusades gave them material as- sistance in their struggle upward. Many rallied under the standard of the Cross and thereby gained freedom. Accord- ing to a Protestant historian, the reli- gious enthusiasm caused not a few no- bles to grant freedom to their serfs. Also, as I have mentioned before, the Federal barons, weakened by the cost of the campaigns, could not keep the workers in subjection. A calamity that befell Europe in the fourteenth century, indirectly helped the cause of labor. In 1350, the Black Death, similar to the Bubonic plague, entered Europe from Asia and spread over the whole continent. The devas- tation and damage it wrought, can scarcely be imagined. A third of Eu- rope ' s population died. Such a great decrease in population, naturally made labor scarce and much sought for. In addition, an unsettled state, caused by the dread disease, gave the peasants more liberty. Consequently, instead of staying and working in one place, as they had to do before, they sought new places in which to work, and either re- ceived wages for their labor, or rented lands for themselves. As a result, a system of free labor set in, which de- veloped unfolded, and produced the pre sent wage system. The division of the profits in the Middle Ages, was more just than at present. The laborer received a greater percentage of the wealth that came from his hands than does the Modern worker. The Catholic Encj clopedia is authority for the statement that the poorest one-tenth of the population in

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THE REDWOOD 13 labor. Their labor was individual and what was accomplished was a personal achievement. They were happy be- cause they were intelligent mechanics, not hands. ' The most important political institu- tion of the Middle Ages, feudalism, is quite generally understood, and since it is not my intention to repeat what is known, but to bring notice to things that lie unobserved, I will not describe it, but rather explain how it served as a useful purpose. At the dawn of the Middle Ages, when complete anarchy was threatening Europe, feudalism ren- dered a signal service to civilization by providing a form of government suffi- cient to meet the emergencies presented and suitable to the character of the peo- ple at that time. In the early times, says Coulanges, the castles of feudal- ism were considered the sure place of deposit for the peasants ' harvests and goods. In case of incursions they gave to their wives and their children and themselves complete protection, and each strong castle denoted the safe- ty of a distric t, It is the consensus of historians ' opinions that with all its defects, feudalism filled a necessary and useful position; that it laid the foundation for centralized and efficient governments and having accomplished its end, passed away. It is a matter of universal knowledge that the Magna Charta is a product of the Middle Ages. This remarkable doc- ument historians have united in calling the foundation of the liberties of Eng- lish-speaking people. For centuries following its adoption, it was constant- ly the greatest and in fact the only pro- tection against the abuse of monarchial power. Our own political institutions, derived as they are, from the English laws and system of government can be attributed in part to the Magna Charta. Alfred the Great, at an early period, collected the old Saxon laws, made new ones, and is thought to have suggested the jury system, which was introduced in the thirteenth century. Casting an eye over the Middle Ages a phenomenal improvement in govern- ment will be noticed. It opened with the Vandals Visagoths, Huns and many other tribes, wandering through Eu- rope. These tribes were quite unaccus- tomed to the restraints of law and gov- ernment. Wrongs were settled by pri- vate revenge. Then feudalism entered, imposing some restrictions on the free will of the people, but not effectually keeping peace and justice. The barons were alloAved to carry on private war- fare, but this right was abolished later. Before the end, centralized and effi- cient governments- arose. Monarchial power was limited somewhat by re- strictions, such as the Magna Charta. A Parliament and a jury system were es- tablished in England. Our own age has made no more essential and sub- stantial improvements. But the greatest of Mediaeval achievements has not yet been noticed. They were in the dominions of art and literature. Though commendable pro- gress was made in education, in gov- ernment and in the improvement of so-