Leading Events of Week Ending September 28.
By A. J. B.
— The Venezuelan troops have captured La Hacha from the Colombians. — Dispatches from China state that “Peking is quiet since the foreign troops have left.” — A number of papers are now calling for a “censorship of the press” in this country. — Seth Low, President of Columbia University, has been nominated for mayor of New York City. — President and Mrs. Roosevelt have taken up their residence in the White House at Washington. — A submarine cable is to be laid from California to Hawaii and the Philippines, with branch lines to Japan and China. — China proposes to send “commissions to America, the Philippines, Australia, and elsewhere, to collect contributions to the indemnity fund, from Chinese in those countries.” — The trial of Leon F. Czolgosz lasted two days. On the 24th ult. the verdict rendered by the jury was, “Guilty of murder in the first degree, as charged in the indictment.” — New York capitalists have bought up 1,000,000 marks’ worth of the Hamburg-American Packet Company’s shares. The Germans now begin to fear that J. Pierpont Morgan is trying to get control of the German steamship lines. — Russia is said to have offered $2,500,000 to China for the ships of her Pei-Yang squadron, which consists of three fast cruisers, four torpedo-boat destroyers, and some third-class cruisers. Russia is willing to thus help poor China reduce her enormous war indemnity. — The United States Steel Corporation has set aside several million dollars’ worth of its stock “for purchase, at inside figures,” by the 165,000 men which it employs. A similar scheme has been successfully carried on by the Carnegie steel companies ever since 1892. — It is estimated that the great steel strike, just ended, “cost the strikers and the trust altogether about $25,000,000, of which $15,000,000 is apportioned to the trust. But the trust won some slight compensations, while the men gave up $10,000,000 in wages for a little less than nothing.” — Chemical analysis proves that Czolgosz’s bullet was not poisoned. — The United States has yet 100,000,000 acres of arid land to give away. — Russia offers her protection to Armenia, but “wants it accepted promptly.” — It has been decided by a federal judge that “the anti-trust law of Nebraska is unconstitutional.” — A national monument will be erected in Canton, Ohio, to the memory of William McKinley. — The Chicago post-office clerks are making a fight for an eight-hour workday, and are likely to win. — Dr. W. C. Gray, editor of the Interior, is critically ill at his home in Oak Park, Ill. He is not expected to live. — The first race between the “Columbia” and “Shamrock II” was won on the 28th ult., by the American yacht. There are no more races. — By appointment of President Roosevelt, Dr. Rixey, Mrs. McKinley’s physician, will become Surgeon General of the United States Navy upon the expiration of the term of Surgeon General Van Reypen. — The Puget Sound Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church has adopted “a resolution practically boycotting the Boston Theological School and the Garrett Biblical Institute, on account of the higher criticism.” — In connection with the socialist congress now being held at Lübeck, Germany, “two official stenographers have been assigned by the Prussian government to report the proceedings, for the purpose of making proof of forbidden utterances.” — According to the annual report of Maj.-Gen. Elwell S. Otis, commander of the Department of the Lakes, “desertions are increasing in the regular army. So many soldiers have been guilty of this crime that General Otis comments on the lack of accommodations for prisoners” responsible for this offense. — Upon arriving at the Auburn (N. Y.) penitentiary, the 27th ult., Czolgosz completely broke down, shrieking with terror. He now occupies one of the five death cells in the penitentiary, two guards being constantly present to prevent any attempt on his part to commit suicide. He now acknowledges his mistake, and says he would not commit such a crime had he the opportunity to do so again. — A Queenstown dispatch, dated the 27th ult., states that the “Lucania,” which sailed from New York the 21st for Liverpool, and arrived there Friday, “reports having communicated for two hours with the steamer ‘Campania’ in mid-ocean, by means of wireless telegraphy. The shortest distance in which communication was effected was thirty-three miles, and the longest, sixty-five miles.” — Speaking of the situation in the Philippines, a mail dispatch to the Chicago Tribune, dated August 12, and just published, states that “it is freely predicted that a renewal of guerilla hostilities is to be expected. Malvar still has enough men to be troublesome. There seems to be little doubt that the Hongkong junta is in communication with him, and is still holding forth the hope of intervention.” But later dispatches state that “all the Filipino forces in the province of South Camarines have surrendered.” — During his recent visit to France the Czar was approached by the French President in regard to settling the Boer war by arbitration. A recent dispatch states also that “the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs has forwarded to the members of the administration council of the court of arbitration at the Hague, and also to the legations, a copy of the Boer appeal for arbitration, with a notification that he intends to bring the appeal up for consideration at the first meeting of the council.” It is thought, however, that the council will “declare itself incompetent to deal with the subject,” although it has not yet taken any action. — A Cape Town correspondent of the London Daily Express declares in a letter dated the 23d ult., that “the Dutch element in the colony is in revolt, and it is useless to disguise the fact.” It appears that “from Orange River to the sea Cape Colony is in a condition of open or incipient rebellion. Everything is in readiness for a Dutch uprising in both Cape Colony and Natal. . . . The British government, which prorogued the Cape Colony Parliament until August 27, so as to make the government free to resort to martial law, has extended the prorogation to November 20. . . . The British cruiser ‘Burracouta’ is on its way to Mossel Bay, only about 225 miles east of Cape Town, with re-enforcements for the trenches that defend the bay.” — Forest fires are doing much damage near Eldora, Colo. — The illness of Secretary Root is causing great uneasiness to his friends. — Thirty-two persons were recently killed in a railway collision at Palota, Austria. — Russia has decided to build five war-ships of 20,000 tons each, in her own shipyards. — The Illinois Free Methodists began their forty-first annual conference at Elgin, the 25th ult. — It is reported that Governor Dole, of Hawaii, has sent his resignation to President Roosevelt. — President Roosevelt is preparing his first message to Congress, in which he will fully outline his policy. — The National Conference of Unitarian churches met September 23, at Saratoga, N. Y., Senator Hoar being president of the same. Among the noted speakers were Edward Everett Hale, Minot J. Savage, and Miss Jane Addams, of Chicago. — The twenty-seventh annual convention of the Roman Catholic Young Men’s Union met in Philadelphia, September 24–26. Some of the subjects discussed were “State paternalism in education, temperance, Christian socialism, and education in the Philippines.” — According to the Church Standard (Episcopal) of Philadelphia, “the Cape Dutch are helping the Boers, and the number of the latter now on the field is estimated at 11,000. Their armies and ammunition are constantly renewed, and they are within forty miles of Cape Town and eighteen miles from Ladysmith.” — The will of William McKinley, filed for probate the 28th ult., shows that he was worth about $250,000. Mrs. McKinley has a life interest in the entire estate, with the exception of $1,000 a year, which goes to Mr. McKinley’s sister Helen, his mother, the original legatee being dead. His life was insured for $67,000. — The people of North Carolina have been notified by the governor that “all petitions for the pardon of convicts must first be advertised for some length of time in the newspapers of the locality where the offender lived, or where the crime was committed.” It is thought this will put an end to “the business of obtaining pardons quietly and without due sifting of the matter in a public manner.” A most sensible idea, indeed. — The British torpedo-boat destroyer “Cobra” foundered in the North Sea, Wednesday morning, the 18th ult. Of the seventy-nine persons on board, only twelve escaped. The ship struck on the Cadzosz Rocks at 7:30 A. M., causing the boilers to explode and the vessel to break in two. Lieutenant Bosworth Smith, the commander, stood upon the bridge with his arms folded, “as impassive as if on parade, and went down with the vessel.” The vessel had put to sea in a furious gale, to test its boilers. The “Cobra” was the fastest vessel in the world, having made a record of 43.5 miles per hour. — During the recent visit of the Czar to France, President Loubet “urged the essentially pacific character of the alliance of Russia and France,” which, in his language, “has contributed powerfully to the maintenance of the balance between the forces of Europe, a necessary condition of peace; the good which it has done is a pledge that will do still more.” To this the Czar replied that “the intimate union of the two great Powers, animated by the most pacific intentions, and who, while able to make their rights respected, do not seek to injure in any way the rights of others, is a precious element of appeasement for the whole of humanity.” — Speaking of the Turkish problem, the Atlanta Constitution believes that “the growing power of Russia and the new realignment of the European Powers is inevitably paving the way for Turkey’s dismemberment. The old balance of power between European countries has been destroyed, and Russia’s ambitions are stretching out in the direction of the Sultan.” Continuing, it says: “There can be no doubt that the end of the Turk is imminent. There are but three courses open to the diplomacy of Europe: (1) Allow Russia to seize the empire; (2) extend the authority of Greece over the Turkish Empire, thus maintaining the present balance; or (3) general European war, the result of which no man can foresee. The situation is grave indeed, and the coming conflict is but a matter of time.” These statements show what the editors of the daily press see directly ahead. The student of prophecy should be able to see what is really involved in the proposed dismemberment of the Turkish Empire.