Reform in Politics Impossible.
[The only true reformation begins in the individual soul by the regenerating power of God. But this can not be applied politically. It comes only by personal faith. The futility of political “reform,” of “civic righteousness,” is demonstrated again in New York City. The following, from the New York Christian Advocate of December 5, which favored the reform forces under Mr. Seth Low, graphically sets forth the situation:]— Strange Talk from “Victors.”
“We said that Tammany was vile, that the police were corrupt, that they winked at open saloons on Sunday, and blackmailed the dealers, and the authorities winked at it, and if we were intrusted with power we would put a stop to blackmailing; we would bring the police under proper discipline.” “The people have stood by us. We have won a glorious victory!! “Congratulations are pouring in upon us from all the cities of the world!!!” “We will keep all our promises, and magnify and honor the law. NEW YORK SHALL BE REFORMED!” The German-Americans celebrated the fusion triumph in New York by a dinner in Brooklyn, one night last week. The guest of honor was Seth Low, mayor-elect, who made an address, in which he said: “What we want to do is to develop in every part of the city such a spirit of devotion to the entire city and its welfare that every hamlet in the land will be broadened when it tries to think of the greatest city in the land, which is renowned for its civic righteousness.” “The law against opening saloons on Sunday can not be enforced.” “Something must be done to prevent the saloon-keepers from breaking the law. They can not respect themselves so long as they are law-breakers. It demoralizes them to be in this attitude. We must have the law repealed; then they will be under no temptation to break it.” “So long as the law exists, the police will blackmail the saloon-keepers, and this demoralizes the whole force, and we [not Tammany], the reformers, are powerless either to close the saloons or to stop the blackmailing!” “It will not do to let them keep open all day—the ‘temperance folks,’ the ‘Sabbatarians,’ the ‘quiet class of people,’ the ‘Catholics and the Protestants,’ won’t stand it; the ‘up-State Legislature wouldn’t stand it.’ So we will keep them closed during morning church hours. We could enforce that law! They would keep it for fear of having their licenses taken away. They would close them in return for the privilege of keeping open all the rest of Sunday!” All these things have been printed by or with the consent of those high in authority among the reformers! We know where their sympathies are, what they have said, and all their propositions, some of which are as yet unpublished. We will put them in the possession of our subscribers in every town in the State. A more demoralizing scheme to license saloons, and give them special Sunday privileges, has never been concocted than this aftermath of reform. [In its next issue the Advocate says: “The Romans conquered the Greeks; but the Greeks forced their ideas on the Romans. The reformers have conquered Tammany, but they go back to it as a model.”] The Venezuelan revolutionists claim to have sunk a gunboat belonging to the government, and with the accessions to their forces it is claimed that they will soon effect the overthrow of the ruling party. A petition has been presented to the king of Denmark, signed by 34,000 of the inhabitants of the Danish West Indies, protesting against the sale of the islands to the United States. It is reported that there is strong opposition in the islands against coming under the sovereignty of the United States. It is even declared that the inhabitants are arming themselves and preparing to oppose the American forces if the sale of the islands to the United States is concluded. Reports from Washington indicate that the government is preparing itself to put down strenuously any such action by the inhabitants, and to deal with them as it is now dealing with the Filipinos. Much bitter feeling has been stirred up between the people of England and Germany over accusations and counter-accusations against the armies of the two nations. The Germans have accused the Britons of atrocities in South Africa, and have unsparingly caricatured and cartooned the British army and the British Government in the press. The English press has replied with much spirit, and the more conservative realize that there has come to be real danger in the unpleasant situation. It is not difficult in these days so to inflame whole nations as to lead to very serious consequences. The formation of the Northern Securities Company, a combination of railway companies, has opened the way for the formation of the most gigantic of trusts,—a universal railway trust. The spirit of confederacy is abroad in the world as never before, and the Securities Company, if carried to its possible extent, will mean the ultimate control by one organization of all transportation facilities. There are many who see that in this new development; and it must be admitted that there is a possibility, even a strong probability, that such will be the case. A correspondent from Samoa writes to the Cologne Gazette, giving an account of the work done by the German expedition sent to the South Sea Islands to avenge the death of Dr. Menke, who was killed by the natives. The correspondent asserts that Dr. Menke was killed because he ruthlessly cut down several of the food-bearing trees on the island, in spite of the protest of the islanders. The German expedition, according to this writer, killed eighty-one of the islanders as a punishment for causing the death of the German scientist. It is announced that Prince Henry of Prussia, brother of the emperor of Germany, will represent the emperor at the launching of the emperor’s new yacht which is being built at New York. The yacht is to be christened by Miss Alice Roosevelt, daughter of the President, and is to be named for her and for a niece of the emperor, whose names are the same. Great preparations are being made for the reception and entertainment of the prince upon his arrival and during his stay in this country. The proposal of Congressmen to make a Chinese exclusion law which would be even more stringent than the one now in force has brought a threat from China that she would resort to retaliation in case such a law was adopted. The Chinese minister at Washington has represented to Secretary Hay that the United States would no longer be entitled to the commercial privileges of the “most favored nation” if an exclusion law were passed in a more stringent form. The railway has already invaded the Holy Land; but an American syndicate is now arranging to build a system of electric railways from Cairo, Egypt, to Mount Sinai, thence across the Red Sea and along the Syrian and Arabian coast to Mecca, with a branch line running from Sinai to Damascus, which is expected to join at Jerusalem the line now being operated in Palestine. On January 9 the Senate chamber of Paraguay was transformed into a battle-field, where the enemies and supporters of the president indulged in a pitched battle. One senator was killed, and several were wounded. The president was deposed, and placed in prison by his opponents, and it is thought unlikely that he will again be allowed to take the reins of government. The Secretary of War has sent to Congress an estimate of the cost of the fortifications necessary for the protection of the island of Guam and the Hawaiian Islands, as follows: for Guam, $307,000, and for Hawaii, $526,000. It is stated that these fortifications are urgently needed for the protection of these new acquisitions. On January 7 the Chinese imperial court entered the city of Peking, the royal personages being carried between long avenues of kneeling troops. There was a most gorgeous display of silk banners and oriental finery. For the first time in the history of China, foreigners were permitted to witness the imperial parade. England’s call for volunteers to fill the places of those whose terms of service have expired or are soon to expire in the South African service, has resulted in the enlistment of but a small number. Very few are willing to risk their lives in a tiresome war for the mere pittance of a shilling a day. At the Pan-American Congress now in session in the city of Mexico, practically a crisis has been reached in the matter of carrying through a plan for compulsory arbitration. The delegates from Chile threatened to leave the congress in case the act went through in its proposed form. The new French minister to China has refused to present his credentials to the Chinese court until China shall yield to certain demands of the French Government. Because of this, the joint audience of the foreign ministers and the new Chinese ministers has been postponed. A serious anti-clerical riot broke out in Madrid on January 10. The rioters broke into and set on fire a Jesuit monastery, whereupon the troops were called out and fired upon the rioters. The casualties were not given, but many went down under the fire of the soldiers. On the night of January 13 about 1,000 members of Denver’s recently-organized Vigilance Committee began patrolling the streets of that city for the purpose of protecting the residents from the burglars and thugs, who have been at work there for many months. Rear-Admiral Schley has appealed to the President for a reversal of the decision of the court of inquiry in his case. The President has referred the matter to the attorney-general, and it is reported that he will also look into the merits of the case for himself. A great building is soon to be erected in Chicago for the accommodation of the Olympic games. The building will be capable of seating 75,000 people, and will be so arranged that it can be roofed or unroofed at pleasure by the simple act of pressing a button. The Chinese empress has expressed through Minister Wu Ting Fang her thanks and appreciation for the work done by the United States forces in protecting the buildings of the Forbidden City in Peking during the occupation of Peking by the foreign forces. In accordance with the recommendation of the military governor of Cuba, the American garrison of Puerto Principe has been ordered to return to the United States. This is admitted to be the beginning of a general withdrawal of American forces from the island. It is reported that Turkey has decided to fortify Tripoli and re-enforce it with a garrison to be equipped with the most modern weapons. This is done to forestall the occupation of that port by any power for the purpose of making forced collections. An English arithmetician has figured it out that the cost of the Boer war to England up to the present time would amount practically to the weight of the entire Boer army in gold, assuming that the Boer army contained originally 22,870 men. A contract has been let for the sewering and paving of the city of Havana, Cuba. The contract provides that the work shall be finished within four years, and the contractors are to receive for the work $10,649,000. There has been considerable trouble between Russian soldiers and American and British sailors at Newchwang, China, recently, resulting in strained relations between the representatives of these nations at that place. The United Daughters of the Confederacy have entered upon a systematic war against the play known as “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” which is a dramatization of the book by that name, written by Mrs. Stowe. A prominent clergyman of New England has declared that liquor-drinking among leading society women is alarmingly on the increase; that it is increasing even faster than the gambling vice. The steam collier Bristol, plying between Vancouver and Alaskan ports, was wrecked on Green Island on the night of January 2, going down with her captain and six members of her crew. An American company is undertaking to build a railroad in China from Canton to Hankow, a distance of 750 miles, under the protection and guarantee of the Chinese director of railways. The financial statement of the French Minister of Finance shows a still further decrease of the national revenue. France’s total deficit for the year just closed amounts to $36,130,000. On January 10 the Nicaragua Canal Bill passed the House of Representatives with only two dissenting votes. Even its best friends do not hope for as easy a victory in the Senate. The total population of the United States, including Porto Rico, Guam, Hawaii, and the Philippines, as given out by the Census Bureau, now stands at 84,233,069. The list of deaths due to the recent New York tunnel collision has now reached 17, several having died from injuries sustained in that accident. The value of the property destroyed by fire in the United States during the past year reached the enormous total of $153,750,000. A Virginia inventor has patented a mail-car which is expected to carry mails overland at the rate of 400 miles an hour. Gen. Santos J. Zelaya, president of Nicaragua, has been unanimously re-elected for another term of four years. An epidemic of smallpox is reported in London, there being 900 cases at present in the metropolis.