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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 22, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 21.

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Items of Current News

The Planters, Bankers, and Merchants' Association of Porto Rico sometime ago appointed a delegation to visit the United States and lay before the people and the officials the condition of that island. A member of that commission makes the following statement in regard to conditions there: “Our people are starving and the island is in a worse condition under the rule of Governor Allen than it ever was before, even when Spain held sway. So hopeless is the state of affairs that fathers sell their daughters into slavery to keep them from dying of hunger. Those people who say the country is flourishing are the office-holders and professional politicians.”
The New York Herald states that Italy is making the United States a kind of dumping-ground for her brigands and paupers. Robbers who have been preying upon Italian merchants have been furnished with a liberal supply of money and induced to leave the country. Some of this class are now under police surveillance in the United States. Commissioner Murphy, of New York, states that Italian criminals are pouring into New York on every ship that brings immigrants.
According to a report from Little Rock, Arkansas, the State Senate has passed a bill making it unlawful for any person to drink any intoxicating liquor as a beverage, unless he shall have first obtained a license as a dram-drinker. This license fee is fixed at $5 per annum, and the penalty attached to its violation is $15 fine, or imprisonment for 30 days.
The German emperor recently issued a new code of regulations for Prussian schools, which requires that every pupil must learn by heart 291 verses of the Bible and 193 verses of hymns in addition to the catechism. The Vossische Zeitung says that this is the first step in carrying out the emperor’s recent warning regarding the demoralization of the youth of the country and the lack of religious training. The Converted Catholic, in commenting favorably upon this act of the emperor, says, “The pope does not like the decree, but the emperor will have his way.” But there is no real Protestantism in such a decree, even tho the emperor of Germany claims to be a Protestant. The spirit of the papacy is in it, even tho it is designed to promote Protestantism. The civil government has no right to compel men to be religious or act religiously or study religion. Its province is to see that men keep the peace. Christ commissioned His disciples to teach Him and His Gospel, and to baptize believers. To no government on earth was this commission given. The pope does not like the decree, and the emperor does; but neither is right in the matter. Governmental compulsion in matters of religion is always and everywhere wrong. The principle is papal, whatever the object in employing it. It is an invasion of the natural rights of man, whatever the motive that prompted it. It is contrary to the teachings of Christ, even tho the emperor who promulgated it claims to be a Christian. “Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” Matt. 22:21.
The representatives of the powers in China are reported to have agreed upon the amount of the war indemnity which they will demand of China; that is to say, $325,000,000. In case China signs an agreement to pay this amount, it is reported that the powers will at once begin to withdraw their troops, with the exception of legation guards and garrisons of troops between Taku and Peking. The legation guard which America will retain at Peking will not be under the orders of the German field marshal, but will act independently. The remainder of the American troops have begun to move toward the point of departure for Manila. A despatch from Tien-tsin states that everywhere among the Chinese there is a feeling of unrest; that petty attacks upon foreigners continue; that bodies of well-armed Chinese are secretly drilling; and that the situation demands the retention of foreign troops for the present.
On May 3 a terrible fire swept thru the city of Jacksonville, Florida, burning a section of the city thirteen blocks wide and two miles long. Altho it is known that lives were lost in the conflagration, it has not been possible to give anything like an accurate statement of the number of the dead. Several thousand persons are homeless and destitute, many, or most of whom have lost their all. The property loss is placed at $11,000,000. Calls for assistance have been made, and the response seems to have been quite liberal. A number of carloads of provisions have been shipped in for the destitute, and up to May 7 $50,000 had been received by the committee on distribution.
The British War Office announces that the number of officers and men who have lost their lives in the South African war is 14,978. In addition to this 318 men have been invalided home and subsequently died, while 2,493 noncommissioned officers and men have left the service unfit for duty. Notwithstanding this great sacrifice of men, British correspondents in the field report that there is urgent need of fresh troops to take the places of the soldiers who have become practically worn out with the hard campaign. General Delarey, the Boer commander, now has with him about 5,000 men near Hartbeestfontein, and three English generals are planning his capture. A battle appears imminent.
Sweden is proposing greatly to increase her army and navy expenditures. The proposals of the Riksdag Committee are to the effect that the army expenditures shall be increased to $10,500,000, and the navy expenditures to $3,270,000. This means a tax of nearly $3 for each man, woman, and child in the little kingdom for these expenses alone; or comparing it with the United States on a basis of population, it would be equivalent to an appropriation by the latter country of about $225,000,000 for war preparation alone. It can be seen from this that the spirit of preparation for war is permeating the smaller countries as well as the larger.
A report from the Philippines states that the liberation of 1,000 Filipino prisoners which was to signalize the issuance of Aguinaldo’s peace proclamation, is nearly complete, and the liberation of an equal number to celebrate General Tino’s surrender will begin this week. General Sumner has struck the force of General Cailles three times. It is reported that he has burned the Filipino general’s outfit and scattered his forces to the mountains.
Justice Jerome, one of the members of the New York Anti-Vice Committee of fifteen, has given notice of the intention of that committee to pursue vigorously the work of stamping out vice in that city. He declares that the committee is able to raise $1,000,000 if necessary, and that the war on vice is to be unrelenting.
Plans are now being perfected for the organization of a great American watch trust by the combination of the principal American watch-makers. It is also reported from Chicago that on May 6 plans were completed for the formation of a music publishing trust.
A report from St. Petersburg, Russia, bearing date of May 5, states that wholesale arrests and seizures were then being carried on by the government in connection with the alleged revolutionary movement. It is reported that persons of high position and reputation are involved. Several hundred persons, including men of considerable prominence, had been arrested on that date.
On May 6, by a majority of 106 votes, the House of Commons passed the coal tax resolution, which places an export tax of one shilling on coal. The measure was vigorously opposed all the way thru. It was prophesied by some of the members that there would follow a general strike of the coal operators, while others feared that American competition would cut out the English coal.
A movement is said to be now on foot for the consolidation of all the labor unions in this country. If this plan is carried out as proposed, it will mean the placing of all labor unions in one great society, which will be able to bring the entire force of union labor against any proposition that may arise. The power and danger of such a consolidation is not hard to realize.
Serious disturbances are reported from Southern Italy and the island of Sicily. The peasants in several provinces are in open revolt, and conflicts with the police are of daily occurrence. In some sections gardens and fields are lying waste. The municipality of Pioulles has suspended payment, strikes are extending thruout Southern Italy, and general misery prevails.
War rumors are again coming from Afghanistan. An agent of the Ameer has gone to Germany to purchase six batteries of guns for Cabul, and the Ameer is organizing an army of 100,000 which is to be equipped with modern weapons. It is feared that this war preparation is aimed at India, or that it is at least a plan of Russia’s to stir up trouble for England.
A report from Washington states that the administration has decided to reduce the army in the Philippines to 40,000. It is the plan of the War Department to have all the volunteers out of the Philippines by the end of June, and following their departure to bring home all the regulars in excess of 40,000.
There has been a brisk contention during the week in Wall Street between the Vanderbilts and Goulds for the control of the Union Pacific Railroad. The road is under the control now of the Gould syndicate; and according to last reports the efforts of the Vanderbilts to secure it had been unavailing.
According to reports from New York, plans are on foot for the consolidation of the various express companies of the United States into one great express trust. It requires but little reasoning to discover the outcome of such a scheme, which would control the entire carrying business of the country.
A report from Brazil states that the Roman Catholic mission established a few years ago by the Capuchins in Maragnone has been completely destroyed by a band of hostile Indians. Four priests, seven sisters, and more than 100 children, living in their orphan asylum, were killed.
Two cotton press establishments were burned in India on May 1, one at Amreeli and the other at Khamgaon. At the first-named place thirty-five of the forty-two employees were burned to death, and the others fatally burned. At Khamgaon eleven were burned to death.
A report from Russia states that a ferry boat carrying nearly 100 women, was overturned while crossing the Dnieper River, near Katchkarovka, and nearly all were drowned. The passengers were milk-women, and most of them had babes with them.
Reports from the Klondike indicate that this season’s clean-up will amount to about $30,000,000. It is stated that since the opening of the Cripple Creek mining region, more than $100,000,000 in gold have been taken out.
A report from New York states that five of the great ship-building concerns of this country have made arrangements for consolidating their interests, and forming a ship-building trust with a capitalization of $70,000,000.
Within the past one hundred years the national debts of the chief nations of the world have increased from $3,500,000,000 to $31,000,000,000, which is the aggregate of the national debts of the world at the present time.
Three hundred troops have been despatched to Sialkat, India, to suppress the plague riots. Twenty-five villages are in revolt in that district, and several hospital assistants have been killed or injured.
A report from Kansas City, Mo., states that as a direct result of the agitation created by Mrs. Carrie Nation, Mayor Reed has issued a positive order that all saloons must be closed on Sunday.
The city of San Jose, California, is now lighted with electricity produced in Amador County, 184 miles away.
It is reported that the Pennsylvania Legislature has decided to tax the cigarette out of existence in that State.
The population of Greenland at the present time is 10,974.