News from Russia, Denver, and Cuba
The nervousness of the Russian Government over the recent disturbances is strikingly shown in a late order suspending the publication for one week of one of the most influential and conservative journals in all Russia. This paper has usually been allowed greater latitude than any of the others in discussing government affairs, and the editorial to which the government objected was a mild suggestion in reference to the betterment of the condition of the laboring classes. The suspension of its publication has caused much excitement. Rioting is said to be now spreading to South Russia. At Kutais thousands of persons congregated around the theater and stoned the police, whereupon a detachment of Cossacks charged and dispersed the crowd. In the melee 13 policemen, 15 Cossacks, and 3 officers were severely injured. A saloon-keeper of Denver, Colorado, has enjoined the Fire and Police Board from interfering with the sale of liquor to women. The saloon-keeper contends that the constitutional amendment which gave women the electoral franchise abolished all sex discrimination, and that the city ordinance prohibiting women from frequenting saloons is class legislation and invalid. The judge has admitted that the position is well taken, and has issued the injunction. Serious reports are said to be coming to the Vatican in reference to the condition of the Catholic Church and the monastic orders in the Philippines and Cuba. According to this information, the pope sees the necessity of compelling the orders to adapt themselves to the situation created by the American occupation. Cardinal Gibbons is said to have made it clear to the pope that unless the orders give way, the American Government may expel them. Chinese troops from some of the southern provinces of China are said to be massing for the purpose of driving out the troops of the foreigners. The Chinese are embittered by the raids of foreign troops on inoffensive villagers. Many Chinese Christians are said to be traveling from Peking to Tientsin with all their effects because of their fear of further disturbances. An explosion of dust in a coal mine at Dayton, Tennessee, on May 27, resulted in the death of 21 of the miners who were below at the time of the accident. Nine others are reported terribly burned. The force of the explosion caused much caving in the mine, and many of the dead and injured were covered with rock and earth. The force of rebels now in the field in Colombia is said to number about 14,000. The report indicates that the port of Buenaventura is in the hands of the insurgents, and that they are planning the capture of Panama. The people generally are said to be in sympathy with the insurgents. Organized resistance to the British in South Africa has not yet been brought to an end, tho very few engagements are reported. On May 26 a strong force of Boers attacked a British convoy, but was finally driven off, the British losing in the encounter 4 killed and 30 wounded. The Presbyterian General Assembly, at its session of May 27, at Philadelphia, voted unanimously for the creed revision which has been the topic of discussion in Presbyterian circles for more than a year. This action came at the close of a four-days’ debate upon the question. An explosion of fire-damp occurred in the coal mine at Senghenydd, Wales, on May 24, entombing 78 of the miners. All hope of saving any of them has been abandoned. On May 26, 32 of the bodies had been taken out of the mine. President McKinley and party left San Francisco for Washington, D.C., on the morning of May 25, having cut short their tour in the West on account of the illness of Mrs. McKinley. A despatch from Batavia, island of Java, states that in the recent eruption of the volcano of Keloet 3 Europeans and 178 natives perished. An Italian anarchist who had been chosen by lot to assassinate Emperor William, attempted to commit suicide recently rather than carry out the decree of his society. He gave also the names of two of his comrades who had been chosen to take the lives of the President of France and the Czar of Russia. The body of another anarchist who had been selected to kill the German Emperor has been found in the Danube near Budapest. The Taft Commission has been steaming around the island of Mindanao, Philippines, during the past week, visiting the various ports and interviewing the leading inhabitants in reference to future government. Two important points are said to have been settled by this trip of the commission, namely, that Mindanao shall not be given local governments, and that slavery must be abolished there. Germany is preparing to reduce the number of her troops in China, and Count von Waldersee is preparing to leave that country. A portion of the British troops has also been ordered to move. In view of this movement of troops the Chinese emperor is said to have ordered his agents to prepare the palaces at Peking for the reoccupation of the Chinese court. Two French expeditions into northern and western Africa have demonstrated the navigability of several of the rivers of that part of Africa, and have also demonstrated the existence of vast areas of fertile land in that region. The French nation is planning to take advantage of these discoveries and assume control of that portion of Africa. The lower Yukon River, in American territory, is reported to be overflowing and doing much damage. The principal loss was sustained at Forty Mile, which was completely inundated. The loss is placed at $100,000, but is thought to exceed that amount. Many dumps of gold-bearing dirt have been completely or partially washed away. On May 26, two crowded electric cars on an Albany, N. Y., road came together at a high rate of speed while running for a switch. One of the cars was nearly telescoped by the other. Both of the motormen and three of the passengers were killed, and nearly every person on the cars was more or less seriously hurt. The King of England had a narrow escape from death on May 22 while sailing with Sir Thomas Lipton on the new yacht Shamrock II. A sudden squall swept everything from the deck of the vessel, and a falling spar barely missed the king. The Shamrock II. was taking a trial spin in preparation for the American cup race. John Alexander Dowie, concerning whose faith-cure doctrines much has been said of late, is now held for trial by the Chicago grand jury, on account of the death of one of his disciples who was denied medical attention. Two women attendants are also held for trial, being accused of criminal responsibility. A terrific wind-storm swept over Nevada, Utah, Southern Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado from May 23 to 25, doing damage to the amount of several hundred thousand dollars. Many buildings were unroofed or totally demolished, and telegraph and telephone lines in some sections were completely wrecked. The big strike of New York bricklayers has been declared off, the builders agreeing to the bricklayers’ demand for a rate of 60 cents an hour. The former rate was 55 cents an hour. The settlement of this strike, which has been in force for two weeks, will affect more than 20,000 men. Plans are now being pushed forward for the combination of all the labor unions of the country whose members are workers in metal. Such an organization is bound to be brought about in time, and when completed, will be a powerful force in the ranks of the trade unions. The machinists in the employ of the New York Central Railway have made a demand for a nine-hour work-day with the same pay they are now receiving, and threaten to tie up the road with a strike in case of the refusal of the company to grant their demand. The national strike of machinists is still in progress, and the strikers are claiming additions to their ranks. Many of the shops have granted the demands of the men for the shorter hours and higher rate of pay, and in such shops operations have been resumed. Because of certain rulings made by the British War Office which are objectionable to British army officers, 1,000 of the latter are reported to have resigned from the service. This concerted action of the officers is regarded as a serious matter in military circles. Work on the rapid-transit tunnel under the city of New York is now seriously impeded by a strike of the workmen. A complete tie-up of the work on the tunnel is threatened unless the demands of the laborers are granted. During the year past nearly 8,000 persons in Germany committed suicide. Half of these were victims of strong drink. The steamer Baltimore foundered on Lake Huron, on May 24, and 12 of her crew were drowned.