Words of Note

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 13, 1901

The death of the queen of England has spread a pall over England and her colonies, and all are in mourning. The high esteem in which the queen was held by the whole world has been abundantly testified by the universal expressions of sympathy from all quarters of the globe. The Senate and House of Representatives passed resolutions of sympathy with the English people, and as a further mark of respect the House adjourned. The flags of all nations were half-masted, and the French Government has planned to be represented at the funeral by an extraordinary embassy. The Prince of Wales on January 23 was proclaimed King Edward VII., and declared his intention of being a constitutional sovereign in the fullest sense of the word. The German emperor’s presence at the bedside of the dying queen, and his determination to remain in England until after the funeral, on February 2, has created for him a feeling of warm friendship in the hearts of the English. King Edward has appointed the German emperor a field marshal in the British army, and has conferred upon the German crown prince, Frederick William, the Order of the Garter.

The evidence seems to be accumulating that the outcome of China’s present troubles will be the apportionment of the empire among the European powers or the regulation of China’s affairs in such a way that they will be taken entirely out of China’s hands. There is fear, however, that when spring comes, the powers will find themselves confronted with a powerful Chinese army bent upon the extermination of everything foreign. Russia is collecting immense stores of provisions and munitions of war at the port of Vladivostock, and it is reported that already she has collected a large army there, but whether to assist in the subjugation of China or to assist China against the other powers is not known. The press reports indicate that Russia is negotiating with China for the cession of three eastern provinces, agreeing, in case her requests are granted, to assist China against the powers. The Russian admiral has protested against a British naval expedition to certain islands near Port Arthur, and England is sending two more battle-ships to China.

A report from the Philippines states that many of the Filipinos are taking the oath of allegiance to the United States, but small engagements continue to take place in various parts of the archipelago. A despatch from Manila states that after mature deliberation, 10,000 Catholic members of the Federal party have resolved to separate completely from the Vatican, believing the doctrines of Rome detrimental to the progress of the country. Those favoring a middle course proposed the formation of a Philippine synod, but the majority demanded complete emancipation from Rome. The Federals are working for a complete separation of Church and State and the expulsion of the friars. The leading Federalists seem to be resolved upon the complete elimination of the friars or the renunciation of the Church of Rome.

Eight men have just put thru an enterprise which brings under one management seven great railway and steamship systems operating continuously from Europe across the Atlantic, across the United States, and across the Pacific to the shores of Asia. The amount of capital involved is not far from a thousand million dollars, and millions of human beings are directly affected by the combination. These systems are not all owned by these men, but are brought under their control for the purpose of making them earn the greatest possible dividends. It is but another instance of gigantic combination for the production of wealth, another step in the work of piling up riches to burn with the world.

The holders of the bonds issued by Spain for the prosecution of the war in Cuba have a powerful lobby at Washington, seeking in some way to establish a claim against this government or Cuba whereby they can get back the money they loaned to Spain. They have also been working in Cuba with the Cuban Constitutional Convention, seeking to have some provision made in the new constitution for the payment of the war bonds. Having met with defeat there, they will try to prevent the acceptance of the Cuban constitution by the United States until provision is made for the payment. The bonds issued by Spain on account of the Cuban war amount to $450,000,000.

At the session of the Midcontinent Congress of Religions held in Chicago on January 24, Dr. R. A. White, of that city, took strong grounds against the subsidizing of American educational institutions by wealthy men. Institutions which have been so endowed, he declared, “are to lose their power of spreading education; are to become narrow and restricted; and, finally, are to suffer absolute disintegration.” He stated that recent events at certain colleges had caused a suspicion in the public mind that an autocratic influence had already been thrown over professors and students.

The bill which passed the Senate last session authorizing the laying of a cable from the Pacific Coast to Honolulu, Guam, and the Philippines will not, according to present plans, be taken up in the House during this session of Congress.

The London police report shows a most unfavorable condition during the past year in regard to drunkenness. The report showed an increase in the number of saloon-keepers proceeded against, and an increase of 50 per cent. in the number of persons convicted of drunkenness. A similar gloomy report was made at the Brewster Sessions of the county borough of Dudley. During the last nine years there had been a steady increase in intemperance, and a specially marked increase last year, which was attributed to the increased earnings of the people.

There has been great distress in the province of Shansi, China, on account of the famine, and thousands are said to have died. The Chinese court ordered rice to be given to the destitute; but native Christians were to be discriminated against and punished if they even begged for food. The foreign envoys in China laid the matter before Prince Ching and Li Hung Chang, and these officials at once ordered that Christians in these provinces be treated the same as others, under penalty of decapitation.

Serious fighting is again reported from Venezuela between government troops and the rebels. The latest battles occurred on the mainland near Guiria and Carupano, resulting in final defeats for the government troops. The government forces are reported to have lost 250 men in the fight at Carupano. Trouble in the central States seems to be growing, and the Venezuelan Government is renewing its protests to Colombia against furnishing arms and ammunition to the rebels.

The Treasury Department has ordered the revenue cutter Grant to cruise along the North Pacific Coast in search of missing vessels and shipwrecked crews. Twenty-five vessels along this coast are missing, and the perilous work laid out for the Grant is expected to bring relief to many stranded mariners, as well as to ascertain the fate of the missing vessels.

It has been ascertained by the Pennsylvania peace officers that many women in male attire have joined the bands of tramps that infest that State. The tramp problem has become serious in that State during the last few months. At Bloomsburg working upon the streets with ball and chain is the punishment prescribed for tramps of both sexes.

A combination of gum and tobacco is being manufactured and sold by unscrupulous tobacco dealers for the purpose of luring children into the habit of using tobacco. The matter was brought to the attention of the superintendent of education of Chicago, on account of the illness of several pupils from chewing the concoction.

A Paris Socialist journal, the Petit Sou, recently announced that it was prepared to sell arms to all its subscribers at a moderate price, being convinced that the arming of the nation was essential to its welfare. The French Government watched the proceedings for one week, and then seized the entire lot of arms.

Cities and towns along the Ohio River have begun a crusade against undesirable negroes. The trouble began with the lynching of two negroes for the murder of a white barber. All strange negroes are to be arrested, and those who can not give satisfactory account of themselves will be made to break rock.

A beautiful fountain was completed in Hippodrome Square, Constantinople, on January 27, the gift of Emperor William to the sultan of Turkey. The sultan ordered two solid silver ewers filled with water from this fountain and sealed, one for the kaiser and one for himself.

A divorce was granted to a woman in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, recently, because her husband was an excessive cigaret smoker, the judge holding that continual indulgence in this habit was as debasing as inebriety, and therefore gave the woman statutory grounds for the divorce.

General Joseph Wheeler, who has spent some time in the Philippines, tells us, in an article in the Independent, that “the leading people in the Philippine Islands are an educated and intelligent people, and are far more fitted for Statehood than New Mexico was in 1848.”

The President has requested Congress to provide immediately a civil government for the Philippines. The islands are as yet entirely under the control of the War Department, the Philippine Commission reporting to that department instead of to the President direct.

A Cleveland inventor has been granted a patent for a novel hill-climbing device for automobiles, which automatically lowers the gear of the vehicle according to the steepness of the hill being climbed.

A disastrous fire occurred at Montreal on the night of January 23, causing a property loss of more than $2,000,000. The firemen were unable to check the conflagration until the following morning.

W. J. Bryan’s paper, the Commoner, published at Lincoln, Nebraska, made its first appearance January 23. It is a three-column, eight-page paper, slightly larger than the ordinary magazine.

The czar has so far recovered from his sickness as to be able to return to St. Petersburg, where, with the czarina, he was given an enthusiastic reception on January 27.

The viceroy of India reports to the British Government that a famine will be inevitable in a number of provinces of India during the coming year, owing to lack of rain.

Prominent senators at Washington are threatening to hold back the River and Harbor Bill, unless the Ship Subsidy Bill is passed at the present session of Congress.

Andrew Carnegie is reported to have secured control of the Pressed Steel Car Company, which is paying a dividend of over $2,000,000 a year.