Worthy of Note

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 2, 1901

A “pithecanthropus erectus,” familiarly known as the “missing link,” has been found again in Iowa. The last finding of this much-sought animal was reported from the island of Java. Only a portion of the skull, a supposed tooth, and a supposed leg-bone, however, was found in Java, and the rest of the “link” was constructed by the discoverer. But this old burying-place of some tribe of flat-head Indians is solemnly pointed to as the mausoleum of the animal midway between the brute and the man. These men lived, according to the discoverer, 250,000 years ago, and of course only fragments of the skeletons were found. The “missing link” will always be missing, as it always has been; for the theories of men can not create what God did not suffer to exist, and they who pin their belief to such theories will find, when the Lifegiver comes, that they have been terribly mistaken. God’s Word is true, and He has told us the origin of man.

Despatches from South Africa bring news of a number of quite serious reverses to British arms. A detachment of Brabant’s Horse was surrounded by the Boers and lost 4 killed, 16 wounded, and 107 captured. General Clement’s force had a serious engagement with the Boers at Magliesberg, and were compelled to retire with considerable loss. Four companies of the Northumberland Fusiliers were captured by the Boers in this engagement, and the British were compelled to leave a part of their transport. The force of General De Wet succeeded in breaking thru the British lines and escaping. A company from Orange Free State have invaded Cape Colony at Aliwal North. A commando of the Boers is reported to have met complete defeat, with heavy loss, at the Orange River. This unexpected activity of the Boers is causing much uneasiness and no little dissatisfaction in England.

The American force in Peking has prohibited all looting in the section over which it has control, and General Chaffee’s vigorous protest to the German field marshal is reported to be bearing good results in this direction. The French Government has prohibited the landing of a quantity of loot at Marseilles, and this will be sent back to China. The representatives of the powers in China have not yet affixed their signatures to the joint demands which are to be made upon China, as England demands certain changes in the articles. It is believed that these changes will be concurred in. A noted French populist declares that the Chinese affair is an “inextricable mess,” which becomes more difficult as the powers go deeper into it; that it is a problem whose solution will not come for many years, and then without satisfaction to the parties involved.

The reckless carelessness for life and its value is again manifested thru the illness and death of a young cadet at West Point, who said that he was “hazed” several times at the academy, and that during the hazing a fiery fluid was poured down his throat that ruined both throat and stomach. This is called a Christian country, but surely no Christian would do such things as that. There is a sort of fluffy, frothy sentiment against such things, but in reality if there was a deep-seated conviction born of principle, holding men to the right, and the true, and the really noble, such things could not be of very frequent occurrence. This item may not seem like very much, but when taken with everything else that is transpiring, it means a great deal. It is something of an index of the spirit of the age.

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has agreed to recommend further amendments to the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty. One of these amendments declares that the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty supersedes the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, and another cuts out that article which requires that the treaty should be submitted to other powers for their acceptance. On December 13 the Senate so amended the treaty as to permit of fortification by the United States. These amendments are very distasteful to the press of England, and several influential journals declare that England can not ratify the treaty in such a form. Others, while deprecating the amendments, still believe that the treaty will be ratified.

It is now reported that the sultan of Turkey has contracted for the building of a cruiser in America, the price of the cruiser to include the missionary indemnity. A despatch from Constantinople suggests that Russia is prompting the sultan to refuse to grant the necessary papers for an American consulate at Harput. The despatch states that it is an open secret that the Russians dislike foreign consuls in Asia Minor, especially the Americans, whom they suspect of aiding the American mission work in Armenia. It is claimed, on what is considered good authority, that Russia has established many mission stations throughout Asia Minor, some of which are virtual arsenals.

There was an enthusiastic demonstration in Berlin on December 16, when the emperor reviewed a contingent of the troops which have recently returned from China. The emperor informed the world on this occasion that where he put his soldiers no one should remove them.

Exports from the United States to Porto Rico, Hawaii, Cuba, and the Philippines show a marvelous growth during the last two years. The total to all these islands for 1897 was $17,000,000. During the year 1898 there was an increase of $2,000,000; but during the year 1899 this had grown to $41,000,000; and for the present year the exports to these islands will aggregate $50,000,000. This is a splendid showing for commerce; but when we realize the deplorable fact that the great proportion of this has been exports of spirituous liquors, carrying with them their blighting, brutalizing influences, the record is one for lamentation rather than exultation.

The Italia, a paper published in Rome, announces that, after conference with the archbishop of Manila, the pope declares his conviction that the United States should retain its hold on the Philippines. The pope considered that it would gravely imperil Christianity and civilization if the United States should abandon the government of the islands. This opinion will be very pleasing to the liquor interests of America, to the army contractors, and to all in whom the spirit of individual liberty has died out through the glamour of militarism and expansion.

The Pension Appropriation Bill, which passed the House on December 15, carries $145,145,230. The bill for the reduction of the war revenue passed the House on the same day. As significant of the importance of beer in the legislation of the nation, that item stands first and most prominent of the articles upon which the tax reduction is to be made. That the liquor interests of the country should have been first to receive consideration in this matter, can hardly be said to be a source of congratulation for the inhabitants of the country.

Although several hundred Chinese in Hawaii became citizens by naturalization before Hawaii was a republic, and were afterward made citizens of the republic, and although what is known as the “Enabling Act” provides that all persons who were citizens of the Hawaiian Republic are citizens of the United States, yet a recent ruling of the Treasury Department at Washington declares that “naturalized Chinese citizens of Hawaii do not by virtue of the Enabling Act acquire the rights of citizenship of the United States.”

The Japanese minister to England is credited with saying that the missionaries are responsible for the recent trouble in China. He does not doubt the sincerity and honest purpose of the missionaries; but he says that “zeal is almost the entire outfit” of some of them, and “zeal without tact produces trouble.” When He first sent out the twelve, Christ charged His missionaries to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” His charge is still in force. Tact and discretion should go hand in hand with energy and zeal.

The production of gold and silver for the year 1899 in the United States and Territories, as recently published by the Director of the Mint, is as follows: Gold, $71,053,400; silver, $32,858,700. The gold product was the greatest in the history of the country. In the amount of gold and silver produced, the State of Colorado takes the lead, her mines having turned out $25,852,600 in gold and $13,197,540 in silver. California stands second in the list, and Alaska third.

A report from the City of Mexico states that the ruins of the ancient temples of the Aztecs have been found under the city, and many golden idols and precious stones belonging to the treasures of Montezuma have been unearthed. The report also states that $200,000 have been appropriated by the Mexican Government for the purpose of carrying on the excavations in this long-lost city of ancient Mexico.

Both the insurgents and the government troops of Colombia lost heavily in the recent battle at Tumaco. The rebels were not dispersed, but have joined another body of insurgents, and are operating near Buena Ventura.

(Worthy of Note—Continued from page 9.)

Hereafter it is said that the pope will keep most of his overplus of funds in the Bank of England. If kept in the Vatican, he fears continued robbery, such as has been going on in the past, and if deposited in Roman banks, the funds would be subject to Italian bank inspection; and there might come a time when these funds would be conveniently attached by the Italian Government.

Oriental advices state that the province of Kwangtung, China, is the scene of another revolution, whose purpose is the substitution of Chinese rulers for the present Manchu rulers, and the regeneration of China upon foreign lines. According to these advices 9 battles have been fought, in which the rebels have been uniformly victorious. They now have 30,000 armed men in the field.

The steamer Empress of India, which arrived at Vancouver, B. C., on December 12, brings news of a terrible typhoon which visited Hongkong, China. It was impossible to state the number of dead, which is placed by some as high as 4,000. A large number of ships and launches were driven ashore or sunk, and a great amount of property destroyed.

The question of a special coinage for the Philippine Islands is now receiving the attention of the administration. The plan is to purchase silver bullion at the present market value and coin it into silver dollars, which shall be worth fifty cents in gold, and have these take the place of the Mexican dollar, which is now in circulation in the islands.

On December 12 Adjutant-General Corbin argued before the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, upholding the continuance of the canteen. On the following day Archbishop Ireland and Bishop McGoldrick, of the Catholic Church, also appeared before the committee and upheld the canteen in the army.

An influential German newspaper, the National Zeitung, gives considerable space to a consideration of the United States as a world power. After pointing out the great progress of this country in the mercantile and political spheres, this paper declares that in both these respects the United States is arrayed against Europe.

The Marquise de Fontenoy declares that the influence of the present pope will be used to elect Cardinal Vives, a Spaniard, as his successor in the papal see. The Jesuits will labor to this end. Cardinal Vives is said to know more of the church in America than any other member of the sacred college save Satolli.

In Missouri, a girl eighteen years of age has been arrested for horse stealing. She fell into this criminal habit thru reading the dime-novel descriptions of notorious outlaws. This should be a warning to all parents to be on the sharp lookout to carefully supervise the reading of their children.

In view of the probable passage of the American ship subsidy bill, certain leaders of the English ship-building industry are planning to secure ship-building plants in the United States.

A serious financial crisis is threatened in Germany thru a decline in mortgage bonds.

Rev. Robert Jaffray, who has just returned from six years’ mission work in China, reports that he is in possession of information to the effect that Tibet is desirous of throwing off the yoke of China, and has invited both Russia and England to open up the country to the commerce of the world.

The Chicago Raw Food Society is planning to open raw-food restaurants in various cities of this country. The members of this society eat nothing that has been cooked, their theory being that cooking destroys the life cells of the food, thus decreasing its power of nutrition.

The German training-ship Gneisenau foundered at the entrance to the port of Malaga, Spain, where she was about to take refuge from the storm, on December 16. She carried 461 officers and cadets, the latter being in training for the navy. Of these 136 are reported lost.

By a vote in the French Chamber of Deputies on December 15, the manufacture or sale of the poisonous beverage known as absinthe is forbidden in France. The prohibition also applies to the sale in France of such American mixtures as gin fizz, cocktail, and sherry flip.

The largest gold fund in the world, $470,000,000, is owned by the United States. France comes next, with $442,000,000; Russia third, with $345,000,000; Austria-Hungary fourth, with $184,000,000; England fifth, with $162,000,000; and Germany sixth, with $120,000,000.

On December 14, Representative Newlands introduced an amendment to the War Revenue Bill, which he declared was for the purpose of compelling the trusts and large corporations to pay a share of the war revenue. It was lost by a vote of 90 to 119.

A plan is on foot in Minneapolis and St. Paul for the organization of a servant-girls’ union. The object of the union is the shortening of the hours of labor, the adjustment of wages, and the settlement of other questions connected with the servant-girl problem.

The shah of Persia, while visiting Paris recently, purchased a French automobile, and on returning to his country, made the trip from his landing-place in Persia to Teheran, the capital, on this steam-propelled vehicle, the first, no doubt, that ever entered that country.

Sixty-six of the company of Porto Rican natives who were being taken to Hawaii, sailed from San Francisco on December 14, the remainder fearing to embark lest they should become virtual slaves in the islands.

Steps have been taken by the War Department for the return of the volunteers now in the Philippines. According to the proposed plan, the first returning regiment will leave Manila on New Year’s day.

The one hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the seat of the Federal Government at Washington was celebrated in that city on December 12 with imposing ceremonies.

Not long since an army transport arrived in San Francisco with 54 army prisoners, 8 insane, and many dead. On the same day a 50,000-barrel cargo of beer left Vancouver for the Philippines.

The twentieth annual convention of the American Federation of Labor closed its session at Louisville, Ky., on December 15. Most of the old officers of the federation were re-elected.

Owing to the reported success of America in pressing the indemnity claims on the sultan, England is now pressing Turkey to pay similar claims put forward by British subjects.

The grand jury of Kennebec County, Maine, has returned indictments against every person in the county holding a United States “permit” to sell intoxicating liquors.

A remarkable record in shooting with heavy naval guns was recently made by the British battleship Terrible. The percentage of actual hits was 76.8.

Italy has declared her intention of keeping her troops in China until she “reaps the advantages of her participation in the action of the powers in China.”

A liquor license law has been adopted by the Taft Commission for the Philippine Islands. In the city of Manila, saloons are to be prohibited on certain streets.

France now claims the record for the fastest trains in the world, the Northern Railway of France having materially lowered its previous record for speed.

Two negroes were lynched at Rockport, Indiana, on December 16, and another on December 17, for the murder of a white barber whom they had robbed.

William J. Bryan has announced his intention of publishing a weekly newspaper at Lincoln, Nebraska, the title of which will be The Commoner.

The Taft Commission has passed an act authorizing the establishment of native police in the various cities of the Philippines.

A Chinese passenger boat was overturned near Hokau, China, on December 13, and 200 of the passengers were drowned.