p. 591 | News and Notes by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 24, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 37.

News and Notes.

By Editor

FOR THE WEEK ENDING JULY 17.

RELIGIOUS.

—Rev. Henry A. Adams, formerly rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Buffalo, and later of the Church of the Redeemer of New York, has joined the Roman Catholic Church.

—The pope has notified the Moniteur de Roma that it must refrain from further discussion of the school question. The prohibition, it seems, was called forth by a too free use of papal utterances on the subject.

—Rev. S. H. Smith, a colored minister from Texas, is conducting revival services in this city for the benefit of his race. But his main object in coming to California, he says, is to locate some five or six hundred colored people from Texas who propose to come here at an early date.

—A company of Mormon missionaries are at work in the neighborhood of Beaver Dam Station, Hanover County, Virginia. They have, it is said, converted thirty-three persons in and around the little station of Beaver Dam. Most of these are young women who, it is said, expect to emigrate to Utah in the fall.

—Here is some more Church and State, and a good illustration of Catholic missionary work. The new Catholic Church at Whittier, Cal., was dedicated by Bishop Mora last Sunday. A train from Los Angeles carried 600 Catholics to attend the services. The boys from the State Reform School were present in a body.

—The Advance says: "The Presbyterian World's Fair Committee, acting by order of the General Assembly, upon learning of Chief Justice Fuller's Sunday opening decision, immediately requested permission to withdraw their exhibit. This was refused, and the exhibit is therefore allowed to stay unpacked in the boxes."

—The Baptist ministers of San Francisco have voted to set apart Monday, July 24, as a day of special fasting and prayer, in view of the present state of things in San Francisco and vicinity. Among the evils deprecated are "increasing religious unrest and unbelief, sabbath desecration more prevalent than ever, worldliness and mammonism in the churches spreading to an alarming extent, and faithful ministers driven into secular employment to win their bread."

—Both the Christian Endeavor Society and the Epworth League have asked to withdraw their exhibits from the World's Fair. Of this action the Advance says, "The rising generation is acting with spirit on the Sunday-opening question." What "spirit" is it that resorts to retaliation upon the world because it insists upon conducting its attractions in a worldly manner? Professedly Christian institutions have no legitimate business to have an incorporate connection with the world under any circumstances. Of his disciples the Saviour says, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."

—Speaking of the present pope as an "astute potentate," and of his ambition to restore the ancient prestige of the church, the California Christian Advocate says: "The American people need to keep diligent watch on the Roman hierarchy, which has always been the foe of republican institutions." The fact is, the Papacy is only the foe of republican institutions where such institutions cannot be used to further the ends of the papal church. The apostolic delegate is now playing in a very liberal role in the United States, and there are few means now being used with greater efficiency in the restoration of the papal precedents than the republican institutions of this country and of France. And there can hardly be found a more potent factor in the upbuilding of papal influence in the United States than the action of the nominally Protestant churches in advocating Sunday laws and other religious legislation.

—A Shanghai dispatch of July 10 says it was reported that a fanatical mob in the province of Shan Tung had severely maltreated an American missionary a few days ago. It is also stated that the Mandarins in Hankow and Sung Pu now are known to have connived at the recent murders of Swedish missionaries. The natives, after having mutilated the bodies of the missionaries, hid them and refused to surrender them.

—Two years ago Bishop Matse of Denver issued an order that no children be received for the first communion and confirmation who had not for at least two years previously been attending the parish school or some other Catholic school. The bishop was a bitter opponent of Archbishop Ireland's policy. Satolli, the papal delegate, has now issued instructions characterizing Matse's decree as a harsh and injurious measure which must be ignored, and further, that greater care and charity are to be exercised in giving religious instruction and administering the sacrament to children who do not attend the parochial schools.

—A St. Petersburg dispatch says that at Yalta, on the Crimea, the Jews were recently ordered to retire to their houses for several days. They refused to obey the order, and the clergy exhorted the population to rise and expel them. Last week an anti-Jewish mob took possession of the streets, broke into the houses occupied by Jews, and tried to drive the occupants from the town. The Jews fought back. Dozens were dragged into the streets and beaten, and many were killed. Houses owned by the Jews were plundered and wrecked. Troops were called to restore order. None of the rioters were killed and but a few were injured.

SECULAR.

—The State of California is now caring for 3,400 insane persons in its public asylums.

—Another revolution has been started in Nicaragua, and the president and general of the army have been taken as prisoners.

—The Grand Army of the Republic posts of Pittsburg, Pa., will test in the courts the right of the Pension Bureau to cut off the allowance of 125 pensioners in that district.

—A large cold-storage warehouse connected with the World's Fair at Chicago was destroyed by fire last week, and twenty persons were burned to death, most of whom were firemen.

—Last year corn was so scarce in Mexico that it was admitted from the United States free of duty in order to avert famine. This year it is said the crop is the most abundant known for years.

—The citizens of Santa Fé, N. M., experienced three lively earthquake shocks on the 12th inst. The shaking of everything movable and the frightening of the people were the worst results.

—The Belgium Chamber of Deputies has voted for such a revision of the constitution as will enable the government to acquire colonies. The annexation of the Kongo Free State is in contemplation.

—The railroad village of Maxwell, Colusa County, this State, was the scene of a destructive incendiary fire on the 12th inst. Thirteen buildings were burned, and the loss is said to foot up nearly $100,000.

—Of the three Anarchists recently pardoned out of the Illinois penitentiary, one is already married, the bride being a prominent Chicago saloon keeper. This will no doubt add to his efficiency as a machine politician.

—During a storm in Kalamazoo, Mich., on the 13th inst., lightning struck in ten places in the city, including the First Presbyterian Church. Great damage to property not only in the city but also in the country is reported.

—Four native Guatemala musicians, in charge of Gustavo E. Guzman, passed through San Francisco last week en route to the World's Fair. They had with them their national instrument, the marimba, on which they all play at once, using hammers as on a xylophone.

—A destructive fire occurred at Princeton, Ind., on the 12th inst. The Methodist and Presbyterian Churches, a large hotel, a bank building, and several other business houses were destroyed, entailing a loss of about $300,000. A number of persons were seriously injured.

—The latest report from the cholera districts of Russia is dated the 12th inst., and is as follows: Polonia, 310 new cases, 100 deaths; Khazexon, 18 new cases, 9 deaths; Tonia, 8 new cases, 3 deaths. At Alexandria, Egypt, same date, the report was 85 new cases, and 40 deaths.

—It is a significant fact that of the numerous cases of bank failures in the country, many have fallen as a result of official dishonesty rather than of any stringency in business. The bank failures through the dishonesty and incompetency of bank officials have caused much of the strain in other business operations.

—The medical delegate sent to Mecca by the Egyptian Boards of Quarantine states that the number of deaths of pilgrims from cholera is double that reported officially, and that, it being impossible to bury the dead, the roads are strewn with decomposing corpses, and unless these are interred speedily another deadly epidemic will soon make its appearance.

—Labor strikers have before them another object lesson. At Leavenworth, Kansas, a dispatch of the 11th inst. says: "The coal miners' strike here, which has been on six weeks, in sympathy with the strike in Southeastern Kansas, is declared off. It is believed that the same result will be reached throughout the State soon. The men return to work at the wages offered before the strike."

—The fruit-canning industry in California is materially crippled by the stringency of the money market. In years past the banks were anxious to loan money to the canners on warehouse receipts, but this year they cannot procure money in that way, and of course cannot purchase fruit very extensively. It is a hard blow to the thousands of women, boys, and girls who depend upon the canneries for a few months' work every season.

—Chief Jones, of the Choctaw Nation, wants to execute nine of his tribe who have been condemned to death by the laws of the nation. A strong faction is opposed to the execution, and the U. S. Government has interfered and proposes to investigate. Chief Jones yields to an investigation because he is powerless to help himself, but he asserts in strong terms that the government has no right to interfere with the internal affairs of the Choctaw Nation after guaranteeing absolute self-government.

—Rev. J. H. Ingham, a missionary, who has been six years in China, arrived in San Francisco last week, on the way to his old home at Cape May. Mr. Ingham has been stationed at Peking, and he says there is no flurry there or elsewhere in China, so far as he knows, in regard to the Geary law. "The great body of the Chinese," he said, "know nothing of it. The knowledge is mostly confined to officials and those who read, but the millions are in ignorance of the whole matter. I do not anticipate there will be any trouble."

—The recent misunderstanding between the French and the government of Siam resulted in an attempt on the part of five French gunboats to run a blockade of war ships and forts at the mouth of the Nenani River in order to reach Bangkok, the Siamese capital. A lively but short brush resulted in two of the French boats getting by, but a dispatch boat accompanying them was sunk. Fifteen Siamese were killed and thirty wounded, while the French loss was but three killed and two wounded. It is said that the difficulties are now to be amicably settled.

—The German emperor has succeeded in getting his Army Bill passed by a very small majority. It provides for an immediate increase of 50,000 men to the peace footing of the army, and a gradual increase of 70,000. He will have a war footing army of 4,500,000 drilled men. The object is to stamp out socialism in the empire, but the leaders of the Social Democrats openly boast that Socialism permeates the masses from which the soldiers are drawn. Herr Babel stated in the Reichstag that the government could only get rid of the Socialists by killing them.