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The Commoner. 7
NEWS OP THE WEEK
DECEMBER 18, 1903.
CONDENSED
An Associated press dispatch under date of
Houston, Tex., December 3, says! The Texas
chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy to
day adopted the following resolution: "Whereas,
the president of the United States by Ills recent
course toward the republic of Panama, has shown
to the world his indorsement of the principle of
the right of secession; and, Whereas, the people of
the northern states by the acceptance and ap
proval of his course, have shown that, they have
been led by him out of the fog of ignorance to
the bright realms of truth attained by the south
ern statesmen so many years ago; be It, Resolved,
that we extend to the president the hearty thanks
of the Daughters of the Confederacy of the state
of Texas, in convention assembled, for his in
dorsement of the principles and his vindication of
the cause for which the southern people fought
so gloriously, but so disastrously,"in the war be
tween the states."
'On December 7 it was reported by the Asso
ciated press from Baltimore that in the United
States district court, in the case of Columbus
Ellsworth Upton and Thomas W. McGregor, on
trial for conspiracy to defraud the government on
mail pouch contracts, Judge Morris overruled the
prayer of. attorneys for the defense to take the
case from the jury on the ground that the govern
ment had failed to prove a prima facie case
against the. accused. Judge Morris also refused
the motion of the 'defense to make the govern
ment elect upon which of the counts in the in
dictment it relies for a conviction.
In the circuit court at Brooksvillo, Ky., on
December 5 Judge James P. Harbeson rendered a
decision in a case wherein the school trustees of
that city wore enjoined -from allowing tho Bible
to be read in the public schools on the ground
that it was a violation of the constitution. ' Judge
Harbeson dismissed the injunction asked for and
declared in unqualified terms that the Bible is
the foundation of all Christian governments and
that the use of it in the public schools is not sec
tarian. The special session of the legislature of Mon
tana' which convened for the primary purpose of
enacting a "fair trial" law, adjourned on Decem
ber 11. The "fair trial" bill, which allows changes
of venue in civil cases, and provides for the re
view by the supreme court of matters of fact, as
well as of law, and other legislation were passed.
An "initiative and referendum," which was re
ferred to by the governor in his messago, was
ignored by the assembly.
Some interesting statistics In regard to the
growth of tho population of Germany in 1902 were -recently
given out from Berlin.' These statistics
show ttmt the increase in 1902 was the greatest
over know, amounting to 15.1 per 1,000. The gain
is said to be due to the diminished death rate in
Germany which was 20.5G in 1902, as compared
with 22.G8 for tho previous decade.
The first two convictions in the postal frauds
cases were brought about at Baltimore, Md., on
December 8 when former Postal Clerks T. W. Mc
Gregor and C. E. Upton were convicted in tho
United States district court of conspiracy to de
fraud the government. Appeals for a new trial
were made immediately upon their conviction.
In a conflict between the striking miners and
the mine guards at Trinidad, Colo., on December 8
four miners were shot, of whom one was killed
and two others fatally wounded. This affair has
aroused the miners at Trinidad to a high pitch
and serious trouble is looued for.
Tho receivership appointed over the affairs at
Zion City, Chicago, some time ago because or
the financial troubles of its founder, John Alex
ander Dowie, was dissolved on December 8 and
Dowie is again in control of the city and all Its
industries.
News from Vienna on December 10 conveyed
tho information that Austria-Hungary has formal
ly recognized the independence of Panama, me
same action has also been taken by the govern
ment of Denmark and also of Belgium.
On December 9 the Ohio commission on uni
form laws filed its report with the governor. The
commission recommends an act to establish a law
uniform with the law of other states relative to
divorce' proceedings.
It was made known on December 8 that trou
ble has sprung up in Beirut in consequence of
some diplomatic incident in which the consul at
that place, Mr. Davis, was involved. It seems
that an American at Alexandretta had been ar
rested and had been liberated through tho efforts
of tho American consul on condition that tho of
fender immediately leave tho country. Some trou
ble arose, however, and tho police Interfered and
rearrested tho offender and the consul formally
broke off relations with the Turkish authorities
by leaving the consulate. It is not thought, how
ever, that any serious consequences will ensue,
but that friendly relations will bo maintained be
tween this country and Turkey.
A dispatch dated Havana, December 7, and
carried by tho Associated press, says that that
day was observed as a national holiday in Cuba,
it being the seventh anniversary of the death of
General Maceo, who was ldlled while daringly at
tempting to raise an army in Havana province,
with which to attack Matanzas, and also tho anni
versary bf the death of General Gomez' eldest son,
who was Maceo's aid-de-camp, and who was shot
while trying to rescue Maceo's body. The cere
monies at Cascajual, whero Maceo was buried,
were attended by a throng of peoplo from Ha
vana, including government officials and clergy.
The federal grand jury in session at Omaha,
Neb., on December 10 indicted Elliott Lowe of
Huntley, Alma county, Neb., on the charge of con
spiracy in the trafficking in postoffices. Senator
Dietrich and Postmaster Jacob Fisher of Hast
ings are the first two who were indicted by tho
same jury some time ago. In addition to these
indictments, true bills have been returned against
twenty-one cases under investigation, ot which
cases the most important are against cattlemen
for illegal fencing of public lands.
I Mr. Bryan's European Letters. J
I Next week's issue of The Commoner
$ will contain the first of a series of Euro- $
$ pean letters by Mr, Bryan. These letters
& will deal with social and business condi- JjJ
tions in Great Britain, France, Germany 3
and other countries visited by Mr. Bryan,
and will be of unusual interest to Ameri- g
can readers. d
According to a statement recently issued by
the American board of commissioners for foreign
missions at New York, no less than G8,000 peoplo
have fled from the ravages of a strange epidemic,
known as the "sleeping sickness," 10,000 of these
within the last five months. The sickness rages
mostly in the Congo regions of Africa and a com
mission sent from England to investigate the dis
ease has decided that it is scattered by a fly called
kivu. No antidote for this strange sickness has
yet been discovered.
The anti-slavery law passed in October last
by thp legislative council of the Moro province,
was recently proclaimed in Moroland by Major
General Wood. A proposition is also on foot to
establish the native Moros on lands which will be
assigned to them by the sultan and dattos at a
rate of valuation sufficient to provide a moderate
income to the owners.
According to advices from Peking, under date
of December 7, it appears that Russia is conclud-'
inc an agreement with China whereby the gov
ernment of Manchuria is to be confided to tho
Russians. Although nominally Chinese authority
will bo confirmed in the province, Russia will be
given an advisory share in its government.
An associated press cablegram from Chris
tiana under date of December 10, says: The Nor
wegian parliament has awarded the annual Nobel
neace prize, ?39,150, to William R. Cremer M. P.,
Sisher of the Arbitrator of London, for his
wor in betfalf of the International arbitration.
It wag mado known rocontly that tho gov
ernment of Colombia would make an effort to
march troop3 upon Panama In tho hope of con
quering tho isthmus and restoring it again to Co
lombia. Later it was announced, howover, that
all hopo in that direction had boon given up In
Colombia as it seems to bo tho intention of the
United Statos government to protoct Panama. It
is said that Gonoral Reyes has advlRed Ills coun
trymen to do no violence and that thin advice
will be followed and the isthmus of Pannma will
bo left unmolested.
Measures are boing takon In England looking
to restriction of nlieti emigration. It is roported
that one of tho leading bills in parllnmont next
Bossion will be a bill looking to this purpoMe, which
bill Is to be basod somewhat upon tho laws now In
force in tho Unitod Statos. Educational tents and
also property requirements will bo Imposod on all
aliens coming to English shores.
The opposition on the part of Russia to the
proposed opening of the port of Yongampho,
Korea, to the commerce of the world wns sup
ported by the arrival recently of eight Russian
warships at tho port of booul. It is announced
that a force of 3,000 men will be marchod to tho
Korean capital if tho conditions Imposod are resisted.
The convention of tho Interstate Indepondont
Telephone association was recently hold at Chi
cago, 111. As a result of arrangements made It
is announced that more than -1,000 independent
telephone companies comprising those of eleven
states will be merged Into ono company with
property interests amounting to more than $200,-000,000.
The wages of about 15,000 mill operatives wero
reduced 10 per cent on December 7 In tho mills at
New Bedford, Fltchburg, Baltic, Conn., Mshor
vllle, Mass., and Pawtucket, R. I. This makes a
total of abdut 80,000 mill hands who have had
their wages lowered recently, throughout the In-,
dustrial centers of New England alone.
Tho Missouri supremo court on December 9
roversed the decision of the lower court and re
leased Edward Butler of St. Louis, under nen
tence of attempted bribery. It will bo romom
bered that the case against Butler arousod much
interest In the prosecutions against tho boodlers
at St. Louis instituted by Attorney Folk.
Tho Unitod States flag was hoisted on De
cember 11 over the Cuban port of Ouantanamo,
whero a naval station has been established. Ic is
said that the Cubans do not look with pleasure on
this move on the part of tho United Statos, but
are inclined to regard it as an act unjustly im
posed on them by a stronger power.
Halt T. Lewis, prominent as a politician In
the state of Georgia and formerly associate jus
tice of the supreme court of that state, died at
Greensboro, Ga., on Docember 10 at the age of 60
years. Ho was a prominent delegate to the demo
cratic convention held in Chicago in 189C.
It was announced from Paris In cablegrams
on December 10 that the czar of Russia had sig
nified his approval of the general conditions pre
liminary to a Russo-Japanese agreement.
Mr. Bryan on Bimetallism
(Continued from Page 3.)
This ruling of the treasury department was
followed by tho presentation or treasury notes
and a demand for gold, and tho drain upon gold
which followed was used as an argument in favor
of the repeal of tho purchase clause or the law.
The treasury note was declared to be an endless
chain, although it only became an endless chain
when the department surrendered the option
which the law expressly conferred upon it. It
may be added that tho same endless chain argu
ment has been made against the greenback, and
can be made against the silver dollar if it is ever
made specifically redeemable in gold.
(Concluded Next Week.)
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