Events and Comments

EVENTS AND COMMENT b. BY EDWARD H. ANDERSON.

Ecclesiastical Changes. — At the one hundred and sixteenth quarterly conference of the Wasatch stake, held atHeber, on August 11, President W. H. Smart was honorably released as President of the Wasatch stake, having been called to preside over the Uintah stake; and a new organization of the stake officers took place, as follows: Jos. R. Murdock, stake president; James C. Jensen and Edward Clyde, counselors; stake clerk, John P. McGuire in place of Jos. W. Musser who was honorably released because of his removal to Uintah stake. At the quarterly conference held at Vernal, September 2, Harden Bennion and Thos. Smart were sustained as counselors to President Wm. fl. Smart, in the stake presidency of the Uintah Stake. At Thurber, Wayne Co., July 29, the resignation of Bishop Geo. W. Stringham was accepted, and George Brinkerhoff was sustained as bishop, with Willard Snow and B. G. Baker as counselors.

New Postmaster Named for Ogden.— On August 17, Hon. Wm. Glassman was appointed postmaster of Ogden City, according to a dispatch from Washington.

The Nationallrrigation Congress.— The National Irrigation Congress met this year at Boise, Idaho, on September 3. In the absence of President Geo. C.

Pardee of California, the fourteenth annual session was called to order by Judge L. W. Shurtliff of Ogden, first vice-president. Mayor James A. Pinney of Boise, and Governor Frank R. Gooding, welcomed the delegates, 1,125 in number, representing thirty states. A letter from President Roosevelt was read. On the 6th, the following officers were selected to attend to the affairs of the fifteenth annual conference which will be held at Sacramento, Calif. : President — George Chamberlain of Oregon; First Vice-president— John Henry Smith, Salt Lake City; — Second Vice-president H. B. Maxson, Reno, Nevada; Third Vice-president— Geo. W. Barstow, Texas; Secretary— D. H. Anderson, Chicago. Utah was awarded the prize for the best fruit display.

Died. —In Mona, Juab Co., Sunday, July 22, Mary Ann Kay; born England, April 9. 1842; came to Utah in 1854; mother of eleven children, and a widow of the late Wm. Kay.— In Thayne, Wyo., Tuesday, 24th, Wm. Rowe, a member of

988 IMPROVEMENT ERA. the Mormon battalion; born February 20, 1826; was baptized in 1845; enlisted July 16, —In Spanish Fork, Thursday, 26th, Thos. D. Evans, a veteran of 1846. the handcart pioneers. — In Heber, Friday, 27th, Christina Lindsay Muir, a pioneer of that place, was buried. She was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, and was eighty- three years and twenty-two days old; she came to Utah in 1862. In Salt Lake — City, Monday, Mary Ann Ludlow, who came to Utah in 1868, joined the 30th, — Church November 9, 1853. In Provo, Wednesday, August 1, James C. Snyder; born Philadelphia, January 8, 1820; joined the Church in 1853; and came to Utah in 1861. — In Salt Lake City, Friday, 3d, James P. Law, of Cache Co., docket clerk of the last legislature; a native of Scotland; forty-one years of age, and un- married. —In Nephi, Saturday, 4th, Sarah C. Tranter; born in Belfast, Ireland,

seventy-eight years ago; joined the Church in 1850; and came to Utah two years later. — In American Fork, Saturday, 4th, Steven Mott, born in Canada in 1822; settled in American Fork in 1850; a prominent citizen in the community. —In Grantsville, Saturday 4th, the funeral of 0. E. Barrus was held. He was born September 14, 1845 in Nauvoo, 111., and emigrated to Utah in 1853. —In Hinckley, Friday, 10th, Wm. Aldredge, seventy-two years and ten months of age. — In Fairview, Sunday, 12th, ex-bishop Amasa Tucker, born in Connecticut, October 22, 1833; came to Salt Lake Valley, October 5, 1853.— in Richfield, Tuesday, 14th, Lars Peter Petersen; soldier in the Prussian war of 1848-50; born Denmark, — November 25, 1825; emigrated to Utah in 1862. In American Fork, same date, James Gardner; born England, June 4, 1829; came to Utah in 1855. In Paradise, — same date, Geo. Webb; born in England; joined the Church in 1852; came to Utah in 1863. — In Ogden, Wednesday 15th, the funeral of Sarah Ann Garner Herrick was held. She was the widow of the late Hon. L. J. Herrick. In Provo, same — date, Henry S. Brooks born in England seventy- four years ago ; one of the first ;

settlers of Lake Shore. — At Hagerman, Idaho, Saturday, 18th, Mary Ann Gollaher Roberry; a true and devoted mother of eleven children; wife of the late bishop, John Roberry; born Clinton, HI., July 24, 1829; came to Utah in 1849, settling in Tooele County. —In Ogden, Thursday, 23d, M. S. Scott, born England, seventythree years ago last April; joined the Church forty years ago, and came to Utah and settled twenty- three years ago. — At Colonia Diaz, Thursday, 23d, Patriarch Isaac W. Pierce, born Illinois, August 22, 1829; and came to Utah with his mother in 1852. — In Manti, Sunday, 26th, Edward L. Pany, a master mason and the builder of the St. George and Manti temples; born August 25, 1818, in North Wales; baptized March 2, 1848; and came to Utah in 1853. — In Lehi, Sunday, 26th, Mary Ann Comer Smuin, forty- two years of age, and mother of thirteen children. She was born in Wales, and came to this country with her parents. At — Rush Lake, near Parowan, Sunday 26th, David Ward, born England, January 13, 1834; came to Utah in 1849, and Parowan in 1853; and was one of the number who rescued the body of Geo. A. Smith, Jr. , from the Indians, in the Navajo Country. — In Pocatello, Idaho, Tuesday, 28th, John H. Calvert, a member of the Mormon battalion, born Alabama, March 7, 1828; joined the Church in 1845; lived at Huntsville, North Ogden, and in 1884 located in Idaho. — At Cortez, Colo., Friday, 31st, Ada Dalton Jones, born Sevier Co., Utah, September 29, 1879.

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Idaho Politics.— At Pocatello, August 2, the Republicans of Idaho, placed in nomination their ticket, nominating for United States Senator, W. E. Borah, Boise; Congressman— Burton L. French, Moscow; Governor— F. R. Gooding, Boise; Lieutenant Governor —E. A. Burrell, Montpelier; Secretary of State— H. S. Lansdson; also other officers. The resolution endorsed the administration, and sounded a declaration of economy. The Democratic State Convention, held at Coer d'Alene, Idaho,named the following ticket on August 7: Senator-— Fred T. Dubois; Congressman— Rees H. Attabaugh; Governor— C. 0. Stockslager; Lieutenant Governor — Geo. C. Chapin. Senator Dubois succeeded in having a drastic resolution passed

by the convention, barring all "Mormons" from political activity.

Utah Politics. — Hon. Lyman R. Martineau has been unanimously chosen by the Democratic State Committee to succeed Hon. Simon Bamberger as Democratic State Chairman and Hon. James T. Hammond has been named as Republican State ;

Chairman; vice Hon. "William Spry, now U. S. Marshal. The State Convention of the Republican party is held Sept. 20, and of the Democratic party, October 4. The "American" party is the fly in the ointment in Salt Lake City and County.

Heavy August Storms.— Throughout all Utah and the Western country, heavy rains fell during the month of August, attended by considerable damage in the way of cloud-bursts, and to grain and hay in the field and stack. Thousands of bushels of wheat sprouted in the stacks and bundles, and much hay was destroyed, especially in the upper valleys of Utah. During the latter part of the month, an unprecedented four-days\ rain prevailed.

Silver Rising. — Somi thirteen" years ago the silver-purchase clause of the So-called Sherman act was repealed, and the government ceased buying silver, which caused a serious slump in that metal. The government has now again begun to buy silver for the first time since the repeal, as the bullion is evidently needed for coinage into small change carried by the multitude during the good times. There are a large number of silver dollars in the treasury which are not current, because of their light weight, and a bill was introduced in Congress at the last session, to authorize the recoinage of these dollars into subsidiary coins; but it failed to pass, and hence the need of purchasing silver bullion. Silver has now raised in price, not only on this account, but also on account of large amounts used in India.

Foreign Emigration. — For the year endimg June 30, 1906, foreign emigration reached 1,100,073, which is an excess of 73,574 of the preceding year, and the largest on record. During the year, 12,433 emigrants were returned to their native countries, mostly owing to diseases. Most of this vast emigration came from Russia, Austria, Hungary, and Italy.

Spelling Reform. — President Roosevelt has ordered the public printer, hereafter to print all messages from the president, and all other documents from the White House, in accordance with the recommendation of the Simplified Spelling Board, of which Prof. Brander Matthews, of Columbia University, is chairman. The board's list includes three hundred words which are simplified in spelling by

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990 IMPROVEMENT ERA. dropping letters which are not sounded, substituting single vowels for diphthongs, and a final "t" for "ed." Many of the words are already in use, such as thru, tho, armor, program, instead of through, though, armour, programme. The English press has greatly objected to the president's arbitraiy order, v/hich has also given the American editors something to harp upon. The president, in a letter to the public printer, in answer to criticism, says:

They [the new wordsl represent in the world but a very slight extension of the unconscious movement which has made agricultural implement makers and farmers write plow instead of plough, which has made most Americans write "honor" without the somewhat absurd superfluous u, and which is even now making people write program without the "me" — just as all people who speak English now write bat, set, dim, sum and fish, instead of the Elizabethan batte, sette, dimme, summe and fysshe; which makes us write public, almanac, era, fantasy, and wagon, instead of the publick, almanack, sera, phantasy and waggon of our great grandfathers.

William Jennings Bryan's Return. — It is now over a year since William

Jennings Bryan left New York for his travel about the world. He returned on Thursday, August 30, entering New York as the guest of the Commercial Travelers Anti-Trust League, who arranged for a speech from him at the Madison Square Garden, that evening. He traveled over India, the Philippines, Japan, the Chinese Coast, and a large part of Europe, and was received with great distinction everywhere: kings and royalties doing him honor. During his trip he is said to have received $1,000 a week from a syndicate, for a weekly letter which, together with royalty on the book, will perhaps net him $50,000, after all expenses are paid. In his speech he made a full statement of the issues which should be supported by the Democratic party; he touched on the growth of arbitration; the "Drago" doctrine, which the late Pan-American Congress, in session at Rio de Janeiro, adopted by unanimous vote, and which simply means that force ought not to be used in the collection of public debts: the ultimate independence of the Philippines; meetings of Congress; election of Senators by direct vote; the income tax; arbitration in labor disputes; government by injunction; eight hour labor day; trusts; interstate tariff; railroads; and the centralization of government. He also argued that the logical outcome of monopolistic trusts is Socialism. His endorsement of the government ownership of railroads seems to have chilled the fever of his welcome, and it is safe to say he was more popular while absent than he is today —especially in the thirteen southern states that view

with suspicion and alarm the faintest trace of Federal encroachment on the remnant of states rights still left them.

Russian Affairs. — The outrages of terrorists in Russia are rapidly increasing. The governm.ent made wholesale arrests and deportation of agitators, and the moderate element on both sides seem to be without influence. The situation appears to have resolved itself into a duel between the reactionary forces controlling the government, and the Revolutionists who continue to commit shocking crimes in the name of liberty. On the 25th of August an attempt was made to assassinate Premier Stolypin at his country home. Thirty- two persons were

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' EVENTS AND COMMENTS. 991

killed, and nearly as many seriously injured. The Premier's daughter and son, hia private secretary, chief of his personal guard, the court chamberlain, several distinguished officers, and the four assassins who entered the home, were killed. The Premier escaped with but slight injury. The next day Gen. Min was killed. He was a personal adjutant to the suite of the Czar, and had been condemned to death by the terrorists, last December, on account of his severity in repressing the Moscow revolt. The Revolutionists appear to be masters of the Baltic Provinces and their secret tribunals punish much like those of the Kuklux times in the South. The Czar has decided, so it is reported, to make a second grant to the peasants, of land belonging to him and to the state. This grant is not a gift, but permission to the peasants to buy the land on the terms assigned but this does not satis- ;

fy the peasants who have demanded the land free as a gift, just as the land was given at the time of the emancipation of the serfs. Latest advices state that on the 8th and 9th of September a Jewish massacre occurred, in Russian Poland, which had been carefully planned by the soldiers, and at which 200 Jews were killed, and 1,000 wounded; stores were pillaged, and the army officers openly

countenanced the selling of loot. That the massacre was carefully planned beforehand, is evidenced from the fact that the soldiers warned the Christians to hang out their Ikons, so that they might remain undisturbed. The soldiers behaved v/ith extraordinary brutality. The city of Siedlce, where the massacre occurred, has 30,000 inhabitants, one half of whom are Jews.

New Commissioner of Education.— Dr. Wm. T. Harris, who for many years has occupied the position of Commissioner of Education for the United States, recently resigned, and President Roosevelt appointed in his stead. Dr. Elmer E Brown, a graduate of the University of Michigan, who belongs to the group of younger men among the educational leaders of our country. Though born in New York, he is in a larger sense a representative of the Middle West and Pacific Coast. Since 1893, he has held the position of Professor of Education in the University of California. He has written two works, The Origin of American State Universities,and The Making of Our Middle Schools. It is said that for "scholarly-

method, scope of research, and comprehensive grasp of the many social factors that enter into the life of institutions," the latter work will long rank as an educational classic. In 1904, Dr. Brown was appointed president of the National Educational Association.

Revolution in Cuba. — The world was startled on Monday morning, August 20, with the announcement that revolution is rampant in Cuba, actual attacks having been made upon the government posts in the western part of the island. The storm broke out on Sunday afternoon, and since then wholesale arrests have been made by the government of members of the element opposed to President Palma's administration, including generals, ex-consuls, ex-ministers, congressmen, senators, and fifteen leaders in the General Garcia campaign for the presidency in the late election. All are held on charges of attempting to assassinate,

and plotting to assassinate President Palma. There is sympathy with the revolutionists in some of the provinces, and fighting is reported from Pinar Del Rio,

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992 IMPROVEMENT ERA. where six insurgents are reported killed. Early in the week ending Sept. 1 the Palma government issued a proclamation offering amnesty to insurgents who would lay down their arms. The effect was rather to encourage than to discourage the insurrection, and the government later withdrew the order, and adopted severer measures. The U. S. warship Denver was sent to Havana, to safeguard American interests, and, in case of jeopardy of President Palma's life, or the overthrow of the established government, will perhaps land sailors, and intervene in the contest — a right which it is understood the constitution grants to the government of the United States. In this connection the following from Harper's Weekly Is pertinent as to the cause of the insurrection That the so-called Liberals, who have contributed most of the recruits to the insurrection, have a grievance is undeniable. That the Moderates, as the upholders of the Palma regime are termed, were guilty of gross frauds at the last appeal to the ballot-box seems evident on the face of the official figures. Before the election day arrived the Palma government announced that the number of registered voters exceeded 430,000 in an aggregate population of about 1,500,000. That is to say, the number of qualified adult male voters was said to constitute more than thirty per cent of all the men, women, and children resident on the island. To appreciate the mendacity involved in this averment, we need only recall that in 1904, when in the United States, exclusive of Territories and transmarine dependencies, the number of inhabitants must have exceeded 80,000,000, the total popular vote fell short of 13,524,000, or, in other words, represented less than seventeen per cent of the aggregate population. It is well known that so glaring was the fraud committed in the registration that, by way of marking their indignation, the greater part of the Liberals abstained from going to the ballot-box.

President Roosevelt has issued an open letter to the Cubans, in which he adjures all Cuban patriots to sink personal differences and ambitions, and thus preserve the independance of the Republic by preventing the necessity of outside interference. This is regarded as a warning that if the United States is reluctantly compelled to resort to armed intervention in order to restore order in Cuba, it will be a deathblow to Cuba libre. The cruisers Cleveland and Tacoma have been ordered to leave Key West, and the former was to convey Secretariy Taft to Havana where he will umpire a commission of arbitration between the insurgents and the government. While this is going on, peace has been declared between the contending forces. Secretary Taft and party reached Havana on Wednesday September 19.

M. LA. Work in Turkey.— Elder J. Wilford Booth writes from Aintab, Turkey, August 10: — We are holding M. I. A. Conjoint meetings, a great mnovation on the girl-oppressing customs of the Orient. Fanatics occasionally leave the meeting, but the novelty of the program brings others back. My friend G. Moug- ,

hamian, one of the noted school teachers of the Gregorian Church, in this city

and Northern Syria, who has been a careful reader of the Era for about five years^ once made this statement to me: "I can get more sound thought from a single ' page of the Era than I do from whole volumes of other Christian literature.