--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Anderson, Edward H. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 12 number: 2 published: 1908-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Anderson, Edward H., "Events and Comments," *Improvement Era* 12, no. 2 (December 1908): 165–168.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1202unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1202unse start_page: 165 end_page: 168 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1908-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1202unse publication_year: 1908 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1908, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Events and Comments EVENTS AND COMMENTS. BY EDWARD H. ANDERSON. New Stake of Zion.— On the 12th of October, the Bear River Stake of Zion was organized as follows, at a meeting held in Garland, Elders Rudger Clawson and George F. Richards being in charge: Milton H. Welling, president, formerly of Malad stake; Peter M. Hansen, Joseph Jensen, counselors; Herbert B. Foulger, stake clerk. Maeser Memorial Building.— One of the great public buildings for Utah is the fine structure now being erected in Provo in connection with the Brigham Young University, to be known as the Maeser Memorial Building. The contract for the foundation was let some time ago, and it is expected the foundations will be completed about December 15. The Manti Stone Co. will supply the white sandstone to be used for the stones above the high basement, and Le Grand Young will supply Emigration canyon red sandstone for the lower story or basement. Stone cutting and other building operations will continue during the winter. Western Pacific Ry. Opens Traffic. — The opening on November 10, of the Western Pacific Railway from Salt Lake with a triweekly mixed passenger and freight service, to Nevada, to connect with the Nevada Northern, is an important incident in the growth of railways in the West. The W. P. tracks connect with the Rio Grande tracks at Sixth West street, thence over Jordan, and south of the Great Salt Lake into Elko county, Nevada, a distance of about two hundred miles, where it connects with the N.N . Coal from the Rio Grande will now be supplied over this connection to Ely and to other cities and camps reached by the Nevada Northern. S. V. Derrah, assistant-general freight agent of the Rio Grande, is in charge of the traffic. Resignation of President Eliot. — Charles W. Eliot, president of Harvard University, has resigned, and his resignation has been accepted to take effect no later than May 19, 1909, at which date he will have completed 40 years of service at the head of the University. He was born in Boston, Mass. , March 20, 1834. He graduated from Harvard in 1853. He is one of the foremost speakers and writers in this country today, and has perhaps exerted a stronger influence upon 16G IMPROVEMENT ERA. American thought than any other man of his period. He has set a great and steady pace and been very useful in work, and in the standards of living and working. While neither a genius nor specialist, he is still a great man, great in manhood, strength of body, vigor of mind, and in that fortitude, confidence and patience that grow out of unusual natural abilities. He inspires both respect and affection; is a helper of men, and possesses a living interest in humanity which he exercises with the utmost cheer and geniality. Temperance and Saloons. — In the last number of the Improvement Era, the inspiring remarks of President Joseph F. Smith at the opening of the 79th semi-annual conference on "Temperance and the Word of Wisdom"' were printed in full. Elder Heber J. Grant who spoke at length immediately after upon the same subject, presented the following resolution: Believing in the words and teachings of President Joseph F. Smith, as set forth this morning on the subject of temperance, it is proposed that all the officers and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will do all in their power that can properly be done with law-makers generally, to have such laws enacted by our legislature soon to be elected as may be necessary to cLse saloons and otherwise decrease the sale of liquor and to enact a Sunday law. The large congregation present representing the Church accepted the resolution by unanimous vote. It is therefore the duty of every person who belongs to the Church to put this resolution into practice, first personally, and then publicly, to use his influence with legislators to have the resolution put into effect by the enactment of law. No community of Latter-day Saints should tolerate a saloon where they have the power to close it, and should never be found supporting one, by patronage. Death of a Noted Friend to the Latter-day Saints.— From the Danish papers we learn of the death of Jens Busk, for many years a representative of the people of northern Denmark to the Danish House of Representatives. He died suddenly at his home in Horsens, on the 29th of August. He was a radical who represented the common people, and for many years retained his seat in the congress of his country. He had a lively and cheerful disposition, and was a ready speaker, who used in the legislative halls the brogue of his native division of Denmark. He was a useful man for his party and did much for the common people of his country. But when his party came into power in the nation, he was compelled to reluctantly retire, and did not have the pleasure of enjoying a reward from the liberal government which he had spent the greater part of his life to establish. The writer remembers meeting him during 1890-92 in the Latter-day Saints' meeting hall, in Copenhagen, many times. Mr. Busk was very fond of listening to the songs of the Latter-day Saints and visited the meetings more to hear them, as he said, than "the indifferent preaching." This he listened to, however, patiently, but with only little interest. He frequently took delight in arguing with the elders on the principles of the gospel, as well as concerning America and her laws and institutions. At times he appeared to be almost bitter in his opposition to the Saints, but he still continued to come to the meetings EVENTS AND COMMENTS. 167 and was in reality a friend. He has now gone where he will realize more fully that the truths that were spoken to him by the elders of the Church were the truths that he should have adopted in his life. Kai?er Wilhelm Disciplined.— On October28, the London Telegraph published an interview containing a frank statement of the worldpolicy of the German empire, credited to the Kaiser, and which he made known to a "retired diplomat." The interview had reference to Anglo-German relations, and its object was to promote better feelings between Germany and England, but it had the opposite effect. The Emperor admitted that large sections of the middle and lower classes in Germany were unfriendly to Great Britain, but he was a good friend; and he cited numerous instances of the historical past to prove it, among which was this, that he used his influence during the Boer war to prevent the hostile combination of France and Russia against England. The incident caused great excitement. Prince Von Buelow, the German Chancellor, admitted in the German Eeichstag that he had permitted the publication of the interview, and tendered his resignation to the Emperor, which was not accepted. The Emperor's grave indiscretion was seriously discussed both in the Reichstag and the press, until the 17th of November when the Emperor yielded to the will of the German people, and practically promised that he would abandon his personal government ideas and bow to the popular will. It was a great victory for Von Buelow who is reported to have said to the Emperor in a final interview in Potsdam that he would resign, if the wishes of the German people were not respected. It was then the Emperor bowed to the will of the people, approved the Chancellor's address in the Reichstag, and assured Prince Von Buelow of his continued confidence in him concerning the future conduct of state affairs. It will be interesting to watch for further developments. The National Election. — At the national election on November 3, William Howard Taft, as the standard bearer of the Republican party, carried thirty states that will give him 321 electoral votes out of the total of 483, and make him the President of the United States after the 4th of March next. William Jennings Bryan received 162 electoral votes from seventeen states. He had 176 in 1896, and in 1900 he received 155. Four years ago, out of 476 electors chosen 336 were Republicans and 140 Democrats. The following states this year went Democratic with pluralities ranging from 1,500 in Nevada to 100,000 in Texas: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland and Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Four years ago Nebraska, Colorado and Nevada were Republican. Maryland's vote is divided, two electors going to Taft and six to Bryan. New York gave Taft a plurality of 203 000. and Governor Charles E. Hughes, about 70,000. The New York Legislature has an increased Republican majority. Senator Foelker, who recently lefc his sick bed to give Governor Hughes the vote needed in the state legislature to carry the anti-gambling and race track bill, has been sent to Congress. General relief is felt throughout the nation at the result of the national election, and business interests are improving as a consequence. In the present Congress the Republicans have a majority of 30 in the 168 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Senate and 53 in the House. It is barely possible that this will be slightly reduced in the next Congress, but cannot at this writing be definitely stated. Twenty nine states elected governors, and 25 elected legislatures, which will choose U. S. Senators. Ohio. Indiana, and Minnesota, while electing Republican electors, chose Democratic governors; while Missouri elected a Republican governor, the first in many years. Utah went Republican by a plurality of at least 20,000; and in Salt Lake City, the "American" party candidates, instead of winning the county, as they had counted, lost not only the county but also the city, which is no small cause for congratulation. That party had threatened the leaders of the "Mormon"' Church with prison or exile, in fact had adopted that slogan in their political campaign. HE LIVES AGAIN. Break forth into praises ye sons of the earth; Sing anthems of peace, 'tis the Lowly One's birth. Let your songs and your praise ascend to the sky, And echo the strains of the chorus on high. Attune all your voices, shout praises again; Sing the dear song of old, "Peace on earth to all men." Ye stars of the morning, in one sweet accord, Sing together the glory of Jesus our Lord. Go herald this message from sphere unto sphere; Of these tidings of joy let the universe hear. Oh, waft his glad word on the wings of the morn, That Jesus, the Lord of the earth, has been born. Look up all ye slumbering nations, behold ! For the Word is made flesh, as prophets foretold. And the Star of the East is shining again To lighten the way of the children of men. Its soft ravs have pierced through the dense dark of night; The gloom of the ages gives place to the light. Ye bells in the steeples, in sweet cadence chime, With a measure pronounced and a rhythm sublime; Ring out to the world, yes, ring strong and clear, Let the message reverberate far and near. Proclaim to all men and in every clime, The glorious word of the glad Christmas time. Louis W. Larson. Rexburg, Idaho.