Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-07-21
What Others Are Doing.

What Others Are Doing.
During the hurrah and excitement of
presidential campaign Americans are very
apt to get into the habit of practically con-
sidering the United States of America as
the only country where questions of gov
eminent are considered. 1t needs war
like that of 1870 between Germany and
France to make much impression on this
abandonment of interest in what is going
on elsewhere. Nevertheless other coun-
tries that have intimate relations with us
are going about their business in ways that
in the end affect US full as much as the
minor political contests at home about
which there is often so much excitement.
Great Britain is now holding session
of parliament that indirectly has consider
able to do with our own population. I'M
migration to this country depends largely
on the conditions existing in the several
countries from which our immigrants
come. Ireland has sent her millions here
and they have come largely during and
following periods of distress there. Glad
stone on his return to power has taken
hold with his usual zeal of practical ques-
tons and one of his most earnest attempts
is to better the condition of the Irish ten
antry. Bills which he is trying to get
through in substance control contracts
made between landlord and tenant and
give the latter breathing spell to tide
over the present disastrous failure in
crops without being summarily evic ted.
Whether Gladstone's efforts will succeed
first in obtaining the legislation he desires
and next, if that legislation is obtained, in
getting relief from its practical working
is matter that will greatly affect Irish
immigration to America.
In Germany too for Il year or more
things have assumed such shape that the
number of those leaving for our shores has
been increased. The reasons are not the
same that have worked the same result in
Ireland but are rather those coming from
the military constitution of the country
and from the general effect on business of
the present system of government. There
Is every prospect of Il continued increase
in the German immigration.
The other countries of Europe, especially
Sweden and Norway, help to swell the
tide of new corners. The immediate re-
suit of course does not tell on the eastern
states though small proportion of the
landing places. The great wave goes TO
the western plains and the states beyond
the Mississippi are fast filling up with the
new corners. Farms will be made and
new communities organized. 1t is bad
for the south that a portion of the immi-
grafton does not find its way there, but it
docs not and will not so long as certain
notions as to labor and ways of social life
prevail there.
France holds her population more stead
lily than any of the other western European
countries. The rural French are industri-
GUS and saving. They thrive-that is
from year to year they better their condi-
ton and so have less of the craze to 60
elsewhere. Then too that republican
sentiment which is SO wide spread among
the working classes of Europe has no
effect to urge Il Frenchman to leave his
native country. That is now republic,
And the contention in its politics is not to-
day so much whether the empire or the
kingdom shall be restored or whether a
more radical form of republicanism shall
prevail.
Paris has just celebrated the great
republican festival of the 18th of July-in
commemoration of the day when the PEG
pie rose in 1789-and nothing has more
thoroughly shown the peredominance of
republican ideas than the zeal with which
the masses made their celebration great
popular success. Gambetta is the real
leader of France and he stands now rather
as IL bulwark of conservatism than of
radicalism, for while Bonapartists and
legtimiSts cannot disturb his power it is
to some degree threatened by Henri
Rochefort and other extremists on the
radical side
The most exciting news that may be
looked for however will come from the
direction of the sick man of the east.
The sultan has failed to make any of the
reforms that were promised and affairs
have gone on from bad to worse in hi
dominions. There is trouble on the Greel
frontier and there is probability of lively
fighting. The end must be that Turkish
domination on European soil will befor,
many years have to be given up and the
country controlled by the inefficient sutar
be in someway divided among, or ruled BY
n protectorate, of the great powers. Blu
whatever the outcome the eastern question
is Just now much more troublesome tina,
at any time since the treaty of Berlin.