The Portland daily press., 1886-12-31
THE YEAR 1886.


THE YEAR $50.
While the passions, the prejudices, the ex-
elements and the curiosity which accompany
current events, are& yet undiminished by
lapse OF time, it is natural to attribute to
each year as 1t passes more important and
startling occurrences than characterized the
years before. Even in the United States a
country which other peoples point to as a
land OF remarkable tranquility and pros
perlty, the past year seems to have been ex-
eeptional in great many respects; though
In the affairs Of government the year can be
said to have been hardly more eventful than
usual As during the year previous, Dem
ocratic President has occupied the White
House, and Democratic majority has tried
to direct the energies of the popular branch
OF Congress. But fractional disagleements in
this majority have prevented effectual work
Tor the country, and with the exception of
the bills to regulate the presidential success
sion, the electoral count, and the sale of oleo-
margarine, and the final killing of Morri-
sons tariff bill, the legislative branch of
the government has done very little to dis
prove the allegations of sloth so freely made
from time to time In the executive branch
OF the government there has been more ac-
tivity and incident, though both Mr. Cleye-
land and his Cabinet must be said to have
been driven by, rather than to have driven,
their business as directors of the affairs OF
state. For one thing, especially has this
year OF the Cleveland administration been
noticeable. The President, overcome by
that subtle influence which few of his prede-
cessors have wholly withstood, or perhaps
led by the unaccustomed counsels Of awife,
has become possessed with adesire for anoth-
er term of power. This has caused radical
change in his policy; and in place of halt
Ing acquiescence in the desires of his spoils-
loving party, in place of an equally lame adj
herence to pledges made to civil service re-
formers, the country sees the spectacle of a
President distributing the patronage Of his
public Office to consolidate his personal infu-
ence. The reinstatement of Benton has
kept the Democracy of Missouri faithful to
him, steady and continuous dismissal of
Republican officeholders in favor of Demo-
Gratis is doing the same with the Democracy
OF other States. The mask of civil service
reform has been thrown off. Other acts of
Mr., Cleveland, his refusal to accede to the
wishes Of the Senate and give reasons for
the suspension of faithful officials, his yetoes
OF pension bills, his approval of the notorious
river and harbor bin, have caused considera-
bic just criticism; and with the masses
OF the country his marriage has been the
only step heartily approved Daniel Man
ming still remains at the head of the Treas
ury, in spite of his infirmities the most COM
petent man of the administration: Mr.
whitney has begun the building of new
navy, which he promises shall in quality
equal the best; the War Department has
brought to a close the long hostilities with
the Apaches in the Southwest and holds the
murderous Geronimo a captive; in the de-
partment OF the Postmaster General the
ideas Of civil service reform peculiar to Mr..
Villas have gained sway to such an extent
that letter mailed at Augusta at 3p. m.
does not arrive in Portland until the next
morning, and a newspaper mailed at East
port on Wednesday reaches Machias on Sat
urday. But it has been to the State Depart
ment that the greatest share Of perplexity
has fallen On the 7th of last May the David
j. Adams, an American fisherman, was
seized at Digby for violating the treaty of
1918, and ten days later the Ella NJ. Doughty
was also seized while acting under the priv
ieges Of an American permit to touch and
trade. Since then vessel after vessel has
been seized, although Mr.. Bayard has at last
made energetic assertions of American
rights. But, on the other hand, Canada has
fortified her statutes by an act to enforce to
the utmost limit the provisions of the treaty
Of 1918, and continues the denial to American
fishermen of ordinary commercial privileges.
The events of the old year give little prom
Use Of more settled relations during the new.
unless the administration shows q yigor
hardly to be expected. With Mexico the
State Department has got into row over a
worthless fellow named Cutting, whose case,
however, presents some considerations of in
ternational law which Mr.. Cleveland seems
inclined to press to solution. Extradition
treaties have been negotiated with Japan.
and England, of which the former has been
ratified, while the latter, treaty the need
Of which is shown every day, is veto be per-
fected and approved. The year has witnessed
the disgrace of the Attorney General, but
those who have the national honor at heart
can hardly hope that another year will see
that officer removed from Mr. Cleveland's
councils. The Pan Electric scandal will
rank among the great administrative scan
dals of all nations. In other and more dis
tinctively political fields there have been i'm
portant events. The political corruption in
Cincinnati resulted in most remarkable
tumult in the Ohio State Senate in the course
OF which the entire Democratic section of
that 4a... a Al
the fear that justice would be done if they
should stay; serious charges Of bribery were
brought against United States Senator
Payne, and debated and set aside in
the Senate; jefferson Davis emerged
from his retirement to be greeted
with ovations in the principal cit
les Of Georgia, while his daughters
social triumphs IN Richmond seriously dis
turbed the equanimity of President Cleve-
land at the Virginia fair. Leading Republi-
cans have taken steps to put their party in
active opposition to the saloons all over the
country. Dakota has continually agitated
Tor admission to the Union; the fall cleo
lions were remarkable for the active and
efective efforts Of Mr.. Blaine, for large Re-
publican gains in the lower branch OF Con-.
gress, with some losses in the Senate, for
returns adverse to free trade in the West
and South, for unexpected Republican sue
cesses in Virginia and North Carolina, and
for the defeat Of prominent Democratic lead
ers. Henry George in New York city and
Mr.. O'Neil in Boston have led labor move
ments in municipal elections, the former
with great, and the latter with Indifferent
success.
Political movements, however, have not
been the most important The year
just passed has been memorable for many
things connected with social and home life.