The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-01-02

VI lHc utlcuJ VI luc ppdulSu al iudud,
and her colony of New South Wales
has completed its first century.
Religiously and socially, the year has
been one of much excitement. Chic igo
courts have struck heavily at the dem
onstrations made by the resident an
archsts; great strikes have occurred
among the employees of the Chicago,
Burlington 81 Quincy railroad and
among the Pennsylvania mines. Still,
the Knights of Labor and kindred or
gadizations are not growing, and more
and more the recogni ion of their COM
mon responsibilities is increasing among
capitalists and their workmen. Tenn
perance agitation has continued. Never
since the first few months after It's pas
sage, in 1866, has the prohib.tory law of
New Hampshire been so generally or
strugently enforced Vermont has
! added to the provisions of its law GER
tain sections whose workings will be
earnestly watched by the citizens of
other states These include the I'M
prsonment of liquor-selers for a first
offence, at the option of the court, and
the searching of suspected baggage
and persons by constable without a
warrant. Vermont has also taken a
new departure in her educational sys-
TEN. The people of Massachusetts, as
well as those of New Hampshire, will
probably have an opportunity to vote
on constitutional prohibition during
1889 There seems to be a general
waking up on the temperance question,
and on the whole there has heen an adj
vance, though constitutional prOhibi-
ton has been badly beaten in West
Virginia, and the advocates of high
license are earnest and numerous in
the larger Giles. In spite of these diff
ferences of opinion, few persons of
character and influence venture TO pro-
pose fresh privileges for the traffic, or
the long continuance of even partial
tolerance.
In the distinctively religious world
Mr.. Hands donation of a million of dol
lars to the American Missionary Asso-
citation, the yet unended Andover con-
troversy with the episode of the Berke-
ley street ordination of foreign mis-
sionary, the great council of Episco-
palian bishops at London, the remark
able spread of Christianity in Japan
and the Judson centennial are among
the more striking occurrences.
Death, as Mrs Hemans has said,
has all seasons for its own, and it has
been busy during 1888. Still, though,
as is ever the case, many eminent per-
Sous who saw the opening Of the year
passed away before its close, the
number of illustrous and distinguished
departed was not especially large during
its continuance. Two emperors were
indeed included, and to them we may
add the Sultan Sezzid Bargash of Fan
Zibar, eX-President Saloman of Hayti
and Duke Macmillan of Bavaria. Our
army has lost Generals Sheridan and
Gilmore, and nearly twenty other Off
GERS of high rank. The noteworthy
naval deaths number thirteen. Among
deceased authors, publishers, artists and
men of science are Matthew Arnold,
Professor Asa Gray, "Porte Crayon -
Strother, E. p. Roe, Miss Alcott, Mary
Hewitt Laurence Oliphant, Robert
Chambers, George Routledge, F. O. G.
barley, ID. r. Locke DIETER known as
"Nasby ", Professor HckOk, Richard
A. Proctor, J. X. Tilton Qhe painter,
native d New Hampshire), James
Jackson Jarves Qhe art critic, and
Professors Dunster of Michigan Uni
versity and Young of Harvard.
To select the names of persons of
local, or even of national prominence,
would be invidious, for the list would
be very long. We may mention, how
ever, Ex-Governor Horace Fairbanks
of Vermont, man of many unobtru-
sive virtues; John Wentworth of Chi
cago, character of historic interest
Mrs. General Sherman, the beloved
companion of the hero of the march to
the sea, and Roscoe Conkling, pre-
eminent among civilians of national
renown, accorded honors and amenities
in death that were denied his proud
spirit in life.
Our survey has necessarily been SUI
perfcial and incomplete, and no doubt
the reader will find what we have said
suggestive of much that ought to have
been added. Yet the facts cited re-
mind one both of the mortality of in
dividuals and of the progress of COM
munities. Men die, but man has yet
much work to do, May all so profit by
the mistakes of the past as to give force
to our wish that all may find 1889 a