Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-12-11

nately too familiar in the history of the Cen.
trail and South American states. With the
overthrow of the Balmaceda government, he
and many of his councillors and officers be.
came at once fugitives for their lives and ap.
pealed to the commanding officers of the for
eign naval vessels in the harbor of Valparaiso
and to the resident foreign ministers at San,
!: tiago for asylum. This asylum was freely
given, according to my information, by the
naval vessels of several foreign powers and by
several of the legations at Santiago. The
American minister. as well his colleagues
acting upon the impulses of humanity, extend
ed asylum to political refugees whose Lives
} were in peril. L have not been willing to
direct the surrender of such of these persons
as are still in the American legation without
suitable conditions.
The treatment of our minister for time was
such as to call for a decided protest, and it was
very gratifying to observe that unfriendly
measures, which We're undoubtedly the result
of the prevailing excitement, We're at once Re
scinded or suitably relaxed.
| The Massacre of American Sailors.
On the 10th of October sailors of the United
| States steamship Baltimore were assaulted by
| armed men nearly simultaneously in different
| localities in the city. One petty officer was
| killed outright and seven or eight seamen were
| seriously wounded, one of whom has since
died.
An investigation of the affair was promptly
made by a board of officers of the Baltimore
| and their report shows that these assaults
| We're unprovoked, that our men were conduct
| ing themselves in a peaceable and orderly
| manner, and that some of the police of the
| city took part in the assault and used theiI
weapons with fatal effect. While a few others.
| with some well disposed citizens, endeavored
! to protect our men. Thirty-six of sailors
were arrested and some of them, while being
taken to prison, were cruelty beaten and NAL
treated. The fact that they We're all dis
| charged, no criminal charge being lodged
against any one of them, shows very clearly
| that they were innocent of any breach of the
| peace.
| The attention of the CHILEAN government
was at once called to this affair, and it was
advised that if such qualifying facts did not
exist this government would confidently expect
full and prompt reparation.
ChiN Must Give Satisfaction.
1t is to be regretted that the reply of the sec.
rotary for foreign affairs of the provisional
| government was couched in all offensive tone.
| To this no response has been made. This gov
| eminent is now awaiting the result of an in
| vestigation which has been conducted by the
! criminal court at Valparaiso 1t is reported
unofficially that the investigation is about COM
| pleted, and it is expected that the result will
soon be communicated to this government, to-
gether with some adequate and satisfactory
response to the note by which the attention OF
Chill called to this incident If these lust
needless delay intervene, will, by a special
message, bring this matter again to the atten-
ton of congress for such action as may be nec-
| essary.
The Chinese Outbreak A gainst Foreigners.
The late outbreak against foreigners m vari-
Gus parts of the Chinese empire has been a
cause of deep concern in view of the numerous
establishments of our citizens in the interior
of that country.
The Chinese government has declined to re-
ceive Mr.. Blair as the minister of the United
States on the ground that a participant
while senator, in the enactment of the exist
ing legislation against the introduction OF
Chinese laborers, he has become unfriendly
and Objectionable to China.
You will be called upon to consider the eX-
pediency of making special provision by law fol-
the temporary admission of some Chinese arti-
sans and laborers in connection with the ex-
hibit of Chinese industries at the approaching
Columbian exposition. I regard it as desirable
that the Chinese exhibit be facilitated in every
proper way.
reference is here made to American rights
in the Caroline islands and the Interconti-
mental railway.]
Russian Persecution of Hebrews.
This government has found occasion to ex-
press, in a friendly spirit, but with much
earnestness, to the government of the car, its
serious concern because of the harsh measures
now being enforced against the Hebrews in
Russia. By the revival of antisemitic laws
long in allegiance, great numbers of those IN
fortunate people have been constrained tc
abandon their homes and leave the empire by
reason of the impossibility of finding subsist-
ence within the pale to which it is sought to
confine them. The immigration of these peo-
pie to the United States-many other countries
being closed to them-is largely increasing and
is likely to assume proportions which may
make it difficult to find homes and employment
fO, them here and To seriously affect tha jhor
market.
1t is estimated that over 1,000,000 will be
forced from Russia within few years. The
Hebrew is never a beggar; he has always kept
the law-life by toil-often under severe and
oppressive civil restrictions. 1t is also true
that no race, sect or class has more fully cared
for its own than the Hebrew race. But the
sudden transfer of such a multitude under
conditions that tend to strip them of their
small accumulations and to depress their ener-
gies and courage is neither good for them nor
for us.
The Nicaragua Canal.
congress is asked to carefully consider the
Nicaragua canal and assist toward its early
completion.
International copyright has been secured, in
accordance with the conditions of the act of
March 3, 1891, with Belgium France, Great
Britain and the British possessions and Switz-
erland, the laws of those countries permitting
to our citizens the benefit of copyright on SUBJ
stantially the same basis as to their own citi-
zens subjects. With Germany a special con-
vention has been negotiated upon this subject,
which will bring that country within the re-
ciprocal benefits of our legislation.
The Effect of the Tariff Bill.
The general interest in the operations of the
treasury department has been much augment
ed during the last year by reason of the con-
ficting predictions, which accompanied and
followed the tariff and other legislation of the
I,n@ lezzx N
results OF this legislation upon the treasury
and upon the country On the one hand it was
contended that imports would so fall off as
to leave the treasury bankrupt and that the
prices of articles entering into the living of the
| people would be SO enhanced as to disastrously
affect their comfort and happiness, while on
the other it was argued that the loss to the
revenue, largely the result of placing sugar on
the free list. would be direct gain to the peo-
pie; that the prices of the necessaries of life
including those most highly protected would
not be enhanced; that labor would have a
larger market and the products of the farm
advanced prices while the treasury surplus
and receipts would be adequate to meet the
appropriations, including the large exceptional
expenditures for the refunding to the states
of the direct tax and the redemption of the AZ
per cent. bonds.
1t IS not my purpose to enter at any length
into discussion of the effects of the legislation
ton of the statistics of the treasury and a gen.
eral glance at the state of business throughout
the country will, ! think, satisfy any impartial
inquirer that its results have disappointed the
evil prophecies of its opponents and in a large
measure realized the hopeful predictions of its
friends. Rarely, if ever before, in the history
Of the country has there been time when the
proceeds of one days labor, or the product of
one farmed acre, would purchase so large an
amount OF those things that enter into the l1y-
| Ing of the masses of the people. l believe that
full test wilSlevelop the fact that the tariff
act OF the Fifty-first congress is very favorable
in ifs average effect upon the prices of articles
| entering into common uSe
| During the twelve months from Oct. l. $780,
to Sept. 30, 1891, the total value of our foreign
commerce imports and exports combined) was
Sl,l41 6,406, which was the largest of any year
| IN the history of the United States The larg
est In any previous year was in 1890, when our
commerce amounted to $l,647 1884, 93, and the
last year exceeds this enormous aggregate by
over one hundred millions, 1t is Interesting
and to some will be surprising to know that
during the year ending Sept. 30, 1891, our inn
ports of merchandise amounted to 1924, III, 270
which was an increase of more than eleven
| million dollars over the value of the imports of
the corresponding months of the preceding