The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-01

gave battle to the invaders, and were
annihilated. 1t is estimated that no
| less than $1,000 natives were left upon
| the field. For time the fact that a
French exploring expedition, under the
| intrepid Major Marchand, had reached
the Nile at point above Khartoum be-
fore Kitchcner's arrival. seemed to
threaten complications between Eng
| land and France, but France wisely
| avoided a conflict on an issue so plain
ly repugnant to common sense. A
gratifying Illustration of the new spirit
which animates civilized peoples in
these last days of the century is the
| fact that Lord Kitchener. in the midst
| of the popular ovation which attended
his return to London, announced that,
having conquered the Soudan, he
wished now to educate it and asked
for subscription of 81, 500 goo to a col
lege for the education of the natives,
| to be erected at Khartoum and dedi-
| Gated to the memory of Gordon The
money was subscribed within a few
| days.
! The Spoliation of China.
At the beginning of the year 1898
China engaged the speculative and the
angry attention of the great powers of
Europe. The kaisers brother, Prince
| Henry, with an insignificant naval
force, was on his way to the far East to
shake Germany's mailed fist in the
faces of all rivals. And throughout the
| year the mailed fist, whatever it's ma
tionaity, has played great part in the
international discussions of what
should be done to or with China-be it
observed nobody talked of doing any
thing for China. To the Chinese civil
ization must seem new synonym for
high order of rapacity and low or
der of conscience. Despite the almost
daily prediction of European war
springing from antagonistic pretensions
in the East no blow has been struck,
each power contenting itself with ex-
acting from China cession or lease of
territory for itself commensurate with
any concession secured by its rivals
Thus Gerlnany's acquisition of Kiao
Chau is matched by Russia at Port Ar
thur and by England with a SO years
| lease of a great territory bordering on
Mrs Bay. 1t seems more than doubt
| full whether the partition of China,
which seemed inevitable at the begin
ming of the year, will progress much
further as the British policy of IAN
| open door" to the trade of all nations
is so much the more in accord with
| common sense and justice that no sin
gle power of the world should be able
to set it at defiance.
Hungry Italy Threatens the Throne.
The Spanish war diverted American
| attention from one of the most painful
and significant events of the last quar-
ter century. The bread riots in Italy,
which broke out in Milan in May and
spread to many other Italian cities,
We're quite as sanguinary as our war,
and for a time seemed to promise
equally important political results. The
outbreak resulted from the ambition of
| Italy to become a great power" at the
| beyond endurance. So, it is said, being
taken in taxation from every S. earned.
Not military service only, but three
fourths Of the taxation of the nation is
imposed upon the class least able to
bear it--a true proletariat condemned
by evil conditions of land tenure, in
dustry and taxation to labor incessant-
ly for wage barely sufficient to main
tain them while they have their full
health and constant employment. In
the bread riots of Milan, the soldiers,
| drawn from the people, We're compelled
| to shoot down their brethren, or, re-
| fusing, were themselves shot by their
officers. A money reward given to
some OF the most active regiments after
the slaughter drew from a peasant the
savage comment, God did not give
Cain so francs" Barricadcs were
! butt in the streets of many Italian
cities, granaries and stores sacked, per-
sons obnoxious to the mob assaulted,
and resistance as determined as the
lack of arms would permit offered to
the troops. The revolt was put down
with cannon, the streets of Milan, in
particular, being swept with grape
shot. In all more than 5000 people
were killed or wounded, many of them
being women and children. The pris
ons were filled with journalists and So
cial agitatOrs, and at the end of the
year the social unrest had by no means
died out. In Spain. too, at the same
time, like riots of the impoverished
people occurred. The action of both
governments i'll suspending import du-
ties on corn has had no effect in either
| assuaging the hunger of the people or