The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-01
STORY OF 1898.
The Message Which the Past Year Will Carry
to Historical Students of the Times
in Which We Live.
BY WILLIS j. ABBOTT.

liberately entering pom an armed con-
fict for purely humanitarian motives.
but II was the first occasion in which
a republic gravely. without passion.
took up the sword for the righteous
purpose of combating despotlsm on
~neighboring soil, of bringing freedom
to a weak and sorely distressed people.
and OF extending republican principles.
This the coming historian will recog-
nize. He will say hat the United
States reaped more Than II sowed. that
in trying to serve humanity in the per-
sons OF one oppressed people, 1t was
made the guardian in humanity's name
of millions of people abiding as far
away as the Philippines or as near our
homes as the island of Porto Rico in
the very track OF our midwinter pleas
uring. The treaty of peace. signed at
Paris Dec. IL. assures to Cuba the free
dom for which her sens have long
fought, cedes to the United States Por-
to Riso and the smaller Spanish islands
in the West Indies, together with the
island of Guam in the Ladrones. and
provides for the REIMBURSEMENT of
Spanish sovereignty in the Philippines
upon a payment by the United states
to Spain of 800 900. 900. This. then, is
what IN war is going TO stand for in
universal history-the ina expulsion Of
Spain from the western hemisphere
hich Columbus won for her, and over
which she at one time exercised almost
complete control. and the extension Of a
democratic system of government to
Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines.
A democratic and Independent govern
ment. shall We say? In the case of
Porto Rico il is already determined to
the contrary. That island. as a result
OF the war of 1898. has already become
part Of the United States. In what
form democracy hail come into its
W in Cuba md the Philippines will
be one of the contributions of 1899 to
history.
To be classed with the events of the
war. though a peaceful one. is the an
~nexation Of the Hawaiian islands. We
to-day. dazzled by the seeming mate
rial advantages of the acquisition
of a fertile group of islands in the di-
| e Ddlh VI III al "
perhaps realize less clearly than will
the future historian how radical was
the deviation from national precedent
and from the established constitutional
procedure involved in extending the
sovereignty of the United States for tn,
first time to territory beyond the seas.
Crete Freed From Turkish Misruie.
OF completed episodes in the grea'
politics of the world comes first thu
final expulsion of the Moslem power
from Crete and the instalment Their,
Of Prince George of Greece as higi
commissioner by authority of the allies
England. Russia, Franc and Italy
This notable forward step for the caus
| of humanity and progress has been TAX
: en- only after prolonged and discredit
: able delay due to disagreement amoni
= the powers. The concert of Europe
has shown itself vastly less competen
to grapple with an international sham
: and infamy than has the United States
E~ngiand's Triumph at Khartoum.
The close OF the year inds Englan
exulting in the recovery Of the prestig
lost by the abandonment OF GORDON I
his fate at Khartoum in 1855. For NOR
thar two years an army Of British an
0 Egyptian troops to the number of abou
$ 5000 has been pressing deliberately u
the Nile. meeting determined opposi
: tlon from the Dervishes. who hav
Z shown themselves among the best ight
a ing men Of the world. The campaign
= under the generalship OF the sirda
Lord Herbert Kitchener. was planne
n with the precision of n piece OF er
cheering m executed by the aid
machinery. The beginning OF the en-
Is came when the Dervishes were defeats
at Atbara April s. leaving thousands
3 their dead on the field. Sept. 2. al On
p durham. a new town near the ruins
Khartoum, the forces Of the khalii