Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1902-01-10

Marked ne Past
Two events oyershadowed all others in
the first year OF the new century. one
wax the assassination OF William Mckin-
1..v nres,dent of the United States. and
the other-the death OF Queen Victoria,
bringing to a close the longest and IN
many respects the most renarkabie
reign In British history. Each OF the Two
great Engiish-speaking nations or me
world was thus called upon to mourn
for It's highest representative OF author
y1ty and to face what at ono time might
have been serious crisis IN us aHah ?,
hut In neither case WAS there even the
ssembIance Of political or Industrial us
surbanca.or OF governmental Instantly
Theodore Roosevelt became president ana
Edward VII. king preciseiy in the manner
prescribed by law and the close OF 1871
finds each country as Tranquil and secure
sas 1t was twelve months ago
In the United States the aHairs or
vgreat test importance before the popiic.
aside from the murder Of the president.
were the new Hay-Pauncefote canal
treaty, the Schiey inquiry. the supreme
.court decisions in the insular cases. the
:rcrmaton OF the United States Steel cor
zporatioa and other gigantic combinations
of capital the panic In the New YORK
stock market, and the princely gifts 10
educational institutions by Andrew Car
xiegie. John D. Rockefeller. L .r-
asors and others.
Tho Year Politically.
Politically, the year in the UnIIed
States was rather eventful one VA
Ham Mckinley began his second term as
president of the United State on the attn
of March, when he was inaugurated
with Theodore Roosevelt as vice-presi-
dent. In September he was stricken
down by an assassin and Mr.. Roosevelt
became the chief executive. NO other
changes took place at the time. but IN
December the pcstmaster-generai.C haries
T. Smith, and the secretary OF the treas
airy. Lyman j. Gage. resigned Henry e
Payne OF Milwaukee was chosen TO sue
coed the former and Leslie III. Shaw.
governor of Iowa. the latter.
work Of 66th Congress.
Among the important laws enacted at
the second session of the 56th congress
were these: Reorganizing the army on
che basis OF force of from 6OoW TO
100000 men: materially reducing the war
revenue taxes: increasing the member
ship OF the house OF representatives from
:357 to y3S6 by reapportioring the coh-
1Kressional districts; abolishing the army
rcanteen. The river and harbor bill, the
Nicaragua canal bill and the ship sub
.-sidy bill were measures that failed to
pass.
Our Insulsr Problems.
consaderableapr progress toward the settle
.Inent OF the insular problems was made.
THE greater portion Of the Philippine
islands had been brought under complete
control early in the year and the capture
of Aguinaado- by Gen. Funston March %
Al 20 n of ff1c al
Haclfcation- On the 4th Of July civil
government was established with Will
Ham III. Taft as the first civil governor.
AT the same time the military authority
in the islands was transferred from
Gen. Arthur Macarthur to Gen. A. r.
Chalfee- Opposition TO United States rule
1t not entirely at an end. In Samar
boiomen attacked a detachment of the 9Th
infantry Oct. Is, Killing ten and woundins
six men. Other less disastrous en-
<sounters have occurred.
Trade with New Possessions.
Under decision OF the United States
supreme court rendered Dec. 1t was
held that the Philippines became domes-
tic territory Immediately upon the rau-
hcation of the treaty Of peace and that
in the absence OF legislation by congress
duties levied upon the products OF the
islands were illegal. It was further held
that the, right OF congress to pass laws
for the regulation of the islands was I'm
restricted. coming from the constitution
itself. In substance 1T was held the col
lection of duties on products coming from
Porto Rico between the time the treaty
of Pars, went into effect and the date
when the Foraker tarlH act became a
Jaw was iliegai that the island of Porto
Rico Is territory appurtenant and be-
longing to the United States but not
part OF the United States within the rev.
,s4lue clause of the constitution, and that
the Foraker act is constitutional.
Relations with Cuba.
The relations to exist between the
United States and Cuba were determined,
at least temporarily, by the adoption of
the Plat resolutions by congress in June.
Briefly. these provide that the govern
Snent of the island shall retain its indie
pendence of all foreign countries, that
the United States may intervene to pre-
serve such independence, that the acts
OF the United States during the period of
military occupancy shall be ratified. that
sanitary plans for the prevention OF cpl
denies shall be carried out and that this
country shall be permitted to buy or lease
naval or coaling stations at points to be
agreed upon.
On the 21st of February the constitution
as agreed to by the members Of the
Cuban convention was signed by the
fy upon that of the United States Dec.
2l Gen. Tornaso Estrada Palma was
elected the first president Of Cuba.
Free trade between Porto Rico and the
United States went into effect July rs. the
anniversary of the landing of the Ameri-
scan troops on the island in 1882 Civil
government under the provisions of the
Foraker act was established in May, 1900.
and the first governor was Charles II.
Allen. He was succeeded this year by
william III. Hunt.
President aIcKinley's Murder.
The facts in the assassination Of Presi-
dent William Mckinley are still too
vtvidly remembered to require extended
mention. He had entered upon his Sec
ond term under tho most favorable aus
pieces. Everything pertaining to the fu-