The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-04
Its One Great Shadow the
Coal Strike.
A YEAR OF PROSPERITY
Advance in Transmission Of Wireless Messages
Santos Dumont and Aerial Navigation
Political Changes of Small Moytm.nt
disasters of The Year,
New York WORLDLY

entirety, are of pleasant memory 1902
will in a few hours be numbered.
1t has been year of peace making
and prosperity for the world generally,
and for the United States particularly.
Possibly the figures of American indus
try trade and commerce will show larger
totals for 1908, but those for 1902 are the
highest yet. Moreover the passing year
has witnessed many national events of
distinction. Among them were the visit
of Prince Henry of Prussia in February,
marked as it was by an exchange OF
courtesies with Germany that had hap
Ply influence on the relations of the two
countries; the withdrawal of our army
from Cuba and the orderly birth of the
Cuban Republic, in honorable fulilment of
our pledges.
The New England speaking tour of
President Roosevelt, in which he narrowly
escaped death in the collision of a trolley
car with his carriage, and the subse-
quent abandonment midway of his West
ern tour are among it's fortunate re-
collections. The second Venezuelan dis
pute, in which Great Britain and Ger
many have accepted arbitration at the
instance of our Government, has even
more emphaticaly than the first
strengthened the Monroe doctrine, by CIV
ing it the practical recognition of those
great European powers. So that as 1902
closes undoubtedly the prestige of this
country stands very high in European
capitals.
1t has been a war-ending year. The
Anglo-Boe conflict was closed with
peace treaty signed on May 81 and
Joseph Chamberlain is now in South
Africa earnestly endeavoring to expand
that peace into a real reconciliation be-
tween the English and Dutch races. IN
the Philippines peace may be said to
prevail, though not as absolutely and
on as permanent basis as could be
wished. 1t still remains for the American
people to revise and close that chapter of
their history in accordance with their old
traditions and the spirit of 70
The notable local disasters of the clos
ing year include the collision in the New
York Central tunnel, killing seventeen
persons, and the dynamite explosion in
the rapid transit subway, both in Janu-
airy; the destructive fire in Patterson ~
J., making 1000 families homeless, and the
Park Avenue Hotel fire. involving the loss
of seventeen lives, both in February. It's
most terrible world calamities were the
eruptions in May of Mont Pelee, Martini
que, and of Mont la Soufriere, St. Vim
cent, destroying about $4,000 people,
In American politics the year has not
been productive of any marked changes.
The new National House of Representa-
tives. elected last month. will be, like
the present one a Republican body. AS
elected it shows 20S Republican and IFS
Democratic members. The national SEN
ate of the next Congress will also be Re
publican-5S to 80. Nevertheless, the late
Congressional elections showed decided
movement toward the revision of the
tariff and the regulation and restraint
of trusts and monopolies. Congress, in
its long session. ending July 1, was only
remarkable for what it omitted to do.
1t shelved Cuban reciprocity, army re-
organization, anti-anarchy and ship-sub-
sidy egisation; aso the fourteen re-
ciprocity treaties, the immigration BILL |
and all the tariff revision and anti trust
bills 1t passed the Chinese Exclusion act. |
an act permanently organizing the rural
free delivery mail service, an act pro- |
viding for the digging of the Panama
Canal, Philippine civil government act
and nothing more worth recalling.
Mr.. Roosevelt's Cabinet has been re-
constructed. Mr.. Shaw has taken Mr.. |
Cages place as Secretary of the Treas
ury, Mr.. Payne is Postmaster General in !
stead of Mr.. Smith, and Mr.. Moody is the
ruler of 1.-THE navee" in place of Mr. Long .
And Speaker Henderson having declined
to stand on Iowa's Republican tariff-re-
form platform, will not call the next
House to order.
Death has aimed his darts at not few |
shining marks during 1902 Cecil Rhodes !,
died March 26; Rear Admiral Sampson, |
May g. Lord Pauncefote, May "a King Al
bert of Saxony June 49,; lola, the novel
list, September 80; Krupp, the cannon
maker, November %; Thomas B. Reed,
December Z.
In Europe the larger public events of
the year have been the quiet coronation
of Edward VII, after the painful post
ponement of much grander ceremony,
on Aug. 8; the coronation of King Alfonso
of Spain on May II; the resignation OF
Premier Waldeck Rousseau in France and
his succession by NJ. Combes, the pres
ent Premier; the resignation of Lord
Salisbury as British Prime Minister and
his succession by Mr.. Balfour.
The distinctively progressive events of
1902 embrace the first actual navigation
of the air by Santos Dumont the sue
cessful transmission of wireless messages
across the Atlantic by Marconi; the COM
pletion of the Canadian Australian cable
from Vancouver, B. c., to Tanning Island,
3455 miles; the opening of the great
Assouan dam on the Nile, which promises
to create a new Egypt
Such is the story in skeleton form.
OF l902-leaving the one large shadow
that has fallen across it to be mentioned
last. The great coal strike is, so far as
this country is concerned, its only indus
trial event of far-reachng misfortune. 1t
began May IL, lasted till Oct q, and
would have lasted much longer, possibly
until now, but for President Rooseyelt's
successful exertion of his influence to send
the dispute to commission to investigate
and report, mining in the meantime being
resumed
Closing this short retrospect at home. |
the people of New York City NAV GER
tainly remember the year that goes out
tonight with satisfaction as the first wear
of reformed municipal povernment NOT I