The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-12-26

Y
out OF power and restored the pre-
mfership to Moretly Prendersast.
The Socialists OF all European coun-
tries took up the Ferrer matter and
made IL their cause. In fact. In this
and many other AFFAIRS the Socialists
warfare. They we're among the lead
ers OF the opposition to the imperial
taxation policy In Germany. and they
aided materially In the overthrow in
July of Premier Georges Clemenceau
in France. as the result Of the uncov-
being succeeded by Aristide BRAND. q
radical Socialist. Furthermore, the So
iciaiists were active opponents OF the
Vatican In the controversy between
France and the Vatican over the cleri-
cal association. AS the year closed
this controversy between the Church
and the government In France had
again become acute. through the oppo-
sition of the Church to the attendance
Of Catholic children, upon lay schools.
i There was nothing In the religious
| atmosphere OF the United States during
the year that savored In the least OF
| religious-political controversy. There
was, however. strong development
of religious and moral propaganda in
| general. Also. there was contfnuance
/ Of the antf-liquor movement, which
had begun even, before 1908. This re-
suited in the enactment OF extremely
stringent prohibitive statutes In Ala
bama. Kansas and other States. Kan
sas forbidding the sale of liquor even
in drug stores and rendering Il prac-
tically impossible for one to have
liquor in his own home. There was
some reaction against this tendency In
the elections OF the fall. as the re-
suit in many cities attested. notably
| In San Francisco, where an attempt
to raise the saloon license from $500
to $1,000 per year was beaten most
decisively.
The fell Elections and Sugar.
In some quarters the elections OF
November were interpreted as gem
eral reaction from the extremes OF
morality and Righteousness. But. how
ever that may be, the AUTHORIZATION
elements certainly were overthrown
in such conspicuous places as San
candidates for district attorney, the
celebrated Francis J.. Henry and
Clarence d. Gibboney another noted
/ fighter of political corruption. being
showed under; while in Cleveland Tom
Johnson running for reelection as
Mayor, and his three-cent fare ordf-
|ance were rejected for the first time
in a long period. In Toledo the re-
form Mayor. Brand whitlook. sue
ceeded in being reelected. Aud in
New York the anti-Tammany- forces
itriumphed In everything except the
mayoralty. and even m this office,
though William ]. Gaynor was elected
he was elected rather In spite of than
because of his support by Tammany.
Another interesting election result was
the reelection of Governor Guild OF
Massachusetts by the Republicans by
the greatly reduced plurality OF 1000
votes. Dissatisfaction over the various
schedules in the tariff bill was given
as one of the causes for the poor
showing made by the republicans.
/ So far as there was any conspfcu-
Gus probing on the part Of the pub
lie during the year. II ceutered in a
series of exposures of the so-called
Sugar Trust, The latter was caught
| in the early part of the year in per-
petrating certain frauds In the weigh
/ ing of its sugar importations at the
government dock in williamsburg,
New York, and fined to the extent of
April, II was compelled to disgerge
over 100000 for fraudulent entries.
/ But I'm November Richard Parr, an
agent of the Treasury Department,
gave out a statement alleging that the
| frauds In weighing. In making untrue
appraisals. etc. would aggregate nearly
| $40, O0o, 900 and would cover a period
-
amount OF the so-called fraud created
a sensation. started a general invest
/ igation at the special order of the
Presidents and theeACabinct, #and led
to what promises togsbe aScomplete
overhauling of the customs service.
eighty three New York Customs House
! employees having been dismissed up
| to December /. Mr.. Parr intimated
collision within the Treasury Depart
ment at washington and alleged that
his Investigation had been impeded
even by former Assistant Secretary
of the Treasury, James u. Reynolds,
who entered a vigorous denial. Vari.
Gus Sugar Trust and government Of
! fcials now stand indicted for collu-
sion in these custom frauds.
An important factor in the Sugar
Trust expose was William Loeb, Jr.,
/ the secretary to the President under
Mr.. Roosevelt, who was transferred by
Mr. Taft to the collectorship of port
| at New York. Mr.. Loeb set about his
new duties radically, enforcing sta
/ tutes against entering goods without
due declaration, establishing vigor-
Gus system OF espionage to prevent
smuggling, and even subjecting to
search persons Of distinction and cap
tains Of some of the transatlantic
/ liners. The searching of individuals
and the general rigor OF the Loeb ad-
ministration led to strong protest from
many sources. aud toward the end Of
the year determined efforts were being
made in some quarters to effect Mr..
Loebs removal. However. Ii was given
out from Washington that the Secre-
| tary OF the Treasury Endorsed Mr..
Loeb's policy and would support his
/ actions generally and specifically as
! to the sugar expose.
I As for Mr.. Loeb's former chief, he
departed for his widely advertised At
rican hunting trip on March 49, reach
ing Mombasa on April II, after stops
ing only at GIBRALTAR Naples and
/ Alden. AT Noples MIR. Roosevelt was re-
tceived by the King of Italy FROM
Mombasa he went at once into the
hunting fields. and since then he has
shot much large and small game
forwarding the hides and
skeletons OF the same to the Smith
sonian Institute at Washington for
tmounting and exhibition. Mr.. Roose-
velts last notable act as President
was to exert his influence successfully
against the passage of several radical
lantiJa$anese bills by the California
Legislature. thus quieting once more
talk of a possible conflict between this
country and japan.
Roosevelt Out; Taft In.
! With Mr.. Roosevelt our only living
ex-President. and Mr.. Taft inaugural
ed as President on schedule date. with
Washington cut practically off from
| the rest of the country by a violent
snow and sleet storm. the Cabinet was
entirely reorganized leaving only Sc
cretaries Wilson and Meyer in office.
Phflahder C. Knox became Secretary
Of State; Franklin MacVeagh, a Chi
caRo merchant, Secretary OF the Trea-
sury; Jacob M. Dick inson, a Democrat