Evening journal., 1909-12-31

Elect Iart ,.ss.el The is,hmus and
formally opened the Pacific end Of the
big ditch. ana s. was during this year
that some cf the most Grnhfyipg prog
rees was made on the work and Il
definite dat was fixed when it would
ba finished AMI thrown open TO navisa-
tlon
These con stitlte a trinity Of great nc.
c0mpllshments thrce OF the greatest
IN the scientific aud industrial field. IL
is cause not f1r boastnc but, rather
for gratitude. that they were all done
by Americans. Tho north pole wa
discovered hr an American, the aero
plane was invented by Americans. and
the Panama canal is being built by
Americans
Scarcely less remarkable as engineer
ing feats were the trolley and railroad
tunnels opened under the Hudson river
at New York end the Gunnison irrisa-
ton tunnel opened by President Taft.
Politically the year has beer, mo-
mentous in some foreign countries ana
at least notable at home. The chief
event was tie dethronement Of Abdul
Hamid H. ir Turkey and the triumph
Of democratic ideals and constitutional
government Scarcely less important
from the standpoint Of progress is the
British budget fight, which may speed
lily result in revenue reforms, home
rule for ireland and the practical aboli-
IL q q In,
the anti-c.er.cal movement has gone
on, even though it's former leader,
Premier Cienicuceau. has Acen deposed
from power other foreign events Of
more than passing note were the avert
ing OF threatened war ia the Balkans.
the assassilialio of Prince Ito. the
japanese representative in Korea the
beatifcation of Joan Of Arc, the death
Of King Leopold of Belgium. a ruler
who had gained almost as unsavory
a reputation as Abdul Hanid. and the
execution Of Professor francesca Il ~
rer, a Spanish liberal, which ere"'
raised storm of protest throughout
the world ami drove the Spanish min
istry from power.
The New Administration.
In America the chief political event
were ihe transfer Of die presiicnc.
rom Theodore Roosevelt To William
!. Taft and the passage Of the Payne
'drich bin, the arst revision Of tie
tariff ia twelve years. From its in
lucnce on the future. one Of the mos.
notable features OF the tariff fight was
the development Of the "insurgent
rronp Of seDutcrs and representative
in the Repuhlican party, a movement
that still exists 10 the regular session.
although the tariff bin IS long since a
| law. Another outgrowth Of the new
| administration Is a conflict over the
Roosevelt policy Of conservation Of nat
ural resources and is popularity known
as the Pinchot-Ballinger controversy
consisting In the main Of charges thai
| the secretary Of the interior is per
hitting valuable coal lands and water
power sites 90 pass from the control Oi
the government into that of private
capitalists The most recent politica
event Of note was the decision Of Tho
United States circuit court dissOlvini
the Standard on trust.
The year has seen the gradual re
sumption Of prosperity and has beer
gratifyingly free from serious natura
disasters or financial failures. Tn,
Cherry niue horror in the Unite,
States and the Monterey food in Mex
leo have been the chief catastrophes.
In the labor world there have beer
minor strikes. but no serious disturb
ance except that at McNees Rocks
Pa. The grayest event oi the year 4
labor was the confirmation OK the jai
sentences for contempt of court agains
Samuel Gompers. John Mitchell anC
Frank Morrison, the three chief otii
cials Of tho American federation.
American naval annals have record
ed the completion OF the notable battle
shin o'--' '''" ,rHr'd the cor