The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1909-12-30

~ leaSC uOIdDleR aC nome. Inc chief
event was the dethronement OF Abdul
Hamid II. In Turkey and the triumn1,
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-
ton of the house of lords. In France
the anti-clerical movement has gone
on, even though its former leader.
Premier Clemenceau, has been deposed
from power. Other foreign events of
more than passing note were the avert
Ing of threatened war in the Balkans.
the assassination of Prince Ito, the
Japanese representative in Korea; the
Qualification of Joan Of Arc, the death
of King Leopold of Belgium, a ruler
who had gained almost as unsayorv
reputation as Abdul Hamid, and the
execution Of Professor francesca Fer
rer, a Spanish liberal, which event
raised storm Of protest throughout
he world and drove the Spanish min
istry from power
The New Administration.
In America the chief political events
were the transfer Of the presidency
from Theodore Roosevelt to William
81. Taft and the passage of the Payne-
Aldrich bill, the first revision of the
tariff in twelve years. From it's in
f1uence on the future, one of the most
notable features of the tariff fight was
the development of the "insurgent''
group of senators and representatives
in the Republican party, a movement
that still exists in the regular session,
although the tariff bill is long since
law. Another outgrowth of the new
administration is 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 that
the secretary Of the interior is per-
hitting valuable coal lands and water
power sites to pass from the control Of
the government into that of private
capitalists. The most recent political
event of note was the decision of the
OAAISN OCdICS C1ICulC COuIC ulSSOlVlQS
the Standard Oil trust.
The year has seen the gradual re-
sumption Of prosperity and has been
gratifyingly free from serious natural
disasters or financial failures. The
Cherry mine horror in the United
States and the Monterey flood in Mex
leo have been the chief catastrophes..
In the labor world there have been
minor strikes, but no serious disturb
ance except that at McKees Rocks,
Pa. The gravest event of the year to
labor was the confirmation of the Jail
sentences for contempt Of court against
Samuel Gompers, John Mitchell and
Frank Morrison, the three chief Off
Gals of the American federation.
American naval annals have record
ed the completion of the notable battle
ship cruise around the world, the COM
missioning of the first American Dread
noughts, the Delaware and North Da-
kota, and the reforms which may mean
the practical ending Of the naval ring
in Washington.
From Festival to Death.
The year has been rich in celebra-
lions. Centenaries have been held of
the birth Of Lincoln, Darwin, Tenny-
son, Poe, Holmes, Gladstone and 9th
ers and of the death Of Thomas Paine.
The Alaska-Y ukon-Pacific exposition,
the Hudson-Fulton celebration, the ter
centenary Of the discovery of Lake
10
others have made 1909 a gala time in
America.
Death likewise has been busy. 1t is
impossible to give more than a few
names Of famous ones who have pass
ed, but they have belonged to all de-
partments Of human effort-in litera-
ture, Algernon Charles Swinburne,
George Meredith, Edward Everett
Hale and Richard Watson Glider; in
opera and the drama, Heinrich Con
ried, Coquelin and Modjeska: in the
military and navy. Admirals Rojest-
vensky and Cervera, General Henry G..
Corbin, General E. NJ. McCook and
General o. o. Howard: in public af-
fairs, Carroll D. Wright, Ethan A.
Hitchcock, Governor John A. Johnson
and Justice Rufus w. Peckham; in
journalism. Theodore Barth, Colonel A.
X. Mcclure, Albert Pulitzer and w. M.
Laffan; in finance, Henry Fl. Rogers
and Edward II. Hartman; in other
fields, Rev Theodore Cuyler, Lord Ri
pom, Professor Simon Newcomb, Will
liam Lloyd Garrison, Baron Tweed
mouth and Cesare Lombroso