Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1890 — THE NEWS OF THE WEEK. [ARTICLE]

THE NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Thf. report <jf Prof. Elliott on the 'seal fur industry shows that the prespa number Of sesl3 in Ameriean; ■waters does not exceed 100.000, where- | «a it has been represented at 1,000,0.00 ; *hy interested parties. In his opinion ; the utmost care will have to be taken to prevent the extinction of the Industry. ’ » In the great scramble among the European powers for territory in Africa France comes out ahead of all the Other countries, with 2, .100,000 square miles to her credit, or a tract about ten times as large as France herself. None of the big nations, however, have thus far made anything out of their possessions in the dark continent, while. France as a colonizer has never been very in her enterprises of this 9ort anywhere. There is one man in France who would do well to keep away from all meetings of so-called strong-minded women. That man is M. Jules Simon. He proposes a tax of a certain amount ©ach year on all male celibates over a giyen age, and, in explaining why 8@ confines the tax to males, says, with the utmost frankness, that he does not believe any woman ever remain :d single of her own tree will, and that it is unjust to tux anyone for misfortune. This may all be very true, Brer Simon, but it is an ill thing to say in certain circles. We are all aware that it is easer to tell a mortifying lie than a mortifying truth about any man, and the same rule applies to women.

There were large appropriations at the last session of Congress toward half a dozen now war vessels, four of them to be very costly and to bo under construction for a long time. Coni gress is not likely to make a very liberal outlay for additional war ships during the coming winter. The second installments for these vessels and the installments for completing and Arming those previously authorized will maks up about as large an appropriation as Congress may be disposed fc expend. Still, it is possible with a very moderate amount to push ahead the supply of torpedo boats and torpedo cruisers. One vessel of the latter type which the navy is looking for is. a . craft of about 1,200 tons displacement. »nd the groat speed of 26 knots per hour. ' Such a vessel would Btand at Ahe head of hor class in the world, at least in hor day. It is true that, Germany's Adler has made 26J knots an hour for two consecutive hours; but she is a boat of only 152 tons displacement, and far more limited ip her uses and possibilities than the craft contemplated for our navy. The new 759-ton torpedo cruiser already authorised will-be very fast, but the room in her is restricted, everything being sacrificed to speed in a new vessel of the same general type, and 450 or 500 tons more displacement, still higher speed can be secured, besides such accommodations as will maite her comfortable for officers and men and greatly enlarge her sphere of action.^

The world-wide farce that Mr. Stan ley has won by his African explore. Uons. will doubtless prove to bo a stimulus to other African explorers, from whom wo may expect to hear in time to come. The work of exploring the vast continent that stretches from Algeria to Cape Colony, from Senegambia to Mozambique, has not yet been completed, and wide spaces in the interrior are still untrodden by the white traveller. We shall have plenty of other wonderful stories from Africa in course of time. We shall hear of great projects of civilization aad colonization, railroad building and city building. There are many indications that Africa is about to enter upon a new era in her history, under fee guidance of four of the great European powers—England, Germany, Franoe and Italy. It may be presumed our own country will yet gain adwantages from the work of these pow.. an in Africa. We could easily,,at one time, have got possession of Liberia, which is a country that has great natural resources; but we preferred to look after our own business at home. The Black Republic has not flourished as it was hoped it would flourish a half century ago, when it eras under the guardianship o' the American Colonization Society, by which twice ten thousand colored colonists were sent there from this country. The British possessions in Africa ieon the western, eastern, and southern coasts of the continent, and may ®ow be said to include Egypt in the north. There is at this time a great and rapid growth of British trade in Africa. — ew York Sun.

Twelve failures were reported on the 11th, Gas has been struck in the’ heart of the city of Pittsburg. The Board of Public Improvement InC vestigation at Cincinnati continues. -The Kentucky constitutionai convention has decided on reporting in favor of a } eret ballot: 1 1 The University of Pennsylvania has res r ceivqd-eiiougb-of Kochs l>mpb totreat i 500 patients. J —Four person- were killed, one fatally and another seriously injured, at a crossing a Bristol, Pa., on the 13th, Tiya fast express train. Chicago broweries announce that they will quit paying license for saloonkeepers, and as a result 1,600 saloons will close Jam Irr 1 —' - -1 ’ — — The temperature at Lydonville, Vt., on the S«b, was 30 degrees below zero. Ice on "file"Kennebec at Augusta, Me., is from 6 to 8 inches thick. Rov. D. J. Mitterling, a Lutheran minister of Galion, 0., has been expelled from the east conference of Wittenberg on the charge of licentiousness. The retail dry goods ilrm of Bell. Miller &Co,, Cincinnati, failed on the 13th, with Labilities of $350,000. Many other failures are reported throuchout-the country. At Bloomfield. la.,reeently,a man named Smith suddenly became insane. His broth er Frank went to take care of him, and on Wednesday he also lost his reason. General Clarkson says that Quay will continue chairman of the Republican National committee, and thinks that both, parties may nominate new men for the Presidency. On the 7th fourth ballot in joint session at Columbia, S. C., J. L. M. Irby, the Alliance candidate, was elected United fatales Senator to succeed Wade Hamilton. The vote stood: Irby 105, Donaldson 10, Hamptou 42. Three big failures were reported in’the East on the 10th. Whitten, Burdette & Young, wholesale clothiers, New York, $500,U00; G. W. Ingalls & Co., shoes, New York, liabilities $100,000; Joseph & John Nightingale, Patterson, N. J., silk manu faclurers

While the young ladies at the Buchtel Akron, 0., were having a frolid on the night of the 13th, the clothes of one of them caught fire and the flames com. municated to the clothing of others, and before they could be rescued two of tho ladies were fatally burned. It was said in New York Friday where Governor Hill now is, that he has decided to give hissupport to Charles A. Dana, for United States Senator. Tammany leaders have declared that the Governor can have the votes of Tammany men._for.any man rwbom he names outside of Smith M. Weed and Roswell P. Flower. t Charles Joplin shot and killed five persons Thursday, at the Jenny lead mine, twelve miles from Ft. Smith, Ark., and then committed suicide by shooting bimself. Those he killed were John Miller, his wife, his grown daughter, Lou Miller; Dr. Stewart, a prominent physician, uud a man whose name Is not known. —- Many medicine men who went toßerlln from abroad to study the Koch treatment are leaving with their hopes of its success abated. Some specialists continue their demonstrations of the treatment, but the others have ceased to offer inquiries for more facilities. Professor Bergmaun, upon concluding his demonstrations, announced that ho had made injections in 200 cases, but would not prononuce defin. itely upon the results or the methods of, the treatment until a year had elapsed. Nevertheless ho reaffirmed his belief in the value of the remedy. Superintendent Porter, of the Census Office, has reoeived from Mr. Hyde, the chief as supervisors, some interesting information concerning the attempted census frauds in Minneapolis and St. Paul. In speaking of the matter Wednesday he said that a more systematic scheme to obtain credit for more population than either city possessed could hardly have been conceiv ed. ~Tn Mi n n eapol ise venthe records of births and deaths were so changed as to correspond with tho excessive population shown by the enumerator’s reports. The investigation has developed the fact that the population of Minnea olis by the first couutwas 24,000 in excess of the actual figures, and that of St. Paul 9,000 in ex cess. President Polk.of the Farmers’ Alliance, has named Friday, Feb. 6, 1891. and Washington as the place of holding the first meeting of the National Legislative Council, Which is composed of the national President and the Presidents of all the State Alliances. An important piece of action taken during the closing moments of the late convention was the adoption of a resolution with reference to the support of all alliances. The policy of the Alliance will be to withhold all support from newspapers which do not support Alliance Departments or at least publish Alliance news regularly. This arrangement does notcompel a support of Alliance measures or an advocacy of Alliance demands on the part of these newspapers in their editorial columns, but does compel a certain degree of friendliness on their part, and amounts to an absolute boycott of all newspapers which do not come up to the terms of the resolution.

FOREIGN. The contest in Ireland has become a factional fight between the friends of Home Rule—Parnell on one side, his opponents on the other. Hoots and groans greet every speaker and leader. The unfriendly feeling between Franoe and Germany has not altogether subsided. The directors of the German railways have refused to allow any reduction for the transport of French goods intended for next year's exhibition at Moscow, and it has been decided to send all the French exhibits by sea to the Russian port of lie val. ' :^7_. The Republic of Guatemala, is besieged by small pox. The disease has made fearful progress. In seven weeks there were 1.2C0 deaths throughout the country, and the number at last accounts was on the increase. But few sanitary precautions were taken when the epidemio first ap-

peered. The result was that the people] have been mowed down by hundred. In j the City of Guatemala dozens of deaths: have occurred daily. The hospitals are crowded, and there is an open field for a ; score or more physicians. The London T:mea saysT TSe'whoiVmon'■ etaiy system in the United States is in a muddle. This condition of affairs is due to piecemeal legislation by unprincipled legislators. Unfortunately, instead of there being signs of amendment, it looks aa if furfcbet-aticnipls will be madeTd leg- ' iskrte in favor of particular classes. The most ominous of these attempts is the demand of the Farmers’ Alliance for more ' currency and that the national banks shall be compelled to lend money on the security of real estate. If the latter demand is i ever granted America will bo launched on , the dangerous path which the Argentine*! Republic has trod since .the evil day the j first cednla was issued. The present crisis ! is of an ordinary character, but is made worse by foolish monetary arrangements. The only sure cure for it is liquidation.