Tuesday, August 29, 1905.
PROGRESSIVE FARMER AND COTTON PLANT.
9
CURRENT EVENTS: THE TREND OF, THINGS
AS WE SEE IT.
Thi- is written before the report of Saturday's
junco conference reaches us, and that may ma
terially modify the situation, but the outlook for
j.taee at the time is decidedly gloomy. At first
there was hope in President Roosevelt's proposed
compromise which was that Japan yield her
formal demand for indemnity (or for paying Ja
i uin's war expenses, which is the same thing) , also
In r demand for the surrender of interned Russian
warships and the limitation of Russia's naval ac
tivity in the Far East, provided Russia would buy
back the northern hall of Sakhalin Island for
l,i(0.000,000 yen about $600,000,000. But
Uaron Witte says he can never consent to this.
"X't one copeck for tribute," is his watchword,
and he is quoted as having said that not even the
Czar can force him into signing a treaty violating
this principle. The adjournment from Wednes
day until Saturday, was really for the purpose
of obtaining final instructions from the Russian
and Japanese governments, and we shall give in
a postscript the latest news obtainable as we gc
to press.
Russian and Japanese Affairs.
A daily contemporary thus summarizes what
had been agreed on by the peace envoys before
adjournment: "Russia has agreed to cede the
Chinese Eastern Railroad (between Harbin and
Port Arthur) to China, retaining her line across
nothern Manchuria to Vladivostock and refer
in? Japan to China for something like $100,000,
000. Both sides agree to evacuate Manchuria,
respect China's neutrality and maintain the open
door, liussia is also ready to pay Japan for the
maintenance of 100,000 prisoners of war. Ja
pan's 'predominating influence" in Korea is fully
recognized and she is accorded special fishing
rights in the Siberian coast. It is intimated that
Russia would have assented tojhe surrender of
the interned warships if Japan had shown a
disposition to meet her views regarding the
two main issues."
What gives most hope of peace now is the fact
that it would be difficult for Japan to borrow
money to continue the war very much longer,
while Russia's credit is practically exhausted.
It looks to us, however, as if another sweeping
Japanese victory is bound to- follow the break-up
of the peace conference and that the war cannot
be prolonged. The Japanese ; General, Oyama,
has about 400,000 earnest Japanese with which to
face 300,000 half-starved Russians who would be
further disgruntled by the failure to end a war
in which they are not interested.
X..r does it seem likely that the Czar has won
much support by his creation of a sham National
Assembly. This Congress is to be elected by the
people, a property qualification for voters being
fixed, but the Assembly cannot bind the Czar,
cannot pass any laws, can only talk, and only
talk just so long as its talk pleases the Czar, for
he has power to dismiss it at pleasure. It is with
this absolutely miserable make-shift that the Czar
answers his people's demand for a representative
government granting their request with reser
vations and restrictions that makes the grant as
much of a nullity as the old lady's yielding in the
classic lines:
'Mother, may I go out to swim?'
lOh, yes, my darling daughter;
Hani? your clothes on a hickory limb
But don't gonear the water "
Virginia's Democratic Primary.
The Democratic primary in Virginia last week
was thr; one absorbing subject of discussion in
that St.ue, and also attracted a great deal of at
tention in the other States of the South. Most
mtc-n-M was felt in the contest for Senator, Gov
ernor .Montague being a candidate for the place
,which Senator Martin has held for two terms.
The result of the primary was a defeat f orthe
Governor, Senator" Martin being elected to suc
ceed himself by 15,000 majority. Governor Mon
tague is much the abler speaker, and would have
been a more commanding figure in the United
States Senate, but Senator Martin is a more ef
ficient organizer and has won popularity at home
by looking after Virginia's interests so strenu
ously in the matter of appropriations and ap
pointments. Charges that Martin was the rail
road candidate might have injured his candidacy
had not Montague also been put upon the defen
sive by Martin's counter-charges. Singularly
enough Mr. Swanson, whom Montague defeated
for the Gubernatorial election four years ago
Montague representing himself then as now, as
the anti-machine candidate was nominated for
Governor last week, Judge Mann, who advocated
some advanced temperance legislation, running
next, and Mr. Willard, a millionaire candidate,
following. The largest majority 30,000 was
won by J. D. Eggleston, Jr., candidate for Super
intendent of Public Instruction.
The personnel of the ticket being settled, the
candidates have now to face the most determined
Republican opposition the Virginia Democrats
have known for many years. Governor Montague
has announced that he will not sulk, but stump the
State as earnestly as ever in behalf of the nomi
nees. The Farmers National Congress.
The meeting of the Farmers' .National Con
gress in Richmond, Va., September 12th to 22nd,
is a matter of interest to all classes of our citi
zens in the South, well deserving a place in our
discussion of general "Current Events" and we
submit the complete program herewith for the
benefit of all that may be interested:
Tuesday, Sept. 12, 10.00 a. m. Addresses of
welcome by Hon. Carlton McCarthy; Hon. E. G.
Leigh, Jr., Governor A. J. Montague.
Resopnses to Addresses of Welcome by Hon. B.
Cameron, Stagville, N. C; Hon. Joshua Strange,
Marion, Ind.
Tuesday, September 12, 2.30 p. m. Annual Ad
dress Hon. Harvie J ordan, Monticello, Ga., Pres
ident Farmers' National Congress. The Field and
Functions of the Farmers' National Congress by
Hon. Geo. M. Whi taker, Boston, Mass.
Discussion.
Wednesday, September 13, 9.30 a. m. Introduc
tion of Resolutions. The Tariff As It Affects
Agriculture, by Hon. L. F. Livingston, M. C, At
lanta, Ga. The Federal Government and thi
Farmers Hon. H. C. Adams, M. C, Madison,
Wis. Discussion.
Wednesday, September 13, 2.30 p. m. Introduc
tion of Resolutions. Agricultural Resources of
the South Hon. J. Bryan Grimes, Raleigh, N. C.
Government Expenditure in Relation to Agricul
tural Interests Hon. Charles Arthur Carlisle,
South Bend, Ind.
Wednesday,September 13, 8 p. m. Introduction
of Resolutions. Climate, soil (or Food), and De
velopment Hon. Will B. Powell, Shadeland, Pa.
Discussion.
Thursday, September 14, 9.30 a. m. Introduc
tion of Resolutions. Immigration to the United
States, and the Agricultural Distribution of Im
migrants, by Representatives of the Immigration
Restriction League and the National Civic Feder
ation. Dussion. Report of Committee on Res
olutions. Thursday, September 14, 2.30 p. m. Introduc
tion of Resolutions. Postal Reforms and Im
provements of Special Interest to Farmers Hon.
John Lamb, M. C, Richmond, Va. Discussion.
Lecture Mrs. John A. Logan, Washington, D. C.
Report of Committee on Resolutions.
Friday, September 15, 9.30 a. m. Election of
Officers. Final Report of Committee on Resolu
tions. .
Friday, September 15, 2.30 p. m. Unfinished
Business.
September 16-22. Excursions, side trips, etc.
September 22. Adjournment sine die.
Miscellaneous News Notes.
In New Orleans the yellow fever situation seems
to be improving, but in the country districts of
' ! ! 1 . . 1 jl . '
Louisiana xne disease is Decerning more virulent.
The latest move in the campaign against the mos
quito is the purchase of largequantities of salt
with which to salt stagnant pools and thus pre
vent further breeding of the insects.
District Attorney Jerome, who has always been
.? : t i tl i ji
uixic miug uj. a xree wxice in pontics, litis creaieu.
a sensation by announcing that he wishes a re
election, but will not accept a nomination from
either political party. He has asked New York
voters to bring about his nommation by petition
and they are going to do it. -We
observe that John D. Rockefeller will prob-
nUw l , TT : : a aj-A aaa aaa : .a.
tiuij give vmuagu uiiivcxsitj puv,vvv,vvv ill mt?
1 JV m . a . .
nope ot making it "the greatest institution of
learning in the world." He may make it the rich-,
est, and it still lack very much of being the
greatest. It takes something more than money
t m ..
tor real greatness m men or institutions, and we
do not believe that Chicago can ever become a
really great university so long as the first idea one
has regarding the institution is of it as the rep
resentative and child of the sanctimonious Stan
dard Oil monopolist. -
Postscript The Peace Conference.
The meeting of the peace envoys Saturday was
not decisive. The Czar delivered his ultimatum
no indemnity and no cession of land except south
ern Sakhalin. Japan's answer will probably be
given before this number of The Progressive
Farmer reaches our readers, and then it will .be
known at last whether it is to be peace or war in
the Far East. -
A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK.
How many people live on the reputation of the
reputation they might have made! From "The
Autocrat of the Breakfast Table," by Oliver Wen
dell Holmes.
The Foundation of National Life.
In our modern industrial civilization there are
many grave dangers to counterbalance the splen
dors and the triumps. It is not a good thing to
see cities firrow- at disproportinate speed relative
ly to the country ; for the small land owners, the
men who own their little homes, and therefore to
a very large extent the men who till farms, the'
men of the soil, have hitherto made the founda
tion of lasting national life in every state ; and,
if the foundation becomes either too weak or too
narrow, the superstructure, no matter how at
tractive, is in imminent danger of failing. Pres
ident Roosevelt to Mother's Congress.
Good for Mr. Jordan.
As long as Mr. Harvie Jordan is at the head
of the Cotton Association it will never be a nack
horse for politicians and office-seekers. vMr. Jor
dan has put his foot down hard on this. In the
constitution he was instrumental in having a
clause inserted that if any office-holder in the Cot-"
ton Association accepts a political office or even
becomes a candidate for one, he" forfeits his office
in the cotton association. Mr. Jordan has de
manded the resignation - of several officers in
Georgia on this account, and a high-up officer in
North Carolina will likelv be called to taw on the
same thing. "This is a business movement," Mr.
Jordan says, "and we are not going to put out time
and money into a scheme to benefit the country
and allow it to be used as stepping stones by selfish
people for their own ends. This has been the
death of a good many farmers' organizations, and
we are determined to steef clear of it." Monroe
Journal.
Your life journey leads by a way you know not.
It is best you should not know. When you come
tn thp. ni??wl hills, climb them, lunov the beauti
ful landscaDes as you t)ass them. And rest as-
t . i t j j
surea xnax ax xne enu oi .your juume.y everj oou.
.1 .1 j . ; x i
and purpose will greet you in that world where
hope is changed into fruition, and the longing
for perfection shall find its realization. Your
highest dreams of spiritual purity, exaltation, and
blessednes3 now are sure prophecies ot what you.
shall be then. What you put into your dream
here, God will 'put. into your destiny there.
Bishop O. P. Fitzgerald.