The Michigan Republicans, on June 26, had renominated Gov. Aaron T. Bliss. These three Northwestern States, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, - had, through a number of their representatives in the House, strongly opposed the Cuban reciprocity plan, and had been active and prominent in the movement of the socalled "beet sugar insurgents." Minnesota convention undertook in its platform to endorse at the same time President Roosevelt's demand for reciprocity and the position of the Minnesota representatives in their specific opposi tion. Minnesota wants to make sure that the sugar trust shall not derive benefit from the way in which reciprocity is applied. The Wisconsin convention did not express itself on the subject. The Michigan platform does not refer directly to the question of Cuban reciprocity, but by inference its strong endorsement of the protective tariff may be regarded as intended to convey the idea that reciprocity with Cuba would involve a weakening of the protective system.

Issues.

The

GOVERNOR LA FOLLETTE, OF WISCONSIN.

The Republicans at large are opposing The Campaign the reopening of the tariff question at the present time, on the ground that the country is actually prosperous, that the tariff is working well, that no business interests are demanding any changes in it, and that no class of people has come forward to show that it suffers any injuries from the maintenance of the Dingley schedules. The Democratic campaign. committee, on the other hand, has determined to make the tariff and the trusts the foremost issues in the November elections. A number of Republican platforms have endorsed President Roosevelt's position regarding trusts, and it may prove somewhat difficult for the Democrats to

establish their right to make any party capital out of that problem. The gratifying progress made in the adjustment of Philippine conditions leaves little room for partisan attacks in that direction, and the shrewdest of the Democratic leaders are well aware that nothing could be much more unpopular with the people than assaults upon our army in its splendid and selfsacrificing labors on the other side of the globe. The compulsory retirement of Gen. Jacob H. Smith by President Roosevelt has furnished sufficient proof to the country that the administration has not condoned any methods contrary to the rules of civilized warfare. The one thing for which the Republican party deserves to suffer severely in the Congressional campaign is its failure to deal honorably and efficiently with Cuba.

The anthracite coal strike in Pennsyl Bituminous Coal Strike vania had continued without incidents

Averted. startling enough to attract widespread attention until the holding of the national convention of the United Mine Workers at Indianapo lis, on July 17 and the two following days. The object of this convention was to decide whether or not the bituminous miners of the country should strike in sympathy with the men of the hard-coal districts. President Mitchell was prepared to recommend in the most emphatic manner that the bituminous men should remain at work in accordance with the wage-scale arrangements under which they were employed, and argued that the best way to help the hard-coal miners would be to contribute money regularly for their maintenance. The first proposition, that every miner should contribute a dollar a week from his wages, was modified in favor of a percentage plan which would yield as much, or more, money in the ag gregate. It was also determined to look to other trade unions and to the general public for financial support, and to issue an address to the American people explaining the situation and stimulating sentiment in favor of arbitration. Among well-informed people in Pennsylvania the opinion was prevalent that the strike would continue for a considerable time to come. employing interests involved were disseminating the view that the strike was on the point of disintegration. It was asserted that a considerable amount of hard coal was being mined, and that this amount would steadily increase. Large industrial consumers of hard coal, however, were finding it extremely difficult to obtain supplies. Meanwhile, it was said that a very considerable proportion of the mining population had gone away from the anthracite districts. It would, perhaps, be fortunate for all concerned if all these, and more besides, should find permanent employment elsewhere.

The

General

Business

Midsummer always brings its alarms about staple crops which are reported Conditions. to be suffering from drought or exces sive rain, or from some other cause. Particular localities, even in the best crop years, suffer from adverse conditions. Generally speaking, 1902 promises to be a good crop year. The rains injured considerably the winter wheat crop ; but, taking the country as a whole, there will be at least an average yield of wheat, and the prospects for corn and cotton are very good. Labor controversies, apart from the anthracite coal strike, were as a rule finding solution, and the industrial situation was exceedingly good in all lines of manufacture. The iron and steel trades will show larger aggregates for 1902 than last year, which, in turn, had broken all previous records. A gratifying result of this unprecedented prosperity is the fact that the United States Steel Corporation has voluntarily advanced the wages of 100,000 employees 10 per cent., this advance applying to union as well as nonAlthough there has been much talk about the purchase and consolidation of steamship lines under the auspices of Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan, there has not yet been announced the formation of any company representing the steamship aggregation. The suits against the Northern Securities Company are still pending, and it is probable that the delay in organizing the new steamship company has something to do with the principles involved in the Northern Securities litigation.

union men.

In Spanish

The South American states are not in America. very satisfactory news relation with the outside world, but there were enough bulletins from Venezuela last month to show that the revolution had taken a new hold, and that President Castro had left his capital and taken charge of the troops in the field in what seemed to be a losing, defensive campaign. Our cruisers, the Cincinnati and the Topeka, were at La Guayra, and our minister, Mr. Bowen, on July 14, asked by cable for another warship. In Colombia the revolutionists have been suffering reverses, and Colombia has been giving some attention to Nicaragua on the charge that the Nicaraguans had been abetting the Colombian revolutionists for reasons relating to canal rivalry. The presence of the United States vessel, the Marietta, helped to restore order in Haiti, where earlier in the summer a revolution had resulted in the expulsion of President Jiminez, who has found in New York a safe and congenial refuge. New elections were pending in Haiti last month. Uruguay has been stirred up over an alleged plot to assassinate the President, who had accordingly

felt himself justified in disregarding the constitution and arresting a number of members of the legislature. The occasional recurrence of volcanic activity in the Lesser Antilles has ceased to attract much outside attention, although the situation is a very painful and unhappy one for the people who live there.

The Venezuelan and French govern. French ments have entered upon a most adAffairs. mirable agreement for settling by arbitration the outstanding disputes due to various claims of French citizens. Each country is to appoint an arbiter, and M. de Leon y Castilo, the Spanish minister to Paris, is to be the third arbiter. The first two will settle as many points as possible, and all remaining differences will be settled finally and without appeal by the Spanish minister. This excellent arrangement will, of course, hold good no matter what faction succeeds in the civil war. The new French administration has taken hold of some very important questions. Premier Combes is enforcing the law relating to religious associations with unsparing rigor, and a great number of Church schools have accordingly been closed. M. Rouvier, the new Finance Minister, is proposing to make his term of official power memorable by a conversion to a 3 per cent. basis of that part of the permanent debt of France that now pays 34 per cent.

In Spain, as well as in France, there Affairs is a strong movement on foot against in Spain. the control of the Church in the educational field. A very drastic decree on this subject has been signed by King Alfonso. Señor Canalejas, who was a prominent member of the Sagasta ministry, resigned some little time ago, and he has been stirring up the country with an impassioned popular campaign against clerical domination. Apropos of King Edward's new Order of Merit, it is to be mentioned that there has been much agitation in Spain over appointments to King Alfonso's new order, to which it was announced that all the eminent Spaniards of science and letters would be named in the first group. The greatest difficulty arose over the question of including the rather liberal and modern-minded novelist Galdos, who has now, however, received his grand cross. The new treaty of trade, commerce, and amity between the United States and Spain was signed on July 3 by the Spanish foreign minister and our minister, Bellamy Storer, at Madrid. The new minister from Spain to the United States is Señor de Ojeda, who presented his credentials at the State Department on July 15. He is a most accomplished and intelligent gentleman, who points out

which twelve men were designated. This list included three soldiers, Lords Wolseley, Roberts, and Kitchener; two admirals, Seymour and Kep. pel; four men of science, Lords Kelvin, Rayleigh, Lister, and Sir William Huggins, the astronomer; one artist, Mr. George F. Watts; and two men of letters, Mr. W. H. Lecky and Mr. John Morley. Of Mr. Watts, we publish in this. number an interesting sketch by Mr. Stead.

ippine Friars.

Governor Taft's proposals to the VatAs to the Phil- ican at Rome,-which, as to their principal points, embodied the idea. that the United States should at a fair price buy the lands of the Spanish friars in the Philippines, and that the Vatican should withdraw the friars from the islands, -were, after several weeks of discussion, met by counter proposals on the part of the Vatican, delivered on July 9. These Vatican proposals were in twelve articles, most of which related to the land question, and provided specifically for the method of appraising the land and carrying the business to a conclusion. The withdrawal of the friars is not mentioned in the formal proposals, but in an accompanying note the Vatican declares that it is impossible to accede to the request of the United States on that score. It is intimated, however, that the Church authorities at Rome would see

But

that the friars caused no political friction in the Philippines, and it is implied that it would be the policy of the Vatican to replace gradually the Spanish friars with clerics of other nationalities, especially with Americans. The Vatican evidently expected that the United States would make further proposals, and that the period of negotiation at Rome would be prolonged. Judge Taft, after awaiting instructions from Secretary Root, informed the Vatican, on July 16, that he would leave Rome on the 24th, and that it would be in accordance with the wishes of the United States Government if further negotiations were carried on at Manila between Governor Taft and the civil authorities on the one hand, and an apostolic commissioner, representing the Church, on the other hand.