| Show THE YEAR 1889 IT is a time honored custom among newspapers and individuals to east cast a retrospective glance on the last day of the year over the events which it has witnessed often a catalogue of them is made and people think when they form or read such a catalogue they have performed a sort of duty required by their consciences in having specially noted the leading occurrences of the year it is the duty of every person having the intelligence and opportunity to do soto so to impress upon the memory the notable events of current history and the conscience of an enlightened and cultivated man will impel him to do this the duty duly of the individual in regard 90 rd to this matter is not done however when the catalogue has been made or memorized he should further exert his bis mind in an D effort to comprehend the significance of the events noted and their probable effect upon future history especially to is it the duty of the latter day salete to do this if the occur vences of the year now closing are waide from this standpoint it will be de found to rank among the most important of the christian era croup roup the developments upon A continental continental europe consider them 1 ell 11 and the conviction is unavoidable iN that they will lead 0 mighty upheavals in the ar future the repeated attempts on the azars czars life indicate the internal condition of russia the successful overtures the latter has made to austria from which it is a foregone conclusion that the great triple alliance between italy germany and austria cannot long continue mean the removal of the conditions that have preserved the semblance of peace among the great powers for the last ten years in england the times parnell case gave the cause of home rule a tremendous impetus and now scotland wales and india as well as ireland are demanding local government the recent london scandals have shaken english society as aa it has not been shaken for a generation 11 loD and the prediction is freely y and soberly made that their be the establishment lish ment of a republic at the tei mi nation of victorias victorians reign it is difficult to grasp the full significance of european events that have occurred la in 1889 but we are aided in ane task by comparing them with similar developments in history a process which renders it emler easier to comprehend their import and to forecast their probable effects it is a notable circumstance that the last days of the year have witnessed the sufferings from an epidemic of hundreds of thousands thousand alf if not millions of human beings on the european continent the western world has not the facilities for learning in detail what is taking place in asia but we know that phenomenal events rarely equaled in the history of the past have transpired there within the year japan suddenly transformed itself by adopting a constitution and thus in its form of government became more anglo saxon than oriental in china one river destroyed within the space of a few days five million human lives and floods destroying many thousands have occurred repeatedly in that country this year the abolition of the empire in brazil removes from the western world the institution of monarchy and the unsettled question whether brazil will have a republic or anarchy may remain undetermined for sometime some time the action of the spanish american republics in sending representatives on a tour through the united states is significant as is the attempt to form a confederation of the states of central america in our own country there have bave occurred this year developments worthy of deep consideration among these may be mentioned the cronin case from which alone it is apparent that the spirit of secret combination and murder is widespread in this land the return of the republican party to power earty early in the year has turned popular thought in the direction of financial science to a remarkable degree and the consequence as already indicated will be great changes in the nations fiscal policy the concentration of wealth and the spirit of combination among workers are significant fea features of the year the race question in the south has grown very much in gravity this year while the johnstown calamity and the seattle lynn and boston fl fires res are among the h historic lis disasters asters our country has suffered the creation of four new states in one year signalizes the year in a special man ner by the people of utah the closing year will ever be held a memorable one in the early part of it was laid before the supreme tribunal of their country the question whether or not they could be robbed of their property in a church capacity and near its close was placed before the same judgment seat the question whether they could be robbed of civil and political rights in an individual capacity because of their religious belief with these two questions will be de ted fed he future status of the latter day saints sainte in respect to their country and the rest of mankind if they shall be decided in favor of thega ints the latter will be recognized as having rights which others must respect but if adversely the effect will be to east cast out the saints sainte civilly and politically as veil as socially and religiously and to place them in the extraordinary position of being the only citizens of this republic who are denied the privilege of being a part of it of having the protection of its constitution and laws and participating in its governmental affairs the notable events that have occurred during the year in which the saints sainte we are specially interested are too numerous to be even named within the limits of the present article the progress of the work vork in asia and the holy land the translation of the book of mormon into the jewish and maori languages the conversion of large numbers of Lama Laina in new zealand and elsewhere the political developments in utah which alone would require a long chapter to describe and last but not least the day of fasting and prayer by which the birth of joseph the seer beer was commemorated may be cited as subjects for retrospective consideration the contemplative mind may well tremble as from the verge of a new year it seeks to read and tor for cast the events of the near future but there is a always ways this assurance that ali all things will work together for good to them that love the lord |
