CHAPTER CXXII.

1915-1916

PASSING EVENTS, 1915-1916.

The Opening of the Panama Exposition.-The Seamen's Bill. - Postal Savings Bank Report. Brandeis Appointed to Supreme Court.- Prohibition. Woman Suffrage. The Republican Party Nominates Charles Evans Hughes for President.-Democratic Party Renominates the President. — Child_Labor Bill. Self-government for the Philippines.-Electoral Vote.-Popular Vote and Maps.—Antistrike Bill. Reports of Departments. - The President's Note to the Belligerent States.

Responding to the touch of a telegraph key by the president the gates of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition swung open at noon February 20th, 1915.

The formal report on the Seamen's bill, long disputed, which abolished arrest and imprisonment for desertion and which had for its purpose safety at sea, was submitted to Congress February 23, 1915. On March 4th the president signed the measure, but all the provisions in the measure did not go into effect until fifteen months later.

The famous libel suit of William Barnes, Jr., of New York, against Colonel Roosevelt began in Syracuse, New York, in April, 1915, and resulted in a complete failure for Barnes to prove his claim that he was libeled. A mass of testimony was brought forward, the main interest of which was the disclosure of politics of ten and fifteen years before.

Nine hundred and eighty-one persons were drowned in July, 1915, when the Eastland capsized in the Chicago river. Over 2,400 had boarded the boat, the vessel having a supposed capacity of 2,500. The

ship was about to leave the wharf, the occasion being an excursion of the Western Electric Company. The ship rolled over on its side in twenty-five feet of water and within five minutes of the time it began to list. Indictments followed as a matter of course, but the blame could not be placed upon anyone.

The Postal Savings Bank showed an increase of $2,150,000 in October, 1915. On October 31st the deposits aggregated $71,500,000 for 552,000 depositors. About 58 per cent of the total number of depositors were born outside of the United States.

President Wilson announced his engagement to Mrs. Norman Galt on October 6th, 1915. The wedding took place on the evening of December 18, 1915. There were several resignations from the cabinet. William J. Bryan resigned as secretary of state on June 8th, because he could not agree with the president as to the notes sent to Germany, which, in his belief, were leading to war. He believed in peace and arbitration so thoroughly that he felt it incumbent upon himself to give up the secretaryship. Robert Lansing was made secretary of state. Secretary Garrison of the War Department resigned because of a disagreement between the executive and himself as to methods of increasing the army. Newton D. Baker was made secretary of war. In the meantime Attorney-General McReynolds had been appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States, and Thomas Watt Gregory, special assistant, was appointed in his place.

A Philippine Independence bill was recommended to the House on April 7th, 1916. It had already passed the Senate, including the Clarke amendment, to withdraw sovereignty within four years and empowering the president to take steps to institute a free and independent government. Great opposition developed in the House and the bill was defeated. It

did pass a measure that the intention was to grant ultimate independence to the islands, but fixing no time for it.

James J. Hill, foremost railway man in the country, died May 29th, 1916, aged 77 years. He was succeeded by his son, Louis J. Hill, who had been well trained for that position.

The appointment of Louis D. Brandeis to the Supreme Court early in 1916 was received by the country at large with general approval. One of the keen thinkers of the country, he believed absolutely in industrial justice. The appointment was held up in the Senate, much opposition developing. Confirmation was delayed for many weeks. He was confirmed, however, although almost solidly opposed by the Republican senators.

Prohibition has become an important political factor. The Prohibition party has not gained any appreciable strength, but in many states the question of prohibition has become so vital that the old parties have taken definite stands on the questioin. In 1915 the government's revenue from the tax on alcoholic liquors had been cut $2,000,000. Nine more states adopted prohibition in 1916. The decrease in revenue it is estimated for 1916 will be close to $5,000,000. It is predicted that it is only a matter of ten years when national prohibition will prevail.

President Wilson's stand that woman's suffrage was a state matter and not a national one was one with which the Woman's Suffrage organizations almost wholly disagreed. Another attempt made in January, 1915, to pass a bill in the House granting women the right to vote was defeated. Secretary Bryan declared himself in favor of universal suffrage in July of the same year. In Alabama and Connecticut equal suffrage was defeated at the elections. In Delaware progress was made; the question must be

brought up in 1917. Florida rejected a resolution for it, while in Illinois the Supreme Court upheld the victory already gained. Indiana granted limited suffrage. In Iowa the measure passed both houses and was passed by the governor and will be voted on in the fall of 1916. A majority, but not the necessary two-thirds vote, was for it in Maine. Massachusetts defeated the measure at the election of 1915. In Maryland the measure is to go before the people by vote of the Legislature. Minnesota defeated the bill in the Senate. New Jersey and New York defeated the measure at the fall elections. The North Carolina House defeated the amendment and the Senate did the same in North Dakota. In Pennsylvania the popular vote was against it. South Dakota's Upper House defeated the measure for limited suffrage, but the measure goes before the people in 1916. In Tennessee, the bill passed the House; it must still go before the next Legislature and before the people. In Oklahoma the House passed the measure; it needs the approval of the Senate to go before the people. In Texas an equal suffrage bill was reported favorably by the Lower House, but the same body defeated a constitutional amendment resolution. West Virginia will have the measure go before the people at the next election. In Wisconsin the measure failed to pass the Legislature.

A woman's party was launched in Chicago in June. More than 2,000 delegates attended. Theodore Roosevelt came out strongly for suffrage in April. The two candidates for the presidency, President Wilson and Charles Evans Hughes, came out with declarations for suffrage, the president's position being unchanged. He believed thoroughly in it, but felt just as strongly that it was a state matter. Mr. Hughes, however, took the stand that it was a na

tional matter and he promised to do everything he could to have it passed by Congress, if elected.

At a convention held in Chicago, July, 1916, the Republican party nominated Charles Evans Hughes. The nominee, a member of the United States Supreme Court, had voiced in unmistakable language his desire not to run. It was felt, however, that he would unite both Progressives and Republicans. At St. Louis, a week later, the Democrats renominated President Wilson.

The Senate Interstate Committee ordered the Keating bill reported on April 5th, 1916. The president asked the Senate to give the bill special consideration. The bill bars products of child labor for interstate commerce. The bill had passed the House early in February, but had been held up in the Senate because of much opposition. The Senate passed the bill in August and the president signed the bill September 1st, 1916. With his signature ended a long fight for restriction of child labor.

On August 29th the President signed the bill which dissolved the Philippine Commission in charge of the Islands' affairs since their annexation and set up in its place, the Legislature of two Houses. The members of both of these Houses were elected by the native people. In order to give wider opportunity and desire for self-education in government, the electoral franchise was extended to include all those who spoke and wrote a native dialect. Before the passage of the bill property ownership or the ability to speak and write English or Spanish had been the requirements. The change increased the electoral vote from 250,000 to between 800,000 and 900,000. The Executive Departments, with the exception of that of Public Instruction, were also placed in the hands of the Legislature. The head of this department was to be the Vice Governor, who together with the