EUROPE AND THE TURK

Sultan Abdul Hamid II of Turkey.

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, December 9, 1895.

EUROPE AND THE TURK.

Sultan Continues to Dally With the Powers.

MANY WILD RUMORS AFLOAT.

Russia Reported to Have Sent a Peremptory Message to the Sultan, Demanding the Admission of a Second Guardship—Foreign News.

   CONSTANTINOPLE, Dec. 9.—The situation here on the question of the extra guardships of the powers remains unchanged and continues to offer a tribute to the powers of delay and evasion of oriental diplomacy as practiced by the Turkish government.

   Statements are constantly reiterated of the continued accord of the powers on the subject and their unyielding determination to insist upon a compliance with their demands. Less is heard, however, of the rumors which were of frequent occurrence in the early period after the demand had been presented, that the sultan had at length decided to grant the necessary firman [decree] to permit the passage of the Dardanelles, or even that he had actually issued them. Neither is there such explicit announcement any more of the period which is to elapse before a movement of the warships of the powers is to commence to enforce the demands made upon the sultan.

   Since the return of her majesty's steamship Dryad to Salonica bay no word has been heard of any actual order or movement to advance upon the Dardanelles.

   Opinion continues divided as to whether the delay in taking any action to enforce the demands is due to a fear of causing a fanatical outbreak against the Christians by the Mussulman subjects of the sultan or to a dread of a clash ensuing between the powers themselves.

   The reception by the sultan of M. Nelidoff, the Russian ambassador, in private audience, awakened the usual amount of speculation as to the true relation of Russia to the situation and the extent of her agreement with the views of the powers.

   The flight of Said Pasha and his refuge in the British embassy are the subjects of the most sensational interest and the almost frantic efforts made by the sultan to induce him to leave there and to return to the Yildiz palace, indicate his fear, either that he has lost the most powerful intermediary that he could hope for between himself and the powers in evading the uncomfortable demands they make upon him, or the most dangerous adversary he could fear having in counsel with the powers.

   That the sultan lives in a state of constant apprehension of his life was indicated by his demeanor during the course of the ceremony of the Salamik on Friday, which involves the departure of the sultan from the walls of the palace and his appearance in public for a sort of review of the troops attended by the many high officials, followed by prayers at the mosque.

   On Friday, as the sultan was quitting the mosque, a man attired as a Turk and bearing a petition, forced himself through the soldiers to the sultan's carriage.

   The sultan was seen to become much agitated and deathly pale, but the man was promptly arrested and hustled off to prison without having accomplished any harm to the sultan's person.

   Explicit instructions were again received by all the ambassadors to insist upon the admission of the guardships, but, as has been stated, without effecting any change in the situation.

   Authentic details have now been received of the Sivas massacres. They show that the slaughter began on Nov. 12 and continued for a week following. It is known that 1,200 Armenians and 10 Turks were killed before there was a cessation of the bloody work.

   The manner of the outbreak is described as follows:

   Suddenly, at noon, as if by a preconcerted signal, the Turkish soldiers and police, the Circassians and even the laborers and Moslem women and children rushed into the market under command of the officers. All were armed, the laborers with tools or clubs or anything that could be used as an offensive weapon that came to hand.

   They attacked and looted the Armenian shops and pursued with relentless ferocity the unfortunate occupants, who seemed helpless with surprise at the suddenness of the onslaught. Many merchants and clerks were killed and their bodies stripped.

   As the importing business was almost exclusively in the hands of the Armenians, financial ruin must overtake Sivas when the fury of the storm of blood and greed has subsided.

   The stricken Armenians slowly gathered the mangled and naked remains of their kinsmen and buried them in a great trench in the cemetery.

   The Armenian villages in the vicinity were also looted and the people left to beg and die. The winter will bring terrible suffering to all the living victims of the outrages.

   A high official in position to know declares that the massacres were the deliberate act of the sultan's vengeance for having been compelled to grant the reforms in Armenia demanded by the powers.  

CONSTANTINOPLE DISPATCHES.

Powers Reported to Be Gradually Closing In On the Sultan.

   LONDON, Dec. 9.—The Rome correspondent of The Times hears from Constantinople that the ambassadors have agreed to propose a definite date for the sultan's acceptance of the demand of the powers for extra guardships.

   The Constantinople correspondent of The Times confirms the report telegraphed to The Dally News that M. Nelidoff on Saturday gave the sultan the czar's message insisting on the entry of the guardships. This correspondent adds: "I believe that an irade [edict] is imminent appointing the Kurd, Said Pasha, as grand vizier."

   The Times also prints a letter from Erzeroum, under date of Nov. 17, which says:

   "All the refugees in the American mission have returned to their homes, but the Christian schools have not yet started, nor is any divine service being held. Many children have died from the exposure and irregular diet.

   "The efforts of the government to compel the Turks to restore stolen property meet with scant success. The poverty is extreme. The vali feeds the poor with bread, but the quality of it is bad. The Armenians fear to reopen their shops and they ridicule the idea that any reform will be put into execution. The vali and other officials admit that 95 per cent of the Christians killed were innocent. Undoubtedly a few of the Armenians were blameable, but they might easily have been arrested without the necessity of a wholesale slaughter."

   A Rome dispatch says: "An official statement from Constantinople that the number of Armenian victims amount to 60,000 has produced a sensation."

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

  ◘ What to do with Constantinople would be the most vexing question in case of the partition of Turkey. Its advantages as a seaport and the key to the commerce between Europe and all the region tributary to the Black sea are such that no one power would be allowed by the rest to take it. Russia, to whom it would be worth both from the military and commercial point of view almost half her empire, as an outlet to the Mediterranean, certainly would not be allowed to retain it. On the whole, Edward Everett Hale's idea is not a bad one—that Constantinople be made a free city after the pattern of the former free cities on the frontiers of Germany, such cities as Frankfort, Hamburg and Bremen. When a city required that many different people should use it as an outlet for commerce, then the nations that needed it as an entrepot and depot for goods and passengers made it in medieval times a free city, governing itself, subject to no one nation. Mr. Hale thinks this plan should be adopted with Constantinople. The Turks, of course, have not intelligence enough to govern it according to the requirements of a modern city, but it might be governed for the present by a joint commission appointed from the various nations interested.

   ◘ Charles A. Dana speaks these eloquent words of the Cuban martyr, Jose Marti: "It was one of the pieces of great good fortune that have marked a career not short that I knew Jose Marti. I knew him intimately; he worked with me side by side; I gathered inspiration from the ideas that flashed forever from his unquenchable soul. He was a man of genius; he was a man of conviction; he was a man whose sympathies went over the whole range of humanity and sought for all what he sought for himself—liberty and the full opportunities of life. No man perishes who follows ideas such as be followed."

   ◘ Richard Harding Davis, writing in Harper's Magazine of the boundary dispute between British Guiana and Venezuela says, "If England succeeds, it means a loss to Venezuela of territory as large as the state of New York and the richest goldfields in South America."

   ◘ In any partition of Turkey likely to be made Russia would get Armenia and England would get Egypt out and out.

BREVITIES.

   —The dancing school will be held this week Wednesday evening at 7:30 o'clock in Empire hall.

   —Richard Norris delivered two pianos in Syracuse Saturday which A. Mahan had sold to parties there.

   —W. F. Hoar, the barber in the Standard building, has added a third chair to his well appointed hair parlors.

   —The new snowplow for the electric railroad arrived this morning. It will be used in front of the baggage car and will be propelled by this.

   —The regular meeting of the board of directors of the Young Men's Christian Association will be held at 8 o'clock this evening in the Y. M. C. A. parlors.

   —The Crescent club will hold another of their popular parties in Empire hall Friday evening, Dec. 13. McDermott's orchestra of five pieces will furnish the music.

   —New advertisements to-day are— Warren, Tanner & Co., page 6; Warner Rood, page 5; Phillip Sugerman, page 4; Bingham Bros. & Miller, page 8; F. C. Brogden, page 2.

   —In Lincoln, Wayne county, the other day, fifteen bushels of potatoes were sold at 7 cents a bushel. There is said to be a surplus of 100,000 bushels in the country. This is worse than Cortland county.

   —The Ithaca Journal of Saturday night contained cuts of the exterior and interior of a new union station which is proposed for the D., L. & W. and Lehigh Valley railroads in that city. The plan seems very fine indeed.

   —The regular meeting of the Cortland Athletic association for the annual election of officers will be held to-night. The matter of another entertainment will also be discussed and it is essential that every member be present.

   —The condition of Mr. H. P. Jones of Lafayette, who was struck by a train at Homer Friday and who is now in the hospital, is to-day causing much anxiety. He was injured internally and … result will be his physician is not able to determine.

   —Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Dixie, who returned from Ithaca yesterday to take up their "Mikado" work here, report a large financial and artistic success for "Pinafore" in that city. The gross receipts for the four performances were very nearly fourteen hundred dollars. In addition to the Cortland musicians Mr. Dixie has engaged two violinists, a viola, violincello and cornet players, making an orchestra for "The Mikado" of eleven people. There will be a rehearsal tonight at the Opera House at 7:30.

  

Howard Stock Company.

   John A. Preston's Howard Stock Co. will appear at the Opera House Dec. 12, 13 and 14. The Gloversville Times says:

   "At the Kasson last night the Howard stock company produced the great melodrama 'East Lynne' to a large audience. This afternoon the house was packed to witness the presentation of 'Love and Money,' Each child present received a present."

Death of Mrs. J. T. Bates.

   Mrs. Sarah M. Bates, wife of J. T. Bates, died at her residence, 49 Groton-ave., yesterday afternoon, aged 73 years, 3 months and 26 days. Mrs. Bates was formerly Miss Sarah M. Hatfield and was born three miles west of Cortland toward Groton. On April 16, 1845, she was united in marriage with Mr. Joseph T. Bates of Cortland who survives her. Their golden wedding was celebrated last April. Mrs. Bates leaves one sister, Mrs. Amelia Buchanan of McGrawville, and two brothers, Ira Hatfield of Cortland and Albert Hatfield of Chicago, Ill. She also leaves two daughters, Mrs. C. W. Wiles of Delaware, O., and Miss Mina Bates of Cortland, also two sons, T. T. Bates of Cortland and William L. Bates of Moravia.

   The funeral will be held Wednesday from the house at 1:30 o'clock P. M. and from the Baptist church at 2 o'clock and will be in charge of Revs. A. Chapman and George H. Brigham. Interment in Cortland Rural cemetery.

Death of Irving J. Smiley.

   Mr. Irving J. Smiley died at 10:25 o'clock Saturday night, aged 39 years,  2 months and 8 days. Mr. Smiley had been ill with typhoid fever for four weeks.

   He was born in Dryden, Tompkins county, and most of his life has been spent in his native town and in Cortland. For the past seven years he had been a trusted employee of Frazier & Bouck at the Central meat market and last July went into business for himself in the Model market on North Main-st. Mr. Smiley had a large circle of friends and will be greatly missed.

   Besides a wife he leaves one brother, Mr. Sanford Smiley of Etna. His father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Smiley reside at Varna, Tompkins county.

   The funeral services will take place from his late residence, 10 Lincoln-ave, at 1 o'clock P. M. to-morrow and at 1:30 o'clock at the Congregational church. Interment will be made in Cortland Rural cemetery.

Police Court.

   Will Donegan this morning pleaded guilty to the charge of the illegal sale of liquor and was sentenced to pay a fine of $35 or be confined in jail thirty-five days. He paid.

   The cases of M. H. Ray, Hugh Corcoran and Wallace & McKean were adjourned to Saturday, Dec. 14.

Creamery at McGrawville.

   Mr. Joseph Laemmle of 202 Bleeker-st., New York, will be at the village hall in McGrawville on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 1 o'clock and will be glad to meet all dairymen with the idea of establishing a milk shipping station and creamery at that place. Mr. Laemmle has creameries at McLean, Whitney Point, Waverly and Haynes and is well spoken of. All dairymen and all interested are invited to attend.