The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-12-14
W. W. stowe, in san Francisco Chronicle

1lNr Ol personal relations with Dewey
when he was a lieutenant commander
in the old navy is of more than ordi-
nary interest as wen as very timely,
as it shows that he was Republican
also ut that Lime, according to his own
declaration.
81 am Republican"
MIR. Dewey was in . communicative
mood. lie was talking to an American
gentleman, whom we shall call Mr..
Bell because that was not mis- namc.
IT am a Republican, said Mr..
Dewey. 81 come of old Vermont stock.
roo,cd deep in the soil that faces the
rugged slopes Of the Green Mountains.
But. you know, we naval officers are
not Inclined to discuss partisan ques.
tions aboard ship. TO do SO would be
TO pass judgment on the acts of our
superiors. anc that is very apt TO be
subvcrsive OF gooG discipline"
POLITICS IN TIE NAVY.
II will be remembered that at this
time the question of reconstruction had
become q fruitful source of acrimonious
contention ali over the northern states.
Andrew Johnson, the successor of
the lamCntCd Lincoln, was trying to
| carry out a line Of policy differing
widely from that favored by the Unit
cd states senate.
on board of the Colorado we were
spared much. If not all, of the arrimony
manifested elsewhere. We had troubles
of our own. and We wisely abstaincd
! from mcddlinE with politics, convinced
that where both sides were equally pa
! triotiC the sam" general result would
! be eventually ATTAINED in spite of the
gloomy forebodin%s Of tn" rival orators.
! Yes, yes" said Mr. Bell, in answer
| TO Mr. DCWcN'r speech, Il can well un-
! dCrstand that here, where there are
! doubtless all shades of political opin-
/ ion. partisan discussion can do no
good and might do great harm"
Exactly So" returned Air. Dewey,
'wc have here our little world, Gled
with its own cares and pleasures, It's
/ privileges and responsibilities. The
/ love of home. uf flag and OF country
Is not by any means diminished by
our isolation. but the incidents of place
. and Of policy we are content to leave
in the hands of those who are willing
. tc give special attention to such
/ things"
I II can see, now" said Mr.. Bell, "why
7 YOU naval officers are accused OF lack
Of ambition"
"Oh. as to that" said Nlr Dewey,
ShlLEging his shoulders, Il think we
can't be rightly accused of any lack
"f GiLbiticn. We have enough of that,
hut IL has n direction of it's own. pos
/ sihly not com9rohGnded by the ordin-
airy Iandsman."
Il have no doubt OF that, sir: my
reason FOR making the remark l did
. vas. i have often wondered at the
! marhed difference between the army
and navy in this particular"
well. yes" said Dewey. laughing.
| there are politicians in the army; that
can't be denied"
II remember said Mr.. Bell, being
in company with Mr.. Lincoln and Hor-
ace Greeley at Cooper Institute when
this subject was discussed. Mr.. Lin
coin said that he recognized in Me
| Clcllan and Grant and other army OIL
GERS possible rivals for presidential
| EOnors; but he continued, jokingly,
the navy will never give me the night
mare"
''Well," observed Dewey. "it may be
that the navy has never refused the i'm
perlal crown. because no naval Caesar
has been offered it,"
"Ah. there you are mistaken, sir"
said Mr.. Bell. Now l can tell you
authoritatively that Admiral Farragut
has been very urgently pressed to ac-
cept q presidential nomination, but he
positively refused to listen to the pro-
pOsal"
"Fhe dear cid fellow" said Dewey,
muHngly, II can wei! understand that.
Why should he? He has reached the
height Of his ambition, and is content.
TO be the undisputed head of the
United States navy is an honor superior
10 that Of being president. with its
anxieties and cares and its eXasperat-
ing squabbles for party spOils."
Aha. it is easy to see in what direc-
ton your ambition lies"
Mine? ! was not thinking OF N.Y.
self at all, but of our old commander;
but as for that, you are right if your
conclusions are brOadened out to en-
brace the great body OF naval officers. ."
This conversation took place at my
table shortly after Mr.. Dewey's trans
fer from the Kearsage 10 the flagship
Colorado.
DEWEY AS POSTMASTER.
We were lying in the little harbor OF
Villefranche. 1t was in the latter part
OF 1865
Mr.. Kimberly had received his COM
mission as n full-fledged commander
and was already on his way home to
takes command of the United States
receiving ship Vermont, stationed al
the basin in the Broolyn navy yard
Lieutenant Commander George Dewey
had assumed charge as our executive
and Lieutenants S. d. Ames, John
Cr!ttenacn Watson, William 7. Samp-
SON, Henry l.. Robson and James r.
Robertson. or big Jim" as the Jack
les called him, We're all made lieuten-
ant commanders.
As the newly-appointed officers
strobe forward past my station on
the quarter deck, with the additional
quartor-inch stripe on the sleeves OF
their coats, and with gold oak leaves
In their CAPS. they seemed TO have
grown an inch taller. This was more
notlceabl i'm the sedate, prim, siX-foot
Sampson. whose head grazed the decl
beams overhead as he stalked forward
I'm the gun deck toward the officers
lounginE and smoking place in the eyes
~ the shil.
A number Of not,d Americans Were
| visiting \ ice at the time and ON