Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-10-28
A DEWEY TESTIMONIAL.
Shall VermOnters Give One ?
The Situation Stated .-- the Original
Suggestion Of WIndham County Ma
tive, with a 500 Check for a starter.


Norwich university seems to be well received
about the state. The Free Press will be glad to
publish the name Of the first man to report to
President Ian d. Brown of Northtied gift of
$1,000, $500 or even 800 All the scheme wants
is a Starter. The Bratt'eboro Phpnix says 1t
knows a New Yorker ready to give 500. Please
get his name and start the enterprise lBurling
ton Free Press.
The Free Press is "off'' in this state
ment in one essential respect. The PhU-
nix has said nothing about New
Yorker" ready to give 500 for a Dewey
testimonial. What we did say two weeks
ago was that we had in hand one check
for 500 toward such testimonial, and
definite promise of another one. That
check is still in The Phoenix safe and its
mate can be had any day when definite
move is made for Vermont testimonial to
Admiral George Dewey. Both the men
referred to are native Vermonters. They
are not New Workers." If money for a
Dewey testimonial is to be raised it ought
to be distinctvely the gift of Vermonters
to the manner born.
The check referred to as "now in hand"
has been in our possession nearly two
months, and has been held advisedly dur
ing that time TO await developments and
to see whether there exists in the state any
considerable active sentiment in favor of a
Dewey testimonial. Since the several sug-
gestions published in The Phunix have
been favorably commented on, and there
now comes a call for the gver's name and
start for the enterprise, we publish
| l., ,r.lt tol
the check.
In doing this we have no purpose to
''start the enterprise on hit or miss
basis. The question, as has been said in
a previous article, is whether the project
will be taken up in earnest by the people
of the state, and by Vermont natives liv-
! ing elsewhere. 1t is not nearly so much
a question whether there are a considerable
number of men and women of means who
will give 800 apiece, as whether there
are in Vermont some thousands of men,
women and children who will give the
smaller sums OF SO, 50, 81, and down to
the dimes and the nickels. Unless a pop
ular interest ike this develops this tender
of 800 will be withdrawn so far as The
Phoenix is concerned. Briefly, the move
ment should be general, and popular in
the true sense, or there should be no move
ment at all
There is a chance for teachers to inter
est their schools in such project, and for
societies, clubs and associations of all
kinds to take it up. We shall be glad TO
know what anybody in Windham county
has to say about it, and to watch for the
response in the newspapers in other parts
of the state.
The form of the testimonial, should one
be given, mast be decided by those who
give the money Mr.. Wright has TO in.
flexible choice. His suggestion of sword
was made before the gift to Admiral Dewey
by the United States of a sword to cost
5000 had been announced. The sugges
tion of a drill hall for the Admirals alma
mater, Norwich University, is good ene
The only question there is whether thi:
would be accounted sufficiently an Object
for the whole state. Another suggestion
is that of Handsome residence az Mont
peier, which the Admiral may count hi
home after he retires from active service.
One thing more: If the enterprise is dis
cussed or encouraged it ought not to b,
on the sole, or main, ground that Georg,
Dewey, Vermonter, won a brilliant vic
tory in Manila bay last May. Some othe
good fighter might have done as much. Ad
miral Dewey's real claim to distinction lie
in the fact that, placed in position of pc
culiar difficulty and perplexity, he has ear
ried himself, during all this long summer
sound judgment. He has kept his owl
counsel, he has made no mistakes, and h
has been anxious to serve his country AM
not to seek his own glory.