The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-04-15
WASHINGTON LETTER.
AIger Pleased with the Offer of
Ann Arbor Students.
RECALLS DAYS OF THE CIVIL WAR.

| Then-Praise for President Mckinley by
Michigan observation-disclosures from the
| People Needed by Congressman I'm WASH
iDgton-An Parties Exhibit Patriotism.
| Washington, April 12.-"The patriotic
purposes of our people," says Secre-
tary Of War Ager." has been mani
tested in gratifying manner by the
| letters received at the war department
| from old soldiers rendering their serv-
ices to the government but 1 was par
| ticularly touched and profoundly CRATE
full when the letter was laid before me
| in which the services of the students
| ut Ann Arbor university were rendered.
| I have a vivid recollection of the be-
| ginning Of our civil war when so many
of our bright young men left the high
schools and colleges to enter the ranks
of the volunteer army. The same
! spirit of patriotism manifestly prevails
among the young men of Michigan to-
| day and probably throughout the coun-
| try"
'sUncle Jim" Monroe was down here
last week and spent several days with
| Senator Burrows. It has been a strange
thing that after lifetime Of personal
and political friendship existing be-
tween Monroe and Burrows, that any
body should have doubted at any time
who would be made postmaster at Kali
| amazoo.
President Remained Calm.
There has never been a doubt in my
| mind" says Senator Mcmillan, "that
a "a ha
| measure of greatness expected of him
by the people. He has shown himself
| to be perfectly calm under most excit-
ing circumstances. He has listened to
the infiammatory utterances of men
| from every section of the Union, and
has maintained his equipoise from the
beginning. He knew, without any nag
ging, that the people would not forgive
the assassination of our sailors in Ha-
vana harbor, and he never intended
| himself to overlook that awful crime"
1.-THE Michigan delegation in congress
had a great deal to do with stiffening
the backbone of the president" says
Congressman Corliss. 1.-THE president
was undoubtedly weakening, when the
| Michigan delegation called on him and
stated that the Maine disaster called
| for vengeance, and that our people
would be satisfied with nothing less
| than war. The president seemed to be
surprised that we should place the
Maine incident first, when he was
| thinking first of feeding the starving
people in Cuba. But we informed him
| that the people of this country demand
| ample and dire vengeance first, and we
will be charitable afterwards"
Senator Burrows says: The events
Of the past week have been glorious for
our country. Our president has done
nobly, and he will continue to receive
the cordial support of the congress.
Michigan was one of the first states
to fall into line for Mckinley, and we
may well be proud OF that fact now"
Health of General Alger.
General Spalding says: II am great
| ly gratifed with the continued good
health Of General Alger. He has been
| tower of strength to Mckinley, and
| the president has said so to some of
| our Michigan congressman. have
| talked with General Alger several times
during the past two week and he has
assured me that the war department
is ready for war, GG3sl has been practi-
cally ready for month. But the navy
department was not ready, and on that
account the president wanted delay for
complete preparation.
This country has been like a great
giant, manacled with righteousness.
When war preparations began we were
| practically at the mercy of Spain, be-
| cause our harbors and great rivers
were without protection. Not until
very recently was the city of Washing
| ton safe. There were no submarine
guns at Fort Washington and at Sheri-
dams point were without sufficient am
munition. Thus you see, while the peo-
pie were impatiently clamoring for war,
| our condition was such that Spanish
war ships might have come up the Po-
| tomac and shelled the national capital.
| Think of what a disgrace tina. would
have been for our country. The more
learn of McKiney's conservatism and
caution, the more I admire him for his
| splendid determination of character"
Record To BE Proud or.
Michigan will give a good account
Of herself says Congressman Sam
| Smith. 1.-THE record of the state in all
| of our wars Is one to be proud Of and
that record will always be maintained.
The students of Ann Arbor but voice
II
of our young men. They are brave to
the core of them, and filled with pat
riotic ardor. I believe that we can fur
nish more good men for the navy than
any other prairie state, although Wis
consin will push us pretty close for
i second place."
1t is said here that Sam Stephenson
intends to raise a regiment of loggers
and himself arm and equip them. He
has written a letter to a member of the
committee on military affairs who was
one of Sans chums when he was a
| member of the house, asking him how
| much 1t will cost to arm and equip
regiment OF soldiers and make them
| ready for field duty. That's like old
Sam; liberal, generous and patriotic.
Congressman Todd says: There has
been no doubt at any time that the
| Democrats of the house were willing
to sustain the president in a warlike
course. But we did not like that mes
sage on the Maine disaster. 1t was
too weak and colorless. The president
did not refer to the loss of life with such
degree Of patriotic feeling as we