Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-05-03
Says He Is the Best Secretary Of
War World Has Ever Seen.
VOLUNTEERS AND REGULARS
Have won for Themselves the Nae
tionss Fisg WIN Continue
90 Wave In the East.

der and distinguished guests tonight by
n dinner unequalicd hitherto ia MIchl-
gan by any simiia- event In respect to
eiabora,encss Of menu and decorations.
or the distinguished character u the
guests Of honor Of the evening. The oc-
caslon was male notable by the pres.
cnce OF Secretary Aigcr. Senator
Chaunccy NJ. Dcpcw. Major General
Joseph wheeler. Major General
Wesley II. Merritt. Major Gem
erai Horatlo G. King. inspco-
tot Cereal ]. G. Breckinriise.
and many others who rendered dlsiln.
guishci services In the Spanish and
Ciyii wars.
A feature which was Of peculiar In
tercat was a speech OF General Wcn-
ley Merritt, warmly defending scctc-
tar Alger. He declared AiEer the best
secretary Of war the world has ever
seen.
Fully 400 members u the order sat n,
the eleven long tables, running CROSS
wise OF the main dining-room Of the
Russell house. The speakers table was
on richly decorated balcony. frontci
by white colonnadc and covered by
canopy IN the bun. white and blue OF
the order. The coats Of arms Of the
NNlfNttu Oflllflul Ntft ulNplhNfh
in the rcnf OF the speaker, and a por-
trait Of Washington Eraced the center.
The nOfh decorations Of the tables FOL.
lowed the coiorn " the order.
ALoER INTRODUCED.
After two hours discussion ~ the
menu, ex-senator Thomas W. Palmer.
president Of the Michigan society. aa
POSTMASTER. began the speech. making
With a witty Introduction. When he
mentioned the name % secretary Aigcr
the banquetcrn rurc and checrcd "n-
Enthusiastically. The speakers chose
their own subjects. there being no set
rerponscr 20 set topics.
Secretary Aigcr began his Hpccch
with n reference To the ntruNFlcs OF the
Pilgrim forcfathcrn TO secure equal
rights and religious freedom to all.
and alluded To the ncrvy deeds % the
patriots. ancestors OF the men % the
society. whirh furnished tonighiH on
tcrtalnmcnt. but he soon turned the at
tcntlon Of his auditors 20 the morr re-
cent war with spain. The secretary
spoke at some icnFth OF the trials of
his department In cquipplng the rrcat
army - hurricdly and cxprcfsed his
qualification that ultimately battles
We're fought ana victories won without
the loss Of n gun or n color"
CANNED BEEF.
Continuing, he said, -sunporlng they
had n little bceflypolled. what of ~ u
they had no beef at all they would
have had more than Don. Joe Wheeler
and I had In tho other war
''rhc people OF the United States are
an un.elnrh people. They have never
sought territorial Accession. except To
the benefit Of the people that came with
II. The nag ~ this nation has boon
holrted over cuba. Porto Rico and the
Philippine islands. whose peoples have
for centuries been oppressed by SPAN
ish misrulc. Whatever else may be, We
can be assured that II has been raised
IN Porto itico and the Philippines,
there u will remain. one Of these ISL
ands We hold IN trust; the others are
ours.
'srhe strife that brought On this
country the war with spain was not
u our HcckinE the force " events and
the cry OF down.troddcn humanity
called for our aid. No human mind
could stop H. II was TO be.
PRAISES ARMY AND NAVY.
There Il not heart In the breast
u amy true man tonight whose pulAn-
lions do not quicken with pride over
the achievements of our army and
navy. The volunteers and the regulars
IN the Philippines have won for them
selves the nations crown they are the
heritage of our people All honor 10
them, and hope and trust that con-
greaslonai action shall give such re-
cognition OF their ssrvicea aa shall
show Ia them and TO the world our APP
probation ~ their valor The nation
mournr for the families who viii never
again hear the footballs across the
threshold ~ those they loved. but that
" the sacrifice they offered. the racH-
Zee they have made.
We are today. We hope. nearing the
end ~ the conflict and nearing the
dawn ~ peace In the Philippines. and
upon every III IL daily. yes. hourly, cx-
pressed What u the futureg doi. In
Ills infinite wisdom can only answer
that qucu,ion and he has guided ur
thus FAR. and as His hand has been 10
plainly seen In the history Of the past
twelve months. we can feel assured
that as He rules. what the future Will
be-"
GEN. MERRITT SPEAKS.
Mai. Gen. Merritt. aa the next speak
er said. when he went To the Philip
pines there was only one course for uH
10 pursue, viz, the course that has
been taken up 10 the present our
navy had captured Manila Bay. and
the army had captured the city, and
We could not let go, and the prospects
hfo now that the American fiag Will
continue To wave In the far East
The army In the East. ms ] testified
h.AHit NlT lUNtHtlhAilHt 'NliHlHHl'H va
Washington. had everything the war
department could furnish. We lived
well and we did our duty, and We have
no apologies To make or determinations
10 oner, This mort Outrngeounly-
abused administration has done more
Tor the army than any other adminis-
tHation that ever existed. II there were
canned speeches here today they are
better than some of the refrigerated
hpeechea that we have read, u ! had
canned speech to deliver ON this sub.
ject, ! assure you II would not smell"
ALoER PRAISED.
Gen. Merritt referred to the secretary
OF war as the best secretary OF war
me world has ever seen. He added;
No secretary was ever more abused,
secretary stanton stood through his
abuse US the most fearless secretary
mat ever lived, Wa have now another
secretary who has made fewer mis-
takes and been more abused than eny
or his predecessors, lie has had the
confidence OF all except few mnlcon-
tents. Through him has been attacked
N" President u the United States. He
~ almost sick at heart at the weight
OF unjust oblopuy that has been heaped
upon him. but with no promise 10 make
or platltuder TO indulge In, he In con-
Quoting an honest administration.
~ was born Domocrnt-i don't
mink III get over H. I'm proud 10 be-
long TO that political faith. "a voice;