Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-29
ECHnNs or on wan.


The mos, astonishing feature Of the re-
cent storm Of abuse that burst about Nd'
miral Dewey was it's suddcnness and fury
II seemed as though IL had been stored
up for the purpose and only awaited an
opportunity or provocation. Within an
hour after the deed to the Dewey home had
been filed there spread over Washington a
torrent OF malicious abuse, foul ISLANDERS
and cowardly innuendo that could not
have been concocted on the spur Of the
moment. There must have been cause
beyond the transfer Of the property. What
was it? a dispatch to the New York Times
throws some light on It. The fact is, W
says the Times correspondent at Wash
ington, that in the tide Of abuse that set
SO strongly toward Dewey in the beginning
of the week there was an undercurrent OF
which every one was aware, but the exist
ence OF which was so discredtable to
American intelligence that nobody liked to
make 1t public. The edge of the wrath
against Dewey was sharpened and pois-
oned by an incredible story which sprang
up from nowhere and spread like wildfre
and was eagerly accepted and implicitly be-
lieved. 1t bore no marks of authorship; IL
was accompanied by no proofs. yet pre-
sumably intelligent Americans drank it in
eagerly and loaded the admiral's name with
epithets.
mo one could run 1t down or trace it to
anybody, and yet 1t was impossible to talk
to half a dozen persons without having to
combat it. Its anonymity kept it out of
the newspapers, but now that 1t has been
gravely repeated as fact in a southern
newspaper, facts about it should be made
| known
ut was religious bigotry which poisoned
which spread everywhere in Washington on
Monday and is still alive was that the house
| which American people had given to Dewey
was to become the property OF the Roman
| Catholic church"
This story, repeated with the utmost cir
cumstantiality, accounts for the admiral's
haste in marrying and for all the subse-
quent events by ascribing them to the greed
of the church and it's desire to obtain the
Dewey house for parsonage, and to get
/ hold of the property as soon as possible
| The influence of this religious bigotry was
| felt as soon the admiral's engagement
| became known, and especially after the
marriage. There was distinct cooling off
| in the enthusiasm for Dewey. People who
had been shouting for him became luke
warm and suspicious
1T only needed the transfer OF the house
| to give edge and point to this latent ami
mostly. The Protestant sentiment in this
city has not been liberalized to the extent
that it has in others, and old prejudices
hold sway. The fact that Mrs Dewey was
not born Catholic, but a convert, in
spired additional hostility
Merry paragraphers frequently tickle
themselves by insinuating that General Joe
Wheeler, "Our Joe," manages a literary
bureau in connection with his campaign and
that his typewriter is more frequently in
action than his sword. These stabs possess
neither wit nor point. General Wheeler is
politician as well as a warrior. In both |
characters he displays tact and discretion in
cultivating the good will of newspaper men.
When he has anything to say for publica-
tion newspaper men are at his call and |
provide the audience. They have done the |
general and congressman many handsome |
turn and he reciprocates when occasion |
offers Recently, at Angeles, p. l., a num- |
ber OF staff correspondents in the field |
had an inkling of a sensation at the front, |
but could not run it down. General Wheeler |
came up. Could they go along? Sure. The |
road was wet and muddy and not very
inviting for pedestrians. There's no use |
getting your feet wet" said the general. |
Here, get up behind us on these horses" |
No excuses were taken and the newspaper
men rode to the front on the rear of the |
ponies. No, General Wheeler does not need |
a literary bureau nor a typewriter-not |
while he dispenses kindly favors among
the newsgatherers in Luzon.
Our distinguished countryman, Jamalol
Kiram, sultan of Suu at 200 Mexican plunks
a month, has stretched his hat band con-
dera Ctn into %
pay roll. He has a very large idea of his
Importance, and rightly so, having landed
in a snug federal berth without the assist
ance of congressman or senator. But it
is not that great achievement that makes
him feel he is a large pebble on the beach
of Jolo. He believes he is a wonder, a
magician, whose lightest touch makes GER
tain things hum. The cause of it is told by
a correspondent who observed the noted
potentate during visit on board an Ameri-
can war ship. THE distinguished guest"
relates the correspondent, WAS conducted
to the captains cabin and seated where the
breeze of an electric fan fell full upon him. |
he peered around to see where
the mysterious breeze came from and finally
his Interpreter asked the cause for the re- q
freshng wind when the air was quite still ,
outside The fan was brought and placed in
|
ure, he watched its revolving and questioned
the officers about this wonderful machine
which could create breezes that should come
only from heaven. Would it stop sometime
or would it go on forever?'
"'Blow on it, he was instructed; the ma
chine is entirely under your control and will
do your bidding
"The sultan blew his royal breath, when
10! the fan stopped, Aghast at his power
he asked the officers eagerly what should
be done to start 1t again. Blow once
more he was told, and at his breath its
began. Carried away by this new
experience his royal highness played with
The toy until the engineer, concealed from
view, must have been tired with turning n
he current on and off at the whim of the
lstonished padishah,"
DESTROYING THE FORESTS.