The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-09-30

prominent persons who arrived a min
ute late.
Rear Admiral Schley climbed over
the gate and he was followed by the
other naval officers but Governor Roose-
welt remained behind. One of his staff
rushed up to Captain Copeland of the
police squad, and whispered the gov
ernOr feels sighted
The gate was opened again and Col.
Roosevelt took his place within the en-
closure.
Admiral Dewey evinced a desire to
shake hands with all the naval officers
and introduce them to the mayor He
almost hugged Rear Admiral Schley
and he patted Captain Coghlan on the
back.
As Dewey greeted Schley the crowd
sent up cheer after cheer for Dewey
and SchIey."
As soon as the greetings were over
the mayor began his speech presenting
the city's loving cup. The mayor said:
PRESENTATION SPEECH.
1.-The true dignity of manhood can
never be over-estimated in the study
of the influences which build up or pre-
serve a state. Hero worship, if it be
merely a manifestation of a full recog-
milton and appreciation of such man
hood in the individual leaders perform
ance of duty to state, either in war or
peace, is most conmendable. 1t holds
up his high standard to be emulated by
the living, as well as the unborn mil
lions to be. To such hero death itself
bows for he lives in memory all the
time. In this spirit, I shall not hesi-
tate in this presence to freely express
Americas estimate of your character
and achievements
THE nation would gladly have its
dominion extended over the face of the
gI Ia n a a6n m q
additional fellow citizens might be here
today to pay homage to you and well
come you back.
Your cOuntrymen are interested in
and know every detail of your life.
Your joys and your sorrows are theirs.
They have traced your ancestry and
your character and deeds from the
cradle rocked by a fond mother, to
the Olympia rocked by the rolling
waves of the mighty deep. They listen
with delight to the story of the fighting
Deweys bravely doing their duty in
every war of their country for 25O
years; of your pointing hOut, when a
mere child, to your father, the pictures
in the clouds of ships and battles, in
Guiding the battle of Lake Erie and the
form Of Perry saving his country's flag
from the disabled ship; of the devotion
al impress stamped upon your char
acter by a loving mOther;Of your strug-
gle with the schoolmaster which taught
the necessity Of discipline in the affairs
of life; of your inherited love for chill
dren and music; OF your later bright
and vivaciOus bOyhoOd, mingled with the
mischievOus, but never with the ma
icious; of your deferential respect for
those of your mothers sex, of the ro-
nance of your courtship and happy
marriage; of your service under Ad-
miral Farragut in the gulf squadron as
the executive officer of the Mississippi
when you plunged iron. shot and shell
through the armOr of the confederate
. ram Manassas; of the sturdy and fear
less way in which you defended your
ship against the guns of Port Hudson,
and the quiet orderly manner in which
you abandoned her when she sank, call
ing for special cOmmendatiOn of your
superiOrS in their report; of the circum-
stances that between wars, Farragut
for fOrty-eight years and you for thirty
seven years, devoted yourselves to the
study of your profession, and both at
the end of long peace were found
fully equipped and ready to give their
country splendid service and to raise
themselves to the highest plane of fame
and renOWn-
The romance of sea warfare has
charmed and enchanted lima agination of
man as no other theme has ever done.
arOusing in him the sentiment of
patriotism and inspiring the poet with
songs of his country and her heroes. |
This has always been So whether in
the times when Neptune with trident
rode in shell shaped boat drawn by
dOlphins, or when the vikings roved the
North Main carrying all before them,
or when the Sea Kings with the modern
navy We're stationed upon the ocean to
guard and protect the equal rights of
civilized governments and their COM
merce upon the highway of the sea
The world stood enthralled and then
broke out in loud huzzahs which can
never be silenced, when the electric
sparks flashed out the news over the
globe that on the first of May 1885, your
fleet had destroyed in Manila bay the
Spanish navy, silencing the forts and
taking the Philippine islands, thus
stripping the east of every VeStige of
Spanish domination. Spain was that
moment conquered. The Pacific ocean
was that instant cleared of hostile !
naval and land forces the task of
sweeping clean the Atlantic ocean and
her islands, of the depressed half fam
ished and scattered bands of Spanish |
strugglers.
This all was accomplished in a naval |
battle of less than seven hours, includ- I
ing the cOOlly ordered intermissiOn for |
breakfast. Not an American killed but |
200 Spaniards laid low, seven hundred |
wounded. the Spanish navy destroyed !
and an empire lost to her forever His
tory records no achievement of such su- !
perb completeness as the battle in Ma
Mia Bay.
This demonstration is not a mere |
tribute to a personal friend, a fellow |
citizen It is a single and deserved rec |
OgnitiOn of the debt due the public ser !
want who has proved himself grandly |
and efficiently faithful to his cOuntry's !
welfare and honor. You are called a, I
man of destiny. You are-but it is the /
destiny of merit and worth-the con |
scientious obedience to duty of one |
skilled in art and judgment.
Our republic has no reason to fear |
comparison of her sea fighting with /
those of other nations. The birth of
the republic gave to her Paul Jones.
the war for freedom of ocean highways |
gave her Perry and the war for her |
moral and physical integrity gave her !
Farragut. She points with pride to any |
of these trinity and says to all nations, |
match him if YOU can. The war against /