The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1899-05-18

New York, May 14.-The New York
Times, in an editorial entitled What
Shall We Do for Dewey" says:
What shall we do for the man that
has done so much for us? That is the
question that for a long time has been
agitating the American people. 1t is true
we have not been niggardly In rec
oSnition of the great services of
Commodore Dewey, as he was d
year ago But there is persistent and
prevailing feeling that we ought TO do
more; that the American nation, in some
unofficial and spontaneous way, should
recognize the deeds of Dewey as the Brit
ish nation officially recognized the serv-
ices of Wellington when il presented him
with the estate of Strathfieid.
Evidently it will not do TO make any
exclusive acknowledgment of the serv-
ices of an American hero to whom all
Americans feel equally grateful. Evident
ly it will not do TO leave him to the mercy
of a group of milionaires. Evidently it
Will not do to exclude from the national
testimonial TO the admiral any American
citizen who desires to bear his part in
ii. Why not appeal directly to the public
through its immediate organs and agents,
the newspapers, which set their living by
expressing its sentiments? There are
some 200go periodicals in the Unit al
States which are entitled TO transmission
as such through the mails. Among them
are 2.119 daily papers which represent
most Immediately and most accurately
the sentiments Of the United States The
estimate is that only one-fourth part OF
these are In position TO act as collecting
and distributing agents for a national
Dewey testimonial and that each one of
these is willing to pledge itself TO the col
lection and remittance to appointed trus-
tees of the sum of $500 to that fund. Sure
~ this sum is moderate enough and surely
the amount of each individual subscrip-
ton, which must be strictly fixed ana
limited is moderate enough to prevent
any newspaper from exploiting the adj
miral for the purpose of advertising itself.
And yet the aggregate of these subscrip-
tons would be $250.0O0. Half OF this
should go to the erection OF a residence
for the admiral in whatever place in the
United States he might prefer to put 1t
and the other half for his personal use.
We believe more than the number of
the periodicals we have named are willing
to be included in the list. There Is no
reason why the aggregate should not De
correspondingly increased with the rlsor-
Gus limitation of each individual subsorlp-
ton of $500 go that there should be no
faint of self-seeking or of advertising IN
the affair This would be truly a national
and popular subscription. The admiral
would not be at liberty to refuse II, since
It would not be an optional matter
on his part, but only the recognition OF
an obligation on the part OF the nation.
He would not be able TO refuse II II the
whole amount was deposited, as 1t should
and ought to be deposited, subject to his
order before his arrival on his native
shores.
: 1.-THE president of the United States,
the secretary of state and the secretary
of the treasury would be appropriate Gus
todians of the fund, and their Willingness
to assume its responsibility may be taken
for granted"