The Elk Mountain pilot., 1899-11-28
DEWEY is INDIGNANT
DEEPLY HURT BY CRITICISMS.
Regrets That He Took the House and
May Retire and Go Abroad-His Actions
Greatly Misunderstood.

| presented to him by popular subscrip-
| ton.
when l made over this house to my
WIFE," the admiral said in the inter
view, Il thought l was doing the most
| gracious act that an American gentle
man could do; thought the people had
| given me this house to dispose of it as
l chose 1t seems that | was mistaken.
| would never have sold it, nor given it,
nor willed 1t, nor disposed of it in any
manner outside of my own family. But
| did believe 1 had n right to give it to
my wife or to my son if l chose to do
So
1t pains me very deeply to feel that 1
am compelled to lay open the secrets
of my domestic life; but in view of the
insults that | have received at the
hands of writers of letters that have
been published today, l feel justified
in somewhat overstepping the bounds
of propriety and saying that Mrs. Dew
ey understood better than | did the
feelings of the people, and at first de
clined to permit the house to be trans
ferred to her.
She did consent only after an ar
rangement had been effected. whereby
not only the house. which was the gift
of the American people, but her entire
personal fortune, which, as you are
aware is considerable. was ultimately
to go TO my son George. Thus he had
absolutely nothing to lose by my con-
Neying my house to my wife, but, on the
contrary, was great gamer thereby.
The relations between my son and my
self have always been the most kindly,
and between Mrs. Dewey and my son
the most pleasant. She thinks great
deal of him and he of her, and he was
to be her heir as well as mine. This
Il.
by the clamor which has arisen within
the last two days. This agitation has
hurt my son even more than it has me.
He is now 26 years old, and never in
his life has he asked me for a dollar
When he was mt st. Johns school and
ifterward at Princeton, l kept him sup
piled with money far in advance, and
he would frequently say that he had
no use for so much money | told him
If he did not want to spend 1t to put 1t
in the bank. 1t is unlikely that would
neglect his interests now / would new
er have believed it possible" added the
admiral. with tears in his eyes, that
the American people who made such n
hero of me two months ago, could in
this brief period so turn upon me as to
I'LL columns of the papers with the
worst sort of abuse
when l landed in New York I was
told that / was the hero. the idol of
the nation: was told that nothing was
too good for me; that anything that |
could ask was mine. / asked no
idolatry; / asked no applause. / had
merely done my duty. and was ready
to do it again. But did ask one thing,
which was to be let alone to conduct
my personal and domestic affairs as /
saw fit. and this one single privilege
which / asked from the American
people has been denied me.
where / was n hero two months
ago, l am now reduced to such n po-
sition that certain people cannot say
things too villainous. too scurrilous
about me. and no one defends me. If
| was so much of n hero then. and the
American people thought well enough
of me to give me this house, why do
not some of those people defend me
now? If | had known how much
trouble, how much abuse, was to come
upon me as the result of accepting this
house / would never have taken it at
the hands of the American people.
When | sailed into Manila bay, over
dangerous ground, with death and
even worse in front of me. / little
thought that in such a brief period of
time after / returned to my native
land the American people would
upon me because / was doing what /
considered to he the most gracious
thing | could do, to present my home
to my bride.
81 do not intend to arraign the entire
American people for the acts of n few.
but am hurt. / am cut to the quick.
| never have felt so badly in all my
life. | want the American people to
know il. | want them to know that il
I could l would return to the CON
tributors to the fund the house pur-
chased with 1t. / would never in the
world have accepted it If I had known
what it would cost me. If l should
feel tomorrow as I feel tonight l
would cut it all. throw up everything.
go on the retired list and go abroad. In
fact | feel so discouraged so worn
out tonight that l scarcely know what
| will do.
81 hardly feel like living in a coun-
try where | can be attacked in so out
rageous manner without being de-
Tended by any one. The American
people are not through with me vet.
When the American people wanted me
to command fleet and to sail into
Manila harbor, did my duty: 7 saw it
and as l believe sailor should. And
If they want me now. or at some future
time TO command another fleet my
life and my sword are always Mt the
disposal of my country. but" said the
admiral. pointing TO n local newspaper
containing n number Of letters abusing
him when I think that in all proba-
hility the writer's of these letters were
the very ones who two months ago
were processing the greatest admira-
tion and love for me and are now try
ing TO rend me and my domestic happi-
ness to pieces, it disgusts me with the
whole affair. And if it were not for
my country I wish that I had never
fought the battle of Manila bay. as I
now wish had never taken this house.
When / accepted this house I thought
1t was gift. | did not know that the
people who contributed the money TO