Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-23
DEWEY HURT.
He is Shocked and Grieved by
Public Criticism.
WITH HIM.
He Says the Present Would Not Have
Been Accepted Had He known
That There Was n string
Attached to 1t.

Washington, Nov. 90 Admiral Dewey
last night talked fully with a report
er, whom he received at his residence,
on the transfer of his home. The ad-
miral expressed the lleenest regret, in
dignation, sorrow, and resentment at
the manner in which the information
that he had decided his home to his
wife had been received by the Ameri-
can people. He said he had never ex-
perienced such a trying time as the
present one, and that he did not believe
it was possible that the American peo-
pie should so misunderstood and ill
treat him. At times his voice grew so
husky that his words were scarcely
distinguishable, and he was SO nery-,
GUS that he frequently arose and paced
the floor.
when made over this house to my
wife," he said, ST thought 1 was doing
the most gracious act that an Ameri-
can gentleman could do. thought the
people had given me this house for me
to dispose Of as I choose. It seems that
I was mistaken. never would have
sold it, nor given it, or willed it, nor
disposed of it in any manner whatso-
ever outside of my own family. But /
did believe had the right to give it to
my wife or my son il chose to do SO.
do so.
y IL Deeply Pained.
'It pains me very deeply to feel that
Il am compelled to lay open the secrets
of my domestic life, but, in view of the
insults which have received at the
hands OF writer's of letters which have
been published today, 1 feel justified
in somewhat overstepping the bounds
of propriety and say that Mrs. Dewey
understood. better than / did the feel
ings OF the people and at first declined
to permit the house to be transferred to
her. She did consent only after an
arrangement had been effected where
by not only the house, which was the
gift to me from the American people,
but her entire personal fortune, which,
as you are aware, is considerable, We're
ultimately to go TO my son George.
s'Thus he had absolutely nothing to
Elose by conveying my house to my
wife, but on the contrary was a great
gamer thereby. The relations between
my son and myself have always been
the most kindly, and between Mrs.
Dewey and himself 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 arrangement. is not in the least
affected by the clamor which has aris-
en- within the last two days. This agi-
tation has hurt my son even more than
it has me. He is now twenty-six years
of age, and never in his life has he
asked me for dollar. When he was at
ST. Johns school and afterwards MT
Princeton, kept him supplied with
money far in advance, and he would
frequently say that he mad no use for
so much money. told him that if he
did not want to spend it TO put in the
bank. 1t is unlikely that would neg
lect his interests now.
One simple Privilege.
81 would never have believed it pos
sible,. Admiral Dewey continued. with
tears in his eyes, shat the American
people who made such hero of me
two months ago could have in this
brief period so turned upon me as to
fill columns of the papers with the
worst sort of abuse. When landed in
New York I was told that i 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. 1 had merely done my duty,
and was ready to do it again. But I
did ask one thing, which was to be let
alone to conduct my personal and do
mestic affairs as saw fit and this one
simple privilege which asked from
the American people has been denied
me.
s'Where was hero two months ago
I am now reduced to such position
that certain people cannot say things
too villainous, too scurrilous, about me.
And no one defends me. If I was so
much OF a hero then, and the American
people though well enough of me to
give ME this house, why do not some
of these people defend me now? If I
had known how much trouble, how
much abuse was to come upon me as
the result of accepting this house T
would never have taken it at the hands
of the American people.
Says He is Hurt
sWhen I sailed into Manila bay over
dangerous ground, with death and even
worse in front of me, little thought
that in such brief period of time after
Ireturned to my native land the Amer
ican people would countenance such
a monstrous attack upon me, because
l was doing what considered to be the
most gracious thing could do pre-
sent my home to my bride. do not
intend to arraign the entire American
people for the acts of a few, but am
hurt. l am cut TO the quick. l never
have felt SO badly in all my life. L
want the American people to know it..
! want them to know that if could
j would return to the contributors to
the fund the house purchased with it.
I would never in the world have ac-