The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-03
SANG ALGER'S PRAISES.
Gneeral Merritt Procaims Aleer the Worlds
Greatest War Secretary.
AMERICA WILL HOLD THE PHILIPPINES.
nhnt IL what the Secretary of War
Gays. at Least--Generai Wheeler
Praised the Administration.

|
ciety Sons of the American Revolution en-
tertaiped the visiting delegates OF thi
order and distinguished guests tonight b
dinner unequalled hitherto in Michigan
by any similar event In respect to elab
orateness of menu and decorations or tn
distinguished character OF the guests o
honor of the evening. The occasion wa
made notable by the presence OF Secretar.
Alger, Senator Chauncey NJ Depew, Msjo
General Joseph Wheeler, Major Genera
Wesley r. Merritt, General Horatio King
| Inspector General J. G. Breckenridge and
many others who rendered distinguished
services In the Spanish and civil wars.
A feature which was of peculiar interest
was a speech by General Merritt de-
Tending Secretary Alger He declared Al
ger the best secretary of war the world ha.
ever SEEN Fully 500 members Of the order
sat at the tables Of the dining room of the
Russell house. At the speakers table sal
thirty of the distinguished guests, inolud-
Ing the Officers OF the National order and
State presidents. The floral decorations OF
| the tables showed the colors of the order.
Frank Murphy the newly elected president
general of the National society. was called
on for speech. He responded happily aud
appropriately. His mention OF the war
heroes present was heartily cheered.
Secretary Alger was then called upon.
After abiding to the heroism and sue
cess in war of the revolutionary patriots,
ancestors of the members of the society,
and to the contest between the North and
nj
now, within the last year we have again
been called to arms, and upon April q,
1898. under the first call for volunteers,
$4,000 patriots were sent into the field,
while million men offered their services.
At that time, owing to the persistent par
simony of congress in making appropria-
tions for munitions of war, we had no
provisions of war we had no equipment
for war. but we had men and we had the
manufacturers who. sooner than those of
any other nation on earth, could equip
that army. which, including the voun-
teers of the first and second calls, mum.
bered approximately 275,000, and this
army was marshaled in camps and
equipped. $4,000 of whom were sent to
distant islands, 10000 miles apart; bat
ties were fought. victories were won,
without single reverse or without the
loss OF gun or color, and all this
within ia, DAYS from the declaration OF
war to the signing of the protocol.
Surprising they had a little beef
spoiled, what of it? If they had had no
beef at all they would have had more than
General Joe Wheeler and l had in that
other war.
1.-The people of the United States are
an unseltish people; they have never
sought territorial accession except for the
benefit of the peoples that came with IT,
The flag of this nation has been holsted
aNn . IT, II ~
in lands whose peoples have for centuries
been oppressed by Spanish mlsrule. What
ever else We may be, we can be assured,
as cur flag has been raised In Porto Rico
and the Philippines there It will remain
One of these islands we hold in trust; the
Others are ours. We are today. we hope.
nearing the end OF the conflict and near
the dawn of peace in the Philippines"
Major General Merritt next spoke Of his
experience in the Philippines. He said
among other things: 1.-The army in the
East, as | testified before the investigating
commission in Washington had every |
thing the war department could furnish |
We lived well and we did our duty and |
we have no apologies to make or recrlm-
nations to oher. This most outrageously |
abused administration has done more for
the army than any other administration
that ever existed"
General Merritt referred to the present
secretary OF war as 1.-The best secretary Of
war The world has ever seen" He added:
no secretary was ever more abused. Sec
rotary Stanton stood through his abuse as
,me most FEARLESS secretary that ever lived
we nave now another secretary who has
made fewer mistakes and has more abused
than any Of his predecessors He has had
I he confidence OF all except a few malcon-
tents Through him has been attacked
the president OF the United States. He Is
almost sick at heart at the weight of un-
Just obllqulty that has been heaped upon
NM nut with no promises to make or
platltudes to indulge In, he is CONDUCTING
an honest administration
General Wheeler talked along similar
ines. General Wheeler asserted that he
'an heard no complaints about rations.
senator Depew said he was an expan.
'ionlst' but not an imperiaist.
Geherai Horato King was the newt
'peaker' and he also eulogized Alger j
General Brecklnridge paid tribute to the
w SAYING tnat Inc greatest brunt OF ;
lavy. my ou' on the
AFTER photographing Of the scene nv Tho
qOe'e's al
Detroit Mich, May 2.-The congress NJ =.
ne sons Of the American Revolution todav i
ook action toward comforting medals mon
:. 'ne members who had part in the Span
war. c
rrankiin Murphy OF New Jersey wac i
unanimously elected president general Vas Vas
i idso nominated innhna by General j. &. Breckin9
iuhe Inspector general of the army Jl,5ga A
ohn D. Whitehead of New Iersev rs Spuse
lsea by by nominating General Brockinridse r
lst vice president. and it is conceded thst
le general viii hdfae next president The The {
lws. eN'cu as iol- y
secretary general, Sam G. Gross Chi
so treasurer general. c. w. HaslSlns >,
, sw York registrar general. 4. aoward NJ
sarE' "99sh,iInston; historian general, Ed Il
neral Rev. h. w, Clark. DID, D stroit in
q constitutional amendment was adopted u
hitting the services OF president md yica q
esident generals TO one term. The con-
es5 adjourned sine die.
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