The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-03
Reference Made to Spoiled Beef by
AIger, who Said The Civil War
Fighters Had No Meat at All.
REMARKS BY GEN. MERRITT
WHO SPOKE of CANNED SPEECHES,
PRAISED THE ADMINISTRATION,
And Flattered Secretary Alger-
Speeches by "Joe" wheeler, senator
Depew, Gen. King and Others.

DETROIT, Mich, May 1.-The Michigan
| Society Sons OF the American Revolution
| entertained the visiting delegates, officials
of the order and distinguished guests to-
night by dinner unequaled hitherto in
Michigan by any similar event in respect
| to elaborateness of menu and decorations,
| or the distinguished character of The guests
| of honor of the evening The occasion was
made notable by the presence of Secretary
| Alger, Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew, Major
| General Joseph Wheeler, Major General
| Wesley r. Merritt, General Horatio {.
| King, Inspector General j. c. Breckenridge
| and many others who rendered distinguished
| services in the Spanish and the civil wars.
| Fully four hundred members of the order
| sat at eleven long tables running cross
wise of the main dining room OF the Russell
House. The speakers table was in a richly
decorated balcony fronted by a white colon
| made and covered by canopy draped in
| buff, white and blue. The coats of arms of
| the thirteen original States were displayed
| in the rear of the speakers, and a portrait
of Washington graced the center. AT the
| speakers table sat thirty of the dstin-
guished guests, including the notables men
| toned, officers of the national order and
state presidents. The floral decorations of
| After two hours discussion of the menu
| ex-senator Thomas W. Palmer, president of
| the Michigan society, as POSTMASTER, be-
gan the speechmakng with witty intro
| duction. When he mentioned the name of
| Secretary Alger the banQueters rose and
| cheered enthusiastically. The speakers chose
| their own subjects, there being no set re-
sponses to set topics. Franklin Murphy, the
newly elected president general OF the ma
| tional society, was first called on. He re-
| sponded happily and appropriately. His
mention of the war heroes present was
| heartily cheered. A feature which was of
| peculiar interest was a speech by Gen. Wes-
| ley Merritt, warmly defending Secretary AL
ger. He declared Alger the best secretary
| of the war the world has ever seen.
SECRETARY ALGER'S REMARKS.
After the reading of several letters of re-
gret, Secretary Alger was called upon. Sec
retary Alger, after alluding to the heroism
| and success in war Of the revolutionary pa
| triots, ancestors of the members of the So
ciety, and to the contest between the North
and South, resulting in the unification of
| the Nation, he said:
And now, within the last year, we have
again been called to arms and upon April
| q. 1898, under the first call for volunteers
| 125.OO0 patriots were sent into the
| field while million men offered
| their services At that time, owing
| to the persistent parsimony OF Con-
gress in making appropriations for muni-
| tions 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, includ-
| ing the volunteers Of the first and second
calls, numbered approximately 275,0O0, and
| this army was marshaled in camps and
equipped, fifty thousand of whom were sent
to distant islands ten thousand miles apart;
battles were fought victories won, without
a single reverse or without the loss of gun
or a color; and all this within 113 days from
| the declaration of war to the signing of the
protocol.
"Supposing they had little beef spoiled,
what Of it? If they had had no beef at
all they would have had more than Gen.
| Joe Wheeler and 1 had in that other war;
"The strife that brought upon this country
| the war with Spain was not of our own
seeking; the force of events and the cry
| of downtrodden humanity called for our aid.
No human mind could stop il. 1t was to
| be- There is not a heart in the breast
| of any true American tonight whose pulsa-
/ tions do not quicken with pride over the
| achievements of our army and navy. The
| volunteers and regulars in the Philippines
| have won for themselves the Nation crown;
| they are the sons and heritage Of the peo-
| pie. All honor TO them; and 1 hope and
| trust that congressional action will give
1 such recognition of their services shall
| show to them and to the world our apprecia-
1 ton of their valor. The Nation mourns
| for the families who will never again hear
the footballs across the threshold of those
/ they loved; but that is the sacrifice they Of
| fered, the sacrifice they have made.
Every great achievement is made at
sacrifice. Nations have been built up as
| the result OF the war and may We hope as
| result of the conquest of the past twelve
months that civilization. education, Chris
tianity and God-fearing people shall bless
the United States so long as it endures for
the heroic sacrifices that has been made
1 for men-freedom-
I'VE are to-day, We hope. nearing the
| end OF the conflict and near the dawn of
peace with Philippines and on every lip is
daily and hourly expressed: What of the
| future? God in his infinite wisdom can
| only answer that question and he has
guided US this far and as His hand has been
| SO plainly seen I'm the history Of the past
twelve months. we can feel assured that as
| He rules what Is right will be-
GENERAL MERRITTS SPEECH.
Major General Merritt was the next
| speaker. He said:
when We went to the Philippines there
ly. the course that has been taken up TO
ffa uro<auf ()a1r m ~ had ..v,t,.xas A.,sfe