The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-10-07

Desiring 20 shine In the sismour Of re-
6ected glory, certain distinguished gen
tlemsn are Just now engaged In .
more or hess disniAed controversy a. 20
who discovered Dewey. A year since.
~ the height Of The New York cam
paigu. the Roosevelt boomers claimed
for their hero that, besides capturing
San Juan and being otherwise pretf,
much the whole thing at Santiago. h
had unearthed the modest verynontsr
from his comparative obscurisy - .
Washington bureaucrat and sent him 10
Hongaong TO command the AsiatSc
squadron. This was while the lynn.
eyed Roosevelt was assistant secretary
OF the navy. The other day. At q coun-
" fair. the eloquent New York governor
again permitted his gaping auditors to
know how he had been the original
genius that started the commodore "a
the highway to fame. Now comes Sen
ator Proctor. Of Vermont. and tells his
0ssWJ W SAS HOosC SuIVo8n INC CUsse
venient medium Of the press:
He said that when the question OF .
commander Of the Asiatic station vas
rrder discussion, he went 10 the president
20 recommend Dewey for the place. 4
saw the prest0ent last Tuesday said the
senator IN regard TO this very matter.
lie remembered the conversation We had
quite distinctly. and 20 my surprise. In de-
tail. ] had spoken Of the nghting quail
ties OF Dewey. and Mckinley replied:
Yes. but all naval officers are lighters"
Then ! said that that was true. out thaf
Dewey was level-hsadeA. ana that hS
could take care of his country and his
counssy's interests. no matter how far
away he might be sent Mr.. Mckinley
remembered all this perfectly. This seem
ed to have some effect upon the presi-
dent. for he wrote on a card these words;
Secretary Iong-Asstxn Commodore
Dewey to the Asiatic squadron. (Signcd)
w. Nck." The president placed this note
b. hind his inkstand on his desk. Then he
said 30 me: senator. that In hxed."
told Dewey OF this soon afterward. and
Dewey said: II will celebrate this.
Will give you dinner" told Dewey that
he did not owe me anything, but as he
was an old friend Of mine would eat
his dinner. and ! did,"
This would seem to prove that there
In more than one great man from Yer
mont: hut there IL still another version.
Secretary Long IL something OF o dis
coverer himself. He gives out the fol-
lowing as the true history OF the real
beginning OF Admiral Dewey:
II made the selection myself
l had made inquiries about him ard sat
isned myself that he was tho right man."
Right man for what? For the Aslatic
station, not an especially desirable ap-
pointment This was two years ago, be-
fore war with Spain was seriously con-
templated. before the Maine was blown
up and when Masila ana the Philippines
represented to every American simply
few dots on the map. The truth is
that Dewey was sent there In the ordi-
nary succession. and because there was
no good reason TO send anybody elsa
lie was q commodore nth In line There
were six rear admirals and four commo-
dores above him. Ever; one OF them
had an assignment considered In the
navy more desirable than sea service
In the Pacific. with headquarters Mt
Hongkong. Any claim 10 special pres
cience In making the selection Is RI
dlculous.