The Portland daily press., 1899-11-23
Wishes He Had Never
Taken the House.
Asks To Be Let Alone in His
Domestic Affairs.


Dewey talked freely regarding the trans
fer of his house with . reporter whom he
received at his residence last night. He ax-
prs led the kesnsst regret. Indignation.
sorrow and resentment at the manner In
which the Information that he had decided
his home to his wife has tesn received.
He said that he had never before experi-
enoed 50 trying time az the present one,
and that he did not believe 10 WAS possibl
that the American people could SO mis-
understand and ill-treat him. At times.
az he spike, his voice grew so husky that
his words were scarcely distinguishable.
and he was 30 nervous that he frequently
arose and paced the floor.
when l made over this houss to my
wife," he said. 81 thought was doing
tn, most gracious act that an American
gentleman could do. thought the people
bad given me this house for me to disposs
Of as 1 obese. 1t seems that was mis-
taken. would never have sold It, nor
given 1t, NOR willed it, nor disposed Of II
in any manner whatsoever outside OF my
own family. But did believe had the
right to give 1t to my wife or my son II
chose to do SO.
''It pains me very deeply to feel that
am compelled to lay open the secrets OF
my domestic life; but In view Of the in
suits which have received at the hands
Of writer's OF letters which have been pub
lished today, 1 feel justified In somewhat
overstepping the bounds Of propriety and
saying that Mrs. Dewey understood bet
ter than l did the feelings Of the people
and at flrst declined to permit the house
to be transferred to her. She did con sent
only after an arrangement had been
effected whereby not only the house.
which was the gift to me from the
American people. but her entire personal
fortune, which % you ar, aware, Is con-
was ultimately to 90 to my son
George. Thus he.had absolutely nothing
to lose by my conveying my house to my
wife, but on the contrary was great
gamer thsreby.
"Tne relations between my son nd
myself have always bean the most kindly,
and bstwssn Mrs Dewey and my son the
most pleasant. She thinks y great deal
Of him and he OF her, and he was to be
her heir as well as mine. This arrange
ment Is not In the lsast affected by the
clAmor which has arisen within the last
two days, nor by the fact that Mrs.
Dewey will transfer to my son tomorrow
this house.
"This agit alton has hurt my son even
more than 1t has me. He Is now twenty
six years of age and never In his life has
he asked me for dollar. When h, was
1t st. Johns school and afterward at
I kept him supplied with
money far In advance and he would
frequently say that he mad no use for 90
much money. / told him II he did not
want to spend 1t to put 1t in the bank. 1t
Is unlikely that would neglect his in
terests now.
~ would never have believed 10 peg
sible," Admiral Dewey continued, with
tears In his eyes "that the American
people, who made such hero of me two
months ago, could have In this brief
period. so turned upon me as to I'LL COL
umns of the papers with the worst sort Of
abuse. When 1 Tended In New York /
was told that l was the hero, the idol of
the nation. l was told that nothing was
90 good for me; that anything that l
'ould ask was mine. l ssks no Id olatry;
asked M applause. / had merely done
ny duty and was ready to do 1t again.
But did ask one thing. which was to be
et alone, to conduct my personal and do.
nestle affairs as I saw fit. and this one
,imple privilege which / asked from tho
A msrioan people has been denied me.
where was hero two months ago
am now reduced to such a position that
certain people cannot say things tco
too scurr ilous about me; and
40 one defends me. II I was SO much of
hero then. and tho American people
thought well enough Of me to give me
his houss, why do not some of those pso
pie defend me nows If / had known how
much trouble, how much abuse, was to
,ome upon me as the result of accepting
his house, l would never have taken 1t
It ths 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
N such brief period of time after re-
,urned to my native land the American
people would eountsnance suoh monstrous
attacks upon me because was doing
what considered to be the most gracious
hing could do, to present my home to
my bride.
"I do not intend to arraign the entire
American people for the acts of a few.
But am hurt. am out to the quick. !
never have felt 50 badly In all my life.
want the American people to know 1t. !
want them to know that II / could I
would return to the contributors to the
fund the house purchased with it. I
would never In the world have accsrtsd
It II had known what 1t would cost ne.