The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-05-03
80 Gen. Merritt Declared In Speech
At Detroit.
Other Speakers Praise
The Secretary.
Gen. wheeler Says The Ra.
ti0ns Were All Right.

Detroit. Mich, May 2-The Michigan
society, Sons of the American Rev olu-
ton. entertsi ned the visiting delegates.
officials Of the order and distinguished
guests tonight at Q grand dinner.
The occasion was made notable by the
presence of Secretary Alger, Senator
Chsuncey NJ. Depew, Major General
Wheeler. Major General W. r. Merritt,
Gen. Horatio G. King, Inspector General
j. 9. Breckinridge and many others, who
rendered distinguished services in the
Spanish and the civil wars.
A feature Of peculiar interest was q
speech by Gen. Wesley Merritt warmly
defending Secretary Alger. He declared
Alger the best secretary of war the world
has ever seen.
| After discussion Of the menu, ex-Sena-
tor Thomas W. Palmer, president Of the
Michigan society, as toastmaster, began
the speechmaking.
Secretary Alger when called upon said
in part:
Under the American flag battles have
been fought and won against every force
that has sought to check its onward pro-
| gress toward the setting sun; Q flag that
has never yet been unfurled against an
| enemy but to prevail Every sign Of the
present and past assures US that this gov
errmert is destined to be permanently in
| the lead! at this country is to be If 1t
is not aliesuy the center Of civilization
and of power. IL power which rises in all
the people. On April 81, 1898, under the
first call for volunteers, 125, 600 patriots
were sent into the field. At that time,
war, but we had men ana we bad the
manufacturers, W ho, sooner than those OF
any other nation could equip an army,
which including the volunteers OF the hrst
and second calls, numbered approximate
| ly 275, 900. This army was marshalled In
mps and equipped; 80. 600 were sent to
| distant islands 10, 900 miles apart; battles
were fought, victories vera won wltnout
| q single reverse or without the loss OF o
gun or color; and all this, within 10
days from the declaration OF war TO the
singing of the protocol.
| Surprising they had little beef spoiled
what Of 1t? If they had had no beef at
| all they would have had more than Cen
| eral Joe Wheeler and had in that other
| war. The people of tho United states
| have never sought territorial accession
| except to the benefit OF the peoples that
came with it, The flag Of this nation
has been hoistsd over Cuba, Porto Rioo
and the Philippines, in lands whose
peoples have for centuries been oppressed
by Spanish mis.rule. We can be assured
as 1T has been raised In Porto Rico ana
the Philippines there it will remain. l
trust that congressional action shall
give such recognition of the services
of the soldiers in the..Philippines rs shall
show our appreciation Of their valor.
The nation mourns for families who Will
never again hear the footballs OF those
they owed, but that Is the sacrifice they
offered.
Every great achievement Is made at
sacrifice May we hope as result OF the
nouest of the past twelve months tna'
ciyiiizatton, education, Christianity and q
l(3od fearing people shall bless the U nlten
Suites SO long as 1T endures for tina nero
ic sacrifice that has been tmaoe LOT tLneI
and for freedom.
We are today, we hope, nearing the END
of the conflict and near the dawn o.
peace in the Philippines, and upon every
lip is hourly expressed.
''What of the futures" God IN his In
finite wisdom can only answer that ques-
tion and as he has guided us thus far we
can feel assured that as he rules, what IL
right will be.
speaker. He.said:
When we went to the Philippines ther'
WAS only e.oourse Tor US 70 pursue, VIZ
The course that has been taken up to th'
, present. The prospects are now that th'
American flag will continue to wave III
the far East. The army IN the East haS
r every thing the war department could fur
: nish. We lived we'll and We did our duty
This most outrageously abused admins
tration has done more for the army than
? anv other administration that ever exist
ed. II there are any canned speeches her
tonight they are better than some OF TN
refrigerated spsecheo that we have read.
General Merritt referred to the present
3 secretary of war as the best 90 cretary o
: war that the world had ever seen. ii
&. added:
"No secretary vas ever more abused
Secretary Stanton stood through his abus
as the most fearless secretary" that eve
lived. We have now another secretar!
who has made fewer mistakes and beel
more abused than any of his predecessors
He has had the confidence OF all except
few mal-contents. Through him las beel
4 attacked the President of ths Unitea
| States He is almost sick at heart at Tn
. weight of the unjust obloquy that ma
d besn heaped on him. but with no prom
ises to make or platitudes to indulge In
he is conducting an honest administra
ton. l was born o Democrat, l al
proud to belong to that political faltf
l. hut hope the time will come whe
g there'u be no difference between Demo
n Gratis and Republicans. at least manifest
ed against those who rule the govern
ment.
/ don't commit myself to any complies
tions that may lead to trouble with Ge
t. many, but hug myself for being a
N A merican citizen.
\. General Joe Wheeler talked along sim
* lar lines. He asserted that he had hear
a. no complaint about rations. The onl
70 question was whether the benefits {
y. American civil and religious liherl
should not be given the people who