Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-12-04
ARE We IDOLATERS?
DEwEY'S CASE GOES FAR TO PROVE
THE AFFIRMATIVE.
Some Reflections on the Slckening
Gush over the Hero of Manila by "A
Fickle Public.


Come easy, go easy, is likely to find
good illustration in the case of Ad-
miral Dewey's popularity. which like
Jonah's gourd, sprung up in a night.
But few months ago not one person
in thousand knew there was such
man in existence. He had never said
anything nor done anything that was
considered worthy of record. A few
months later men were yelling them
selves hoarse over George Dewey. Met
ropolitan newspapers used wood type
in order to get letters large enough to
print his name becomingly on their
front page. Women went wild in their
enthusiasm, and thousands would have
willingly given up spring bonnet
for the privilege of kissing Admiral
Dewey. Men and women racked their
brains to suggest something grand
enough to offer him as a testimonial OF
their idolatry. No minister, statesman
author, scientist or philanthropist was
ever so lauded by tongue and pen as
this man. whose notoriety was due
wholly and entirely to the fact that he
destroyed by his orders six million
dollars worth of property in 60 min
uteS.
SELECTING A GIFT.
1t was finally decided that he should
be given a house as a testimonial of
nations love. Men who never gave
dollar to true charity in their lives
hastened to get their names as near
the head of the list as possible. Wo-
men, some of whom owed their grocer
and butcher debts of long standing,
contributed their mite. When the pro-
1ect was fairly under way word came
from some source that the great Dewey
was too noble and high spirited to ac-
cept anything that smacked of charity.
The great papers then, those that were
hot trying to raise fund to buy a
Dewey sword or a Dewey gun or raise
money for Dewey memorial album, or
something or other to give their hero,
were quick to say that this might have
been expected; that anybody might
have known that Dewey was too great
man to yield to the sordid impulses
that dominate ordinary mortals. The
house project was then dropped for
the time, but very soon report came
that the great admiral had been mis-
quoted; he would condescend to take
house, just little one worth $25,0G0
or $4,000, if it were the gift, as he well
knew it would be, of large number of
people. He did not want to be hard
on few, as was the case with McKin-
ley when Mark Hanna got first mort
gage on him by paying large share
of his heavy indebtedness Dewey was
frank enough to intimate that he would
like 1t still better II, while the hero
worshipers were about it, they would
raise enough to furnish the house, and
he would like to have it located in that
part of Washington near his club.
Then the newspapers were more en-
thustastic than ever. No matter what
he did or did not it was so much like
Dewey. The money raising went on,
and when $4,000 persons had subscribed
to the fund "A house was selected.
bought furnished and turned over as
token of love which Christian peo-
pie have for man whose profession
and whose deeds are condemned in the
Christians Bible, by which they pre-
tend to be guided
NEXT IS A BIRD FOR THE CAGE.
Having been given a handsome cage,
the admiral sought out a bird, and
after a few days of the honeymoon had
passed it was rumored that he was
about to transfer the house in fee sim
Inur pu ~ of ''1 fdjsonnrohotion u oS a. " i'iul
nnmnoad tat ~ o'i..iG hJ anu ~ mas an
matter and the transfer would not be
made for the present. The present,
hooo - ~, s =, ~ ~ u,ioit II nos
sbooi,ino PC p''' roia+oI o sIa, past any,
onm"9 onu,as th ~ o,7o,,t rr,r'q mtvaiH . WIN
to,is .mu w ti eiaL sae
iioon di,om " t r'at ".1un i, ieioi a La.
tv,ino Tbar |s ny oai,y ~, hoaIt ~.
ioaoo ,,d ~ tiiI iliei VI eanS a,a
nG1,iroi 70 ,,,;5I, ttat 90 ~ Cl,unT elie
horn ~ ~ 'I1 Iaot lti't t M n,'u ,legei pgen
boor - ,,ea,.niod nnS L5 nt'' i iI'u 1eSol
~ ,aoni,o ,i,,, ~ ,','' Vie e. anu 'oh
" 'eIe.,u I,',. '+n1 p,e ,e'olie VI 4" slil.
DONI TALK, DEAR DEWEY.
Dewey has been provoked into talk
inc. and promises to give himself
away as completely as he gave away
the house. He says: "If it were not