The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-05-03
MERRITT PRAISES ALGER
Secretary Of War Landed by
the Army Commander.

| Detroit Mich. May 2-Tl.e Michigan
society. sons or the American Revolu.
tion entertained the visiting delegates,
officials of the order and distinguished
guests tonight by a dinner unequalled
hitherto in Michigan by any similar
event an respect to elaboratcness Of me-
ma and decorations, or the distinguished
lcharacter OF the guests of honor OF the
evening. The occasion was made notable
lhy the presence OF Secretary Alger
senator Depew, Major General Wesley
H.. Merritt. Major General Joseph
Wheeler. General Horatio G. King. In
spcctor General ]. G.. Breckenridge and
many others who rendered distinguished
service In the Spanish and the civil
wars
A feature which was OF special inter
est was speech by General Wesley
Merritt. warmly defending Secretary
Alger. lie declared Alger the best secre-
tarv OF war the world has ever seen
Fully 800 members OF the order sat AZ
the eleven tables running crosswlse Of
he main dining room of the Russell
house. The Speakers table was a richly
decorated one, situated iu a decorated
balcony. fronted by a white colo1nndc
ana covere with canopy raped ln the
bun. WHITE and blue OF the order. The
coats OF arms of the thirteen original
states were displayed in the rear ~ the
speakers and a portrait Of Washington
praced the center. The floral decorations
or the tables followed the colors of thu
order
After two hours discussion Of the menu
ex-senator Thomas NJ. Palmer ass toast-
master began the speechmakine with
witty introduction. when he mentioned
the name of Secretary Alger the BAN
quetters rose and cheered.
The speakers chose their own subjects
theer being no set responses.
Secretary Alger began his speech with
d reference 10 the struggles of The pill
grim fathers to secure equal righ.s and
religious freedo INTO all" and alluded
@, the heroic deeds of the revolutionary
patrlota. ancestors of rhe members Of
the society which furnished touishts
lertertainment but he soon turned the
attention Of his audiors to the more re.
cen war. The Secretary spoke 2t some
length Of the trials of his department
In equipplng the great army so hurried
lv and expressed his qualification that
victories won wlthou ne loss Of a gun
or a color"
Continuing he said:
Suppose they dld have a little spoiled
necf. what Of Il. II they had no beet
at all they had more than General Joe
wheeler and myself had IN ,he other
war.
We are today. we hope, nearing the
end Of the conflict. and near the dawn
Of peace in the Philippines, and upon
every lip IS daily-yes hourly-expresse
what OF the future?' God I'm His In
finite wisdom can only answer that ques-
ton and he has guided us thus far ana
as his hand has been so plainly seen IN
history OF the past twelve months, we
can feel assured that as He rules what
Is right will be-
Major General Merritt was the next
speaker. Said he:
Whrn we went TO the PHILIPPINES there
was only one course for us TO pursue,
viz; the course that has been taken up
to the present. our navy had captured
Manila Bay, and the army had to cap
ture the city. and we could not let go;
and the prospects are now that the Am
erican flag will continue to wave in the
far East.
The army In the East as 7 have testi-
fed before the investigation committee,
had everything the war department
could furnish. We lived wen and did our
duty. and we have no apologies 20 make
OF recriminatlons TO Offer. This most
outrageously abused administration has
done more for the army than any other
administration that ever existed. II
there were any canned specches here
tonight they we're better than some OF
the refrigerated speeches we have read.
II han canned speech to develop on
this subject, I assure you It would not
smell.
General Merritt referred to the Score
tary Of war as the best secretary OF war
he world has ever seen. He added
NE secretary was ever more abused.
Secretary Stanton stood through his
abuse as the most fearless secretary OF
war that ever lived. We have now an
mistakes and even more abusedpq icF
other secretary who has made few.G
mistakes and been more abused than any
Of his predecessors. He has had the con-
ndence of all except few mnlcontents,
Through him has been attacked the
President of the United States. lie IL al
most .slck at heart AT the weight Of the
unjust obloquy hat has been heapcd up
on him, but with no promises to make
or platitudes to indulge in, he IS con-
Iducting an honest administration.
1 was born a demOcrat-I don't think
! IN ever get over u. I'm proud to belong
to that political faith. A voice you're
a republican but don't know it, But i
hope the time will come when there viii
be- no difference between democrats and
republicans at least manifested against
those who rule the government ! talk as
"A soldier. / don't commit myself to any
complications that may lead to trouble
with Germany. but / hug mSsclf for be-
Ing an American citizen.
Geleral Joe Wheeler talked along sim
IHar lines. He reviewed the circumstances
lof the mobilization of the army during
the war and asserted that history vii
record that the United staes' humblinl
lof spain was wihotu parallel. Genera
Wheeler asserted that he had heard nt
complaints about ratons. The only
lquesti0n was whether the benefits o
American religious and civil liberty
should not be given the people whom
providence had placed under our con
, troll.
Senator Depew said he was an expan
sionist, but not an imperialist In tn
commonly accepted sense Of the word
AZ to the Philippine campaign he de
= clared that the Fihpinos were not 10 b
7 tyrannized over BY tho United State.
? but Weer 10 have some one like Gener5
Sherman 10 tell chem "ao hom, sto