The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-24
SPADE IN HAND.
President Mckinley Breaks
Ground in San Francisco
For a Monument in Memory of
Manila Victory.
LETTER FROM DEWEY.
Refers to Himself as One of
Nineteen Hundred Persons.
President Makes a Number of
Short Speeches.
LETTER FROM DEWEY.

San Francisco, May 24.-In the pres
ence of several thousand people Presi-
dent Mckinley turned over the first
shovelful of sod in Union square yes
terday afternoon where the monument
commemorative of Admiral Dewey
victory at Manila bay is to be erected.
The affair was an informal one. Break
ing the ground President Mckinley said:
1T affords me great pleasure as well
as honor to break the ground in San
Francisco that is to commemorate the
great victory of Manila bay in honor
Of Admiral Dewey his brother officers
and the men behind the guns whose
achievements made history and added
new fame to the American navy
Mayor Phelan read a letter from Ad-
miraI Dewey acknowledging an invita-
ton to the ceremony and saying that
it gave him the greatest pleasure as one
OF the nineteen hundred persons in the
naval service who participated in the
battle to learn of the recognition to be
shown them.
came next 1t was the presidents visit
to the Preside, where he reviewed the
FOrty-fifth and FOrty-Sixth volunteer
infantry regiments, just returned from
the Philippines to be mustered out of
service. When the president mounted
the reviewing stand the soldiers cheered
him He addressed them with much feel
ing, speaking as follows:
7 count myself very fortunate to
have been in the city of San Francisco
upon the arrival of these two regiments
that I may with my fellow citizens of
this city give you welcome home and
at the same time express not only my
own thanks as president of the United
States but the gratitude of the American
people for the splendid services you
have rendered to your country in the
past two years. Our hearts have been
with you: our hopes have been with
you; and we have realized in large
q
splendid work you performed in the
Philippine islands. You went, carrying
with you the purposes and the spirit and
the conscience of the people OF the
United States; you carried with you the
flag which is the symbol of the best
and noblest aspira tons of a free people,
and you bring that flag back with added
honor and deliver it to the government
which you served SO well and SO faith
fully. You come back now to be citi-
zens Of the country and government
whose honor you have preserved. You
were citizens before you were soldiers
And you became soldiers bcause you
were citizens loving your country, at
tached to our free institutions and be-
cause of which you were willing. to give
that which is the best that any man can
give his own lfe's blood, for the honor
of his country. You have done your
duty. You have done 1t nObly and you
come back to go into the walks of citi-
zenship with your other fellow citizens
and take the places that you left when
YOU 6nI1ST6Q TWO years ago. InaI IS one
thing about American honor that is a
surprise to the world. We have mus
tered great armies The greatest army
that ever was mustered was from 81
to '65 and, yet, when the war was over,
when Lee surrendered to Grant at
Appomattox, the nearly two millions Of
men came back to their homes, fell into
the quiet walks of citizenship, sustaining
the government for which you fought.
And, so you come back as your fore
fathers came back more than thirty
years ago. having done your duty: and
1t is a proud thing to do duty for
country. You come back having done
your full duty as soldiers, to now do
your full duty as citizens; and I want
to express my heartfelt thanks to an
of you for the services yo1 have rem
dered and want to wish for all of you
and to all belonging to you every good
thing in this life I thank you"
At the close of the presidents re-
marks three cheers were given by the
soldiers
The president next visited the general
hospital going through every sick ward
bowling and speaking words of cheer to
every sick soldier
Later the president was the guest of
honor at the reception of the Union
League club. the Ohio Society of Cali
fornia the Mexican War Veterans
Pioneers and Native Sons. The latter
three societies presented him with a
paper package containing $3.50 worth of
gold. At each reception the president
responded briefly to presentation
speeches
At the reception Of the Ohio society
President Mckinley said in part:
It meet Ohio people wherever I go, and
the surprise to me is, how We have gotten
on well when SO many of you have
left US daughter and applause) And
then I have that other reflection, how
would the other states have gotten on if
we had not loaned you to them Gaughterl
for in every state the Ohio man has taken
honorable place, whether in business
or in politics. and has carried the best
traditions of the old comm onwealth with
him. (Applause.) It Is glorious old
state Glorious names are connected with
it Chase. GiddingS and bluff old Ben
Wade and Garfield and Hayes and Thur
man and Pendleton and Sherman-leading
statesmen of their time and generation
and then we never forget that Grant was
the globe with his fame as hes marched
in the pathway of the sun Nor that
march from Atlanta to the sea. was born
in Ohio (Applause-) And that gallant
little Phil Sheridan (applause) who did
not permit Jubal Early to rest in the
summer of 1864 in the Shenandoah valley,
and finally won that magnificent victory,
that he. too, was born in Ohio
Responding to the greeting extended
him at the Union League club, the pres
ident said:
7 have not spoken a partisan word for
many years that have lost the tune
and have no notes. daughter and ap-
are for state. and whether we are Dem
OcratS or whether we are Republicans.
we are all for the flag. We may have our
little differences among ourselves, but /
observe that whenever a crisis comes in
the life of the nation, party lines are OBJ
liberated and all stand for patriotism.
(CSrea t apo1ause.) We never had in all
our history such an exhibition of unfal-
tering devotion TO country from men of
all parties as we have had in the past
four years. The great parties represented
in the two branches of congress just be-
fore the war with Spain voted without a
dissenting voice to place in my hands 80
millions Of dollars, without restraint or
III n hn in my