The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-24
The Soldiers Address I'm the Nature OF
an Appeal for Personal Justice
from the Public.
HoBsoN FOR GREAT NAVY
AMERICA, HE SAYS, SHOULD con-
troll YELLOW PEOPLES DESTINY.
spanfsh-Amerfcan War Veterans As
ISOLATION to Elect Omcers I'm ses-
siOns To-Day.

Those in charge Of meeting of Spanish
American War Veterans and the general
public at Tomlinson Hall last evening
were disappointed at the size of the audi
ence. About 800 persons assembled. MI.
Root, secretary of war, was taken to the
hall, but il was not thought worth while
TO ask him 10 speak to so small crowd.
There was some talk of dismissing the
audience, but this was not done, and IL
heard what 1t felt to be a plea for personal
justice by Brig. Gen. Jacob II. Smith. He
and his friends, 1t was known, believed
that wrong had been done to him by the
military authorities. There was further
sentimental interest in him because of his
sobriquet of Hell Roarin' Jake" indicat-
ing a man mighty in prowess and appear
ance When he was introduced by Colonel
Jewett he was seen to be slight in ply
siuue but straight in form and vigorous
in personality.
There was a great deal OF cheering when
Colonel Jewett said that judgment on this
soldiers conduct was not to be rendered
in quiet civil life. but in the tropical wilder
ness, where he had been fighting a cruel
and treacherous foe. He wondered that
more citizens did not avail themselves of
speak. The general read from a manu-
script a statement of his experiences in
the Philippines, devoted most of his at
tention to his last campaign in Samar.
where, ii has been alleged. he issued a most
Ubiquitous order to kill and burn"
Fighting is my business" he declared.
land as was sent there for that purpose
/ decided to give them just the style or
goods they ordered.
The people he had to deal with, the gen.
eral said, were without the thinest coat
ing of civilization and brutality massacred
the soldiers that had cared for their sick
and tried to put them in a better way Of
living. His men found there were no roads
the people had fed from the villages, which
were all on the coast. The Americans had
to proceed single file through the jungle.
their clothing wet. their feet cut by the
ated by the stings Of insects. The natives
could not be caught in the wilderness. and
General Smith adopted plan OF cutting on
the food supplies Of the towns so that
tiveS in the interior.
At this stage, General Smith said, he or
the interior. Following the carrying out
of this campaign the women and children
returned to the coast villages, leaving only
the lighting men in the jungle on the noun,
tain sides. General Smith then treated
with the leaders of the Samar warriors.
and was just about to arrange terms of
peace when he was called to America
for another purpose" That was what
General Smith said and his audience ap-
parently took his side against his prose-
cutors, for the applause was fervent and
right. general!' The general was very
much in earnest, but he softened at the
close of his address. when he had few
words to s6y aD %sre 70 be eerdted WITH
the courage and nobility OF the American
soldiery, in his opinion.
CAPTAIN HOBSON'S OPINIONS.
General Smiths allusion to 1.-The ladies'
caused broad smile to illumine the hith-
erto grave face of Capt. Richmond Pear
son Hobson, who sat just behind the stren-
uous fighter from Samar. But no levity was
visible or audible when Captain Hobson
spoke. He delivered his tribute to "glori-
Gus woman" but he was serious about 1t.
Few as demonstrative speakers as Cap
tain Hobson have been heard in this city
in late years. He praised the soldiers and
sailors of the country, from Washington
and Jones to Smith and Dewey, Federals
and Confederates. 1.-The civil war was a
simple sociological necessity" he declared.
II the northerners had lived In the South
and the southerners In the North, he said.
each would have done as the other did.
He spoke son of Alabama. The South
was grateful. he said, that it had been
1t was as an extreme expansionist that
Captain Hobson was most eager to make
his notions known. He would rather be
an American citizen than the crown prince
of a European kingdom, he avowed. He
believed Ii would be cowardly and selfish
in the United States If il permitted the
material and spiritual development of the
yellow and black races TO be directed ac-
cording to the harsh methods of the Euro
pean monarchical systems. He would ex-
| tend the Monroe doctrine to China and
other parts of Asia. America, incidentally
was in duty bound to share in foreign mar
kets. The moral Of his address was that
| the United States should proceed imme-
diately TO build the greatest navy in the
world, so that IL could control the seas
| and control the destinies of the hordes
| of yellow people.
Captain Hobson worked the soldiers In
his audience to high pitch of enthusiast m
and was rewarded with many cheers as
| General Smith received. He disclaimed
special approval for his feat at Santiago
bay. Any other American under similar
circumstances would have done as he did
he said.
Col. j. B. Coryell and Gen. Willis J.
| Hulings, both of Pennsylvania, the first
commander of the Spanish-American War
| Veterans and the second past commander
were the other speakers. They eulogizeo
| the soldiers and spoke of the fine oppor.
| tunities of the Spanish-American War Vet
Grams in carrying on the ideals of the
Grand Army of the Republic.
1 %
| SPEECHES OF THE AFTERNOON.