Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-04-04

Iion- 1Aey were finally located al
Fort Marion, Fla, where they re
NAMED for a number of years. As
Fort Marion was found to be an IN
suitable place they were subsequently
removed 10 Mount Vernon barracks,
Ala
AS the climate at Fort Marion
and Mount Vernon barracks was
quite different from that to which
they had been accustomed in San
Antonio, Arizona and northern Mexico,
disease from which they had thereto
fore been immune crept in among
them and upon full consideration Of
the situation by the secretary of war
they were permanently established on
the Fort Sill. Military reservation in
1894
AS these Indians had been engaged
in the commission of hostile acts for
a number of years they were regard
ed, at their surrender, as occupying
the status of prisoners of war and
were subsisted and maintained as
such. As the hostilities in which they
had taken part have long ceased to
exist, their temporary status as pris-
oners Of war terminated. and they
have since been regarded as a band
Of dependent Indians held in custody
Of the United States and under the
special protection and control of the
war department This status, as to
some Of its essential incidents. con
tinues to exist"
War Over Inscription.
In the midst Of all the debates
and chickering's on the tariff and
appropriate bills and all the tu-
multi and shouting of politics Wash
ington is finding time to have some ex-
element over a matter of interroga-
ton marks and exclamation points
The burning issue is how the inscrip-
ton on the John Jaul Jones statue to
be erected in Potomac park shall be
punctuated.
The controversy is over the cele-
brated reply of Jones to the inquiry of
the Scraps if he was ready to sur
render. 1t will be recalled that the
Bon Homme Richard was an unsea-
worthy old Indian merchantmen when
she was assigned to Jones by the
French government, and her equip
ment was so outclassed by that Of
the Scraps that the only chance of
the American commander was to fight
at close range. So demoralized were
affairs on the Bon Homme Richard that
an under-officer lost his head and re-
leased a score or so of British pris-
oners, who ran to tear down the col
ors. and might have embarrassed the
American commander still more had
not Lieutenant Dale set them at work
at the pumps to save their lives. Many
Of his guns had been silenced, the en-
tire sides of his vesesl were sho.
away and the ship was afire when
Jones was hailed by Captain Pearson
with the demand. DO you surren,
der?"
Question or Exclamation?
In his own account of the battle
Jones states that his reply was some
thing to this effect: q do not, but l
intend to make you surrender" Lieu
tenant Dale, who also wrote an ac-
count of the battle, ascribed to Jones
the more spirited reply: Surrender.
I have just begun to fight"
1t is over this world-famous phrase
that the second battle RACES. The con-
testants do not hesitate to substitute
the words of Dale for those of Jones,
for the phrase is more striking, but, in
the opinion Of the critics, the writer
of the inscription proposes to weaken
the retort by means of second rate
punctuation Ignoring the peculiar
punch and force of the exclamation
point as compared with the quotation
mark, he proposes that Jones reply.
Yankee-like, begin with a question,
and then he would fire a second
rhetorical barrel by exploding an ex-
clamation point at the end of the SEN
tence.
Thus, waving aside the historical
accuracy of the Jones quotation, it
would stand thus:
Surrender? I have only begun to
fight"
Instead of thus:
Surrender! I have only begun to
fight"
Not very much, to be sure, on which
to start feud, yet, on the other hand,
enough to make things hum a little
when one has nothing else to do Old
Doctor Johnson tore open the literary
heavens of his time for less things
than this, and even should the contest
end disastrousIy for somebody. the
flow would be of tears rather than of
blood.
Majority for Question Mark.
The exclamation point agitators
have put up their case to the authori-
ties in charge and have been gravely
informed that they do not win. The
question marks appears to have ma
jority of the delegates, and there is
no evidence to show that their con-
Yention was not regularly called under
the approved rules of the national
committee. The case can hardly be
taken up to congress, for what con
gress does not know about punctua-
ton must be supplied by the proof
readers of the government printing Of
fee. Neither can the navy department
take a hand, for it has John Paul
Jones memorial Of its own, and one
trouble at a time is enough.
Speaking Of the Jones memorial at
Annapolis, by the way, the inscription
to be attached to that has been select
ed by a master of the art. 1t avoids
any competition in language by confin-
ing itself to a single virile phrase
which in a line gives Jones the pio-
neer place among American naval
heroes and at the same time exaIts
him to the highest ranks. 1t is this:
He was the first to give to our navy
the traditions of heroism and vic
tory"
gives to young men just taking UP the
work
Be jovial, but not too witty" is
one Of the maxims, and the other