New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-17
A TRIAL DENIED TO REiIER.
SECRETARY TRACY.S STRONG Defence OF
HIS POSITION.
TIN, v,vv DEPARTMENT THROUGH WITH THE
CAsE-CONGRESS NAY TAKE 1T W.
Inv TrtFGR,PU TO TIE IBIBUSEI

CAsE-CONGRrSS NAY TAKE IT W.
Try TELEGRAPH To TIE TBIBUSE.I
wasbincton IAN 1G-Sccrctary Tracy mas felu>eu
tbc demand Of Commander Rciter for tf"l 10y court
,,iaI ON tho grounds already outlined in these Dis
matches The present action Of the secretary u>Pocs
Of the case 50 far the Navy Department =
and II only rcmaiI(S, one OF the cch'"I'u '
friends has threatened to make the matter '''e '''
Congressional investigation. The secretary nus "NO
bis Aositlon in thi, case after mature dehOcr'lo'
The facts upon which the ccnsurc was Da'ou "o'o
/ t,risbod hy Commander Rccr, 10 whom every OPP
,rt,,nitv for defence and explanation was allowed.
1b, demand Of Commander Reitcr mas rchucIc" "'''
officer liable 10 be tried by conrtmaF'El' ihc o
Rotary does not fear the scrutiny OF .
committee. lie Is confident that an i'nl''u'' '''h
q, n,crt would approve hi, course In the matter
SECRETARY Tracy's letter to Commander kciter was
as follows: o.,,., 20. , ,,t,i
nv court.mar,lal. has been rrciNA. ,. ON
;" w.. ,,,o taat the DEPARTMENTS action IN your ca~'
Constitutes public reprimand and that this Is puh'
80, tho, can only b. legally inflicted by ~hDh'' =" "
/ naval general courtmaFtia- Your S'to"'"' '.V"
o, ar, Ignorant % the first principles Oh h'' 49,
M ss,,nu,ion that the Secretary Of th' navy '"''
,,nornce a rcbuke. public or private upon an o'" ~,
! ' hr,,ch 81 discipline. or failure IN the p'''''
duty without obtaining the sanction Oh ,o',' ,ol
/ rnbaarl of propositlon. The Department IH'I' - -.
! - or blame to the officer who deserves INV o "
! ,ho oher as occasion may arise anu Inv F -,
~, -. ,ho D.r,rtment Itself Case have oc'uIIvn "o
/ ,hn Depottmcnt without trial. has pVnou" ,Inf,y
| ,onr,mand upon officers IA general ofuet-' - -
,bat ia given either to is COMMUNICATION VI ~ -, ni,h
| matter within its own discretion III "'o
IT. consul,s only the public interest ,i,i = clearly
you further state that trial by S'1 .l
rour rl1ut Your attention l. '''''" ,,t,,-.-,
orders. regulations and instructions 20 -. follow;
,,c ~ law and Justice in the Navy lo''' a,tI an
.,.o ,cl.or has the rcit u drwNd 1 '' -, -.
himself or others. the rrannnf "i u' -. c,,i,t 81,
, d.crc,ion Of tn, officer authorized tn convene
| ,l-.dl liz
| Yo'nor Mn. pc,.rtncnt ha- committed 'h n'' ~ ,'
| t,,,tr, I'm ccu.uring YOU without an oPP'.'"'' "
! heard. - ~, ,bo c1ne.r by
an oiu'' VI " - IN r.. c,.l.i,e % T., ordinary power
1 -, fastening the duties Of officers "c'''""- " -
Interests Of the service, and 1t d''i'' ' m >.,,,
| II, t,r ,o,r detachment. After your r'tui" "' '''
cac1 io' - =. ,hc Det,,ftncnt Dec, Ulb'F 8 --Al
' tho, vou feared that it did not approve oil You" w.
! and asking that You might be- aioiu'u '' o'' -, A,
! cxplan it to tho Secretary prr'o"AA'' o' ,i,,.
NE I'm ~, 10Th the y. Isrtmtnt rlI'n " UNIV"
Won arc Informed that the department ""' -
-, -. oor,so while I'm command Il the 'nItH N''V'
/ SHIN Ranger on the coast Of Central N"''"' "-
| ar, authorized u visit the Department anu !" . r
,,llv such exclamation in cad To your "1''' " '
| may dc-ir'." . , 3D.. ,ho,o
on the 18th Of December IN consequence OF "' ''','
mentioned correspondence, and for th' pu'po -,,I,i
your letter Of request, namely, That you H'-'' D."
| 70 make a personal explanation, you hAd J. '' '.
~ - t,, En-. SECRETARY OF the Navy. At THIS WtI''e"
,, ,,c,. given the fullest opportunity to max any ~
ncnt that Won desired bearing Oh 'n' avs W md. -,
you were also distinctly Informed Of the S'h'I"
,I, Deuartncnt's dissatisfaction. At the eoh''',."
a., tr.rv.yy YOU were not only authorized bUt D'''''
| 10 eu.body your statements in an addition" rp"''
| "a communication being received from YOU t'- ~
nartmcnt on the 18TH, wrote you i''''' ann, -, :.
Fundamentally report and directing You to lh'Iuu' III
~ ,c,. NOT vet reported by YOU. This iepoi'. uA'1
nocenber 90 was received Oh tn 80 ana upon ," o.
,no nsnar,mcn, addressed to YOU is fun and nn'i ie
view Of the ease. ,.., -, r,....rl..r
! ,,,lou.b YOU were informed tine l-th o H' "U''
, ,no nr,tmcnts di-satsiao and on the l1'h oi u'
rounds on which it, Dissatisfaction "as h''o1 you %
ma request for a martial until your lc''' VI Wv "
January arar the Department had pronounced Hn'' WV"
Tho department had however. without any r'qna' FROM
o, alr,aiy considered fully the question o. p'ht"- YOU
60 ,, Such a trial Is necessary when tn i'''' o '''
cauno, otherwise definitely a-ccr'ain'd ~ "N t''
| ,.naty which tho circumstances d'N'hl ~ '''- @
! soon, Of ordinary departmental Io"c.- N''"'' Va IN
reasons existed here because Tie j. IAi"'"- 90,
It'd ,, YOUR own statement x the fat, and L. dsei
nary mower. were sufficient to meet the ease. me 'n'
It,, NJ a tfa IN this case. would have been 10 "'uh "n
yrc..lon Of the law applicable TO ne admitted iA'' 'u
a definition Of the duties Of an odc'' 10 I'"'''' u',
| ,,r..,io and d nuI..on under the w'i,c-tihll-h'd
nrincit. governing tbs admin 0n 0i naval G''ph
- shawn by uumbfle-, plcc,duts te Department j. oi
nsf entirely competent declare In determining qur'
lions Of law arising upon und >puiel tAo'' u' pel''
do.. not require the assistance u a conit'rIitAi
Since TIL. conclusion reached ue Department ms
.on uo reason 20 modify lt 10 hl, Listened with patience
10 yoar successive statement. IT. has given 40" every
,u,unity u be- heard before taxing action IL Indicated
10 YOU the grounds di-appo'al before you ''hb ID
,our final report In visiting uion you H. cr-"fe 1t has
tl.d solely upon YOUR Of t" irt- Ia it. COM
munioation TIM 3ist. oondcinins your Conduct " r'Ia
these facts and your letter ASKING of uh leaves u'"
.puted
You are Their fore informed is not h" Intention Of
the Department bring You to tai b. couft-"'iai ana
that regards your osr having been finally disposed oi
| Very respectfully, h. J. 4"N' >
! Secretary Of fhc Navy.