The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-01-24
SAMPSON OR SCHLEYY
Old Controversy Opened Up In the
Senate.
SENATOR'S Q UEsTION JUSTICE OF
THEIR PROMOTION.

Administration Defended BY Members
of Naval Committee--Hints That
There May he Revelstio ms Unfavor-
able To schIey IT Matters Is Pushed
Too Far.
Washington. January 23.-Ths execu-
tive session of the Senate today was de-
voted wholly to the discussion Of the
promotion OF Admiral Sampson, Schley
and other naval officers engaged In the
Santiago campaign over the heads Of off,
GERS who were their superiors in rank.
The controversy has been postponed for
20 days after vote had been taken to call
for the records of the navy department
bearing upon the conduct Of all affected
by the advancement.
The discussion arose over the resolution
of which Senator Butler was the auth or,
calling for tie documents. As original
ly offered IL asked for the reasons Of the
ARRANGEMENTS, but the resolution was
modified so as reques. tire r, cord only.
The first vote was on q motion made by
senator Hale to lay the resolution on the
table and on this the ayes and noes were
taken resulting IL ayes 10 30 noes. The
resolution was then allow TO pass with
out further discussion.
For three hours previous to this, how
eN1 tueF 6t0ht6 nhu UetD tuKhReu III .
very animated verbal battle which In :
volved many intricates and was PARTED
pated in by large number Of senator's.
The main contests were first over the
general policy Of promoting these officers
over others who were characterized ms
less fortunate though quite as deserving
In that they were deprived of such active
the relative merits of sampson and
Schley. Senators Wellington and Cor
man of Maryland, one Republican sni the
other Democrat, united in N fierce at
tack upon the navy department for favor
ing Sampson over Sculey. while Senators
Lindsay, Pettigrew, Perkins and Money
attacked the whole system of promotion
as "a species of favoritism which was not
warranted by the facts " The methods
of the administration was defended by
Messrs hale, Chandler and Lodge
Senator Wellington was especially zeaIoua
In his advocacy of the claims of Admiral
Schley and in his presentation Of reasons
why Admiral Sampson should not be pre-
ferrd over him and both he and Mr.. Cor
man stated that II the OH cial papers were
ordered, they would demonstrate beyond
q reasonable question the fact that Schley
not Sampson fought the battle of Santi-
ago. Senator Lindsay found much in the
promotion of hoth Sohley and Sampson
over Commodore Watson to condemn.
necticut and Senator Pettigrew also criti-
cized the 81 stem as one liable to result
in unfairness unless very cautiously en-
tered upon. Senators Hale and Chand-
Ter, both members of the naval commit
tee defended the action CT the navy de-
partment in giving preference to the men
who took upon themselves the brunt OF
the battle In Atlantic waters and IN pre-
ferring the man who was In command
of the fleet They deprecated the open
ing up of = controversy which Senator
Chandler snid might lead TO o condition
that might prove as unsayory us that
which the war Investigation commission
had developed In connection with the
army beef contracts. Senator Lodge
joined in deplorlng this policy.
During the presentation OF this side
much was said in UNFOLDING the claims
Of Sampson against those of Schley and
the friends of the latter officer were
warned that II they insisted in pressing
would be disclosed that would not be
agreeable To them. The charge was made
that Schley had voluntarily left Santiago
after reaching the vicinity of that port and
after Ctvera had entered the harbor, and
also tine charge that when the Spanish
fleet had sailed out through the narrow
mouth of the channel Admiral (then
commodore) Shelley had mane reverse
movement with the Brooklyn and gone
in u direction opposite to that in which
the Spanish squadron had taken instead
ginning. 1t WAS asserted that these facts
were among those which the archives
would reveal.
The friends OF Admiral Schley de-
clared they had nothing to fear from hav-
ing the facts known.