The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-11-15

fleet instead of Schley, an assignment
which, whether fair to Schley or not,
Sampson had no option but to obey,
were preventing the boasted glory
from going around; and there Is no
scrap of paper to show that Schley ever
tried to restrain them. If he was un-
willing TO deprive Captains Cook, Tay-
Ior. Philip ard Evans, and Commander
Wainwright of their indisputably mer-
tied promotions for gallant service In
successful battle, he gave no audible
sign Of that unwillngnes5 at a time
when senators were using his alleged
unfair treatment as a preteXt for hold
ing up all of these promotions, includ-
ing SampsOn's. If Dewey's promotion
had been included in the same bunch
of nominations, what reason Is there
to believe that he would not have been
held up along with the rest? He was
simply more fortunate than these San
tiago heroes In the timing Of the vote
which secured senatorial ratification to
the promotion rendered in both cases
with alacrlty by an appreciative and
generous president.
This gross injustice remains for recti-
fication utterly irrespective of the
official character Of Winfield Scott
Schley. The nation is shamed by the
fact that the Schley cabal in the last
senate worked this outrage; and it will
be doubly shamed and this time COM
plicitously guilty If it shall permit n
similar cabal in the next senate to
effect Il similar conspiracy The coun-
try needs to be told until the truth
sinks deeply into it's conscience that,
leaving Schley entirely out of the case,
it owes to William r. Sampson for hts
faithful and efficient work as COM
mander-in chief of the largest naval
force ever assembled under the Ameri-
can flag fair and just recognition and
reward; whereas, he has had abso-
lutely nothing of this kind. His pro-
motion from captain to junior rear ad-
miral came without reference to his
war service. 1t came through the nat
ural order entirely, in precisely the
same way that the colonel in the regu-
lar army becomes in course of time, IL
vacancies occur quickly enough, n
brigadier general and finally a major
general. For his extra work connected
with his war assignment, work that
from the time of the explosion of the
Maine down to a few months ago kept
upon his shoulders the weightiest load
of executive responsibility held by any
officer of our navy, Dewey alone eX-
cepted-for all the weary hours of vigil
and sleepless anxiety that eliminated
in the decisive battle at Santiago and,
more than anything else, brought
Spain in suppliance to her knees. Ad-
miral Sampson has had, from the legis-
latiVe branch of the United States gov
ernment, not a penny of extra money
nor a syllable even of perfunctory
thanks. He, his gallant CAPTAINS, and
the brave men who served in varying
subordinate capacities in the circle of
operations of the North Atlantic fleet
one and al! have been held up, not ny
masked footpads in a dark alley, but
by United States senators, and robbed
of the honors fairly promised them ere
the war began.
And the man in whose ostensible be-
half this gigantic outrage was planne !
and cOnsummated; the man who, with
this work Of his oficious friends staring
him continually in the face, has made
no effort to prevent the bouquet throw
ing multitude from considering him the
martyr which they allcge; the man
who stands convicted on the records of
the navy department over the sigma
ture of its honored chief, not alone of
disobedience of orders and unreliable
ity of official conduct, but also Of hav-
| ing falsfied the correspondence of a
| brother officer; this "chief hero of San
| tiago," as his friends delight to ac-
| claim him, is on Saturday morning
| next to take a flag command in the
| United States navy by grace of the
| very secretary whom the Schley CLIQUE
| reviles and threatens. We question the
| logic and the wisdom of Secretary
! LONGS magnanimity; but Schley and
! Schley's friends certainly ought to fee
! intensely grateful for it.