The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-24

t!cipated in by a large number of sem
ators. The main contests We're first
over the general policy of promoting
these officers over others who we're
characterized as quite as deserving
though less fortunate in that they were
deprived of such active participation
in the war and, second, as to the rela-
tive merits of Sampson and Schley
Senators German and Wellington of
Maryland one a republican and the
other a democrat, united in a fierce at
tack upon the navy department for fav-
oring Sampson over Schley, while Sem
ators Lindsay, Pettigrew, Perkins and
| Money attacked the whole system of
promotion as "a species of favoritism
which was not warranted by the facts"
The method of the administration was
defended by Messrs. Hale. Chandler and
Lodge. Senator Wellington was eSpe-
cially jealous in his advocacy of the
claims of Admiral Schley and in his
| presentation of reasons why Admiral
Sampson should not be preferred over
| Schley. he and his democratic colleague.
Mr.. German, made the statement that
| II the official papers were ordered they
| would demonstrate beyond possible
| question the fact that Schley, and not
| Sampson, fought the battle of Santiago.
| They contended that with Sampson 10
| miles away he could not be accredited
| uCtlNely Nllu HAVING cOlnilldnu OIL
the fleet on the memorable day when the
| Spanish vessels were sent to the bot
| tom. On the contrary, they held that
Schley was on the ground; he was the
| senior officer, and that he was engaged
| actively and most effectively in the
| conflict all the world knew, regardless
of the favors of the government at
Washington.
Senator Lindsay found much in the
promotion nd
| over Commodore Watson to condemn.
He took occasion to praise Watson as a
man who undoubtedly would have made
| fine record in the war if given the OPP
portunity he should have had as senior
officer and said that to deprive him of
his rlghcful rank, other men were press
ed to che front and We're given the posts
OF fonor, was in every way unfair and
unworthy of a great country Senator
Perkins, Senator Platt of Connecticut
and Senator Pettigrew also criticised
the system as one liable to result in
unfairness unless very cautiously en-
tered upon, agreeing that at any rate
the senate should have the record, that
1t might decide for itself as to the mer-
| it's of the men SO signally favored. COM
pared with those who had received none
of the loaves and fishes.
senators Hale and Chandler, both
members of the naval committee, de-
Tended the action of the navy depart
| ment 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 said, might lead to a eondi-
ton which might prove as unsavarY as
| that Which the war investigation COM
mission has developed In connection
| with the army beef contracts. Senator
Lodge joined in deploring this policy
and owing to the fact that he had but
| recently, in the interest of private re-
search, made an exhaustive investga-
ton he was enabled to throw much light
upon the controversy in behalf of the
contention that the controversy should
not be stirred. During the presentation
or this side much was said in upholding
the claims of Sampson in preference to
those of Schley, and the friends of the
latter officer were warned that if they
insisted upon pressing the investigation
too closely some facts would be devel-
oped that would not be agreeable TO
them.
The charge was made that Schley had
voluntarily left Santiago after reach
ing the vicinity of that port and after
CerVera had entered the harbor, and
also the charge that when the Spanish
mouth of the channel Admiral (then
Commodore Schley)had made a reverse
movement with the Brooklyn and had
gone in a direction opposite to that
taken by the Spanish squadron, instead
or boldly attacking the enemy in the
beginning. 1t was asserted that these
facts We're among those which the
archives would reveal. The friends of
Schley declared that they had nothing
to fear from having all the facts known.
Explaining his start to leave Santiago
and his refusal to obey department Cl-
ders before SIMPSONS arrival. they
said that it was because he had been
unable to coal at sea. When they were
asked how it happened that he had
been able to coal 36 hours afterward,
they replied that this was due to the
fact that a storm had given place to a
calm.
Senators Lindsay and Petti9reW
who We're not standing for either Samp-
son or Schley, made the point that these
developments had merely emphasized
the reasons why the senate should he
put into possession of all the facts be-
fore voting.
Il am not the champion of either of
these officers said Mr.. Pettigrew, and
if Schley ran away from the enemy
or showed a disposition to do so, l
want to know it,
After. the decision to send for the rec
ords was arrived at, there was a gener-
al understanding that the whole mat
ter should be postponed long enough
to permit action by both houses upon
the naval committees bill providing
that these promotions shall not inter
fere with the promotion of officers eth
erwise entitled to promotion
The subsequent effort of the senate
in open session 20 pass this bill, VAS
the result OF the agreement During
the debate the fact was brought out
that Captain Higginson of the Massa-
chusetts had already been promoted to
fill Mr.. Schley's place as commodore,
and the criticism made that this pro-
motion was irregular, but Senator Hoar
defended the promotion and called at
tention to the fact that Mr.. Schley had
been placed in precisely similar pre-
dicament, when he was made commo-
dore to succeed Commodore Quacllan-
bush. who was dismissed and after