The times., 1899-01-25
The Sampson Outrage.

President Mckinley is frequently quoted
as saying that he wishes to understand
the popular sentiment of the country on a
given question of policy. and then to act
in accordance with it. If that be his con-
slant and consistent attitude. what hap
pened in the executive session of the Sen
ate on Monday ought instantly to warn
him that the disgraceful plot against the
brave officer who destroyed Cervera s
squadron OFF Santiago, and in the interest
of nationally discredited department pet
who was absent on that occasion, will not
90 down with the American people, and
that nothing but more shame than now
covers his high office in the connection
can result from his further promotion or
federation OF what is VIGOROUSLY con-
temptible conspiracy in the Bureau OF
Navigation.
Mr. Mckinley may have been led to
consider the Senate a ''millionaire's club
upon which he could successfully use the
Administration club. If so, he will now
realize that it is a mistake to consider
that legislative body as impervious to the
universal opinion of the country. or to ex-
pcct it, as a matter of corrupt courtesy to
the Executive, 10 deliberately lend itself
TO the persecution of an American hero,
that an American fraud may wear his
laurels
Notwithstanding SIMPSONS mendacious
efforts TO reconstruct distances and to
give the lie to the commonest known
facts Of geography, no truth is more
thoroughly recognized by the American
people than the one that Sampson was
never within signaling distance of
Schley's squadron until the fight was won
and over They are completely aware, as
we'll. that not a vessel of SIMPSONS wing
of the feet was engaged; that Schley COM
manded and conducted the battle. and that
the issue was placed in unnecessary and
idiotic jeopardy by SIMPSONS insistence
that full fires should not be kept up in
the boilers of the vessels under Schley.
and that hence he was seriously, and it
might have been fatally. handicapped IN
his operations against the enemy.
Yet with all these things completely
within his knowledge, and the evidence
of Simpsons subsequent selfish perfidy
before him, Mr.. Mckinley has permitted
the unspaakabIe ring of the Navigation
Bureau to use him in promoting the man
who should have been court martialed
and broken for Grass inefficiency in
emascuiating the fighting power of
his fleet, and for afterward falsifying the
history OF the battle, over the head of his
senior in the service and the actual victor
in the engagement.
Does the President think he can afford
thus 10 fly in the face Of justice and the
angrily critical sentiment of the country.
Much has been trusted in him, and much
has been forgiven. Even today, with the
disgrace of Alger and his rotten beef at
tached TO him, and in spite of his strange
and suspicious adherence to the Sampson
conspiracy. the people want to-even long
! to-think well of him. But he may as well
| first as last, make up his mind that he
and his fellow -countrymen have nearly
! come to the parting of the ways. He viii
have TO wash himself free from the stains
| of Algerism in the army and SampsOnism
! in the navy or he will suddenly awake tC
! the consciousness that he has forfeited
American confidence, and, if that unhappy
period should ever arrive, he will know
| the bitterness of his predecessors sensa-
tions when that malign character one day
saw that. from being almost popular idol
| he had become thing of national eXecra
! iinn