Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-01-24
Senate Handles Very TickIish
Question Without Gloves.
SAMPSON, SCnLEY, WHICH 2
question as Co which Of the Two
should Receive Promotion RE-
garding the Naval battle.

doNOttu MnnltA 10 the ulAfutfiNh "
the promotion OF Admirals sampaon
aud schlcy ana other naval officers
engaged In the Santiago campaign. over
the heads OF officers who were their
supcriors IN rank. The controversy
was then postponed FOR twenty days.
after vote had boon taken to call
for the records Of the navy depart
mcnt bearing upon the conduct OF all
affected By the advancement.
The discussion arose over the reso-
luton. of which senator Butler was the
author. calling for these documents.
As originally offered. It asked Tor the
reasons for the advancement. but the
rveolntlon was modified 10 ~ To ~.
quest the record only. The first vote
was on IA motion made by senator Hale
to lay the resolution on the table ana
on this the ayes and noes were taken,
resulting; Ayes. q, noes. 10. TIE
resolution was then allowed TO pass
without further division.
For three hours previous TO TINS,
however. the Senate had been engaged
In very animated verbal battle.
which involved many intrlcaclcH, ana
was participated In by IA large num-
Der Of senators. The main contests
were nrHt over the general policy of
promoting these officers over otherr.
who were characterized ar quito as
deserving, though less fortunate. Ia
that they were deprived uf such active
participation IN the war, ana second. ns
10 the relative merits OF Sampson ana
schicy.
The method of the administration
was defended by McaHrs. Hale, chnnd-
Ter and Lodge.
senator Wellington was especially
jealous IN his advocacy OF the claims
OF Admiral Schiry. and In his prcscntns
tlon uf reasons why Admiral Sampson
should not b. preferred over Schley,
he aud his Democratic colleague. MI.
German. made the statement that II
the official papers were ordered, they
would demonstrate beyond n possible
question the fact that Schlcy and not
Sampson. fought thu battle OF Santiago.
They contendcd that with sampson ten
miles away he could not be accredited
conniructiycly with having command of
the flcet on the memornbly day when
the Spanish vessels were sent 10 the
bottom. ON the contrary. they held
that AChlcy was ON the ground; he was
the senior officer. and that he was en-
gagged actively ana most effectively In
the conflict all the world knew. re-
rnrdlcsa Of the favorr ~ the govern
mcnt ut Washington.
senator Lindsay found much In the
promotion Of both Schiry and Snmp-
rnn over Commodore Watson To con-
demn. lie took occasion TO praise Wat
son 40 man who undoubtedly would
have made fine record In the war II
given the opportunity he should have
had NJ senior officer. and rnid that
to deprive him OF his rlrhtful rank.
other men were pressed tO the front
and were given the posts OF honor was
IN cvery way unfair and unworthy or
u great country.
uF
Connecticut and senator Pcttlgrcw al
~ criticised the system rs one liable
In result In unfnlrncrH unless very
cautiously entered upon, agreeing that
at any rate the Senate should have tho
record. that u might decide for itself
na to the merits ~ the men 80 nignnlly
favored. compared with those who had
received none % the loavcE and fishes.
Senators Hale and Chandler both
members OF the naval committee. de-
Tended the action Of the navy depart.
ment. w giving preference 10 the men
who took upon themselves the brunt Of
the battle In Atlantic waters, ana In
prcferring the man who was In com-
mnnd of the ilect. They deprecated tho
opening up OF controversy which.
senator Chandler said. might lead TO
condition which might prove ~ un-
savory as that which tho war investi-
eating commission had developed In
tract.
senator Lodge Joined In deplorlng this
policy ana owning To the fact that hr
had but recently In the interest of
private rcrcurrh. made an exhaustive
investigation. ho was unable Ia throw
much Hight upon the controversy IL,
behalf of the contention thai the con.
troversy should not be stirred.
During the PRECIPITATION OF this slide
much was said IN upholdlng the claims
of Sampson In preference to those ~
fchley. and the friends of IN" latter
officer were wntned that n they In
sisted upon pressing the investigation
too closely, some facts would be- de-
veloped that would not De agreeable
To them.
The charge was made that schlcy
had voluntarily left Santiago after
reaching the Vicinity nf that port aud
after ccrvera had entered the harbor
nnd also the charge that when the
Spanish fleet had sailed out through
the nnrruw mouth Of the channel. Al.
mifnl tthcn Commodore Schley had
made "a reverse movement With the
Brooklyn and gone In a direction
opposite 10 that taken by the Spanish
squadron inHtcnd OF boldly attackinH
the enemy IN the beginning, II waf
INSERTED that these facts were among
those which the archives would reveal
The friends ~ Schley declare that
they had nothing Ia fear from having
all the fncts known, Explaining his
start 10 leave Santiago and his refusal
10 obey department orders before
hnmpfnn's nrrivnlthey said that II was
because he had been unable To coal NJ
sea, When they We're asked how II
had happened that he had been able
70 coat thlriy-HlN hours afterwards
they replied that this was due 90 thu
fact that storm had given place "a O
calm.
Senators Lindsay aud Pettlgrcw whC
We're not standing for either Sampson
or Suhley, made the point that thes,
developments had merely emphasized
the reasons why the Senate should b,
put In possession NJ all the facts be-
fore voting. II am not tho champion
of either OF these officers" said Mr.
Pettigrew. land II Schley ran away
rom the enemy, or showed a disposition
tn do 80. ! want 10 know IT,
After the decision 10 send Tor the rec
ordH was arrived at, there was n zen
erol understanding that tho who'll
matter should he postponed lOni
enough TO permit action by both house,
upon the naval cOmmittee'n bill, pro
vlding that these promotions 'shnl
not Interfere with the promotions NJ
officers otherwise entitled TO promo
lon.' The subsequent EFFORT ~ tn
senate In open session TO pass this bill
was the result ~ the agreement.
During the debate, the fact wal
drought out that capt. Higginoon o
we massachusetts had ALREADY beer
promoted 10 M NJ. Schley's place al
a.. ~ l..Ia a.