The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1899-01-27
A FIGHT OVER PROMOTIONS.
SENATORS DISCUSS MERITS OF
SCHLEY AND SAMPSON.
MUCH WARM TALK INDUCED IN.
'sampson's Friends Charge That schloy
Wanted to Keep Out of Corvera's
Way at Santiago.

A Washington special says: The en-
tire executive session of the senate
Monday was devoted wholly to the
discussion of the promotion of Adj
mirals Sampson and Schley and other
naval officers engaged in the Santiago
campaign over the heads of officers
who were their superiors in rank.
The controversy was then postponed
for twenty days after vote had been
taken to call for the records of the
navy department bearing upon the
conduct Of all affected by the advance
ment,
The discussion arose over the reso-
luton of which Senator Butler was
the author, calling for these docu-
ments. As originally offered it asked
for the reasons for the advancement,
but the resolution was modified so as
to request the record only. The reso-
luton was then allowed to pass with
out further division.
For three hours previous to this,
however, the senate had been engaged
in very animated battle, which in
volved many intricacies and was par
ticipated in by large number of sena-
tors.
The main contests were first over
the general policy of promoting these
officers over others who were charac-
terized as quite as deserving, though
less fortunate in that they were de-
prived of such active participation in
the war, and, second, as to the reIa-
tive merits of Sampson and Schley.
Senators German and Wellington, of
Maryland, one republican and the
other a democrat, united in fierce at
tack upon the navy department. for ia
yoring Sampson over Schley.
Senators Lindsay, Pettigrew, Per-
kins and Money attacked the whole
system of promotion as a "species of
favoritism which was not warranted
by the facts. I" The method of the adj
ministration was defended by Messrs.
Hale, Chandler and Lodge.
Senator Wellington was especially
jealous in his advocacy Of the claims
of Admiral Schley and his presenta-
ton of reasons why Admiral Sampson
should not be preferred over him.
He made the statement that if the
official papers were ordered they would
demonstrate beyond q possible ques-
ton the fact that Schley and not
Sampson fought the battle of Santi-
ago.
Senator Lindsay found much in the
promotion of both SchIey and Samp-
son over Commodore Watson to con-
denim.
The charge was made that Schley
had voluntarily left Santiago after
reaching the vicinity of that port, and
after Cervera had entered the harbor,
and also the charge that when the
Spanish fleet had sailed out through
the narrow mouth of the channel Ad-
miral (then COMMODORE Schley had
made reverse movement with the
Brooklyn and gone in direction OPP
posite to that taken by the Spanish
squadron instead of boldly attacking
the enemy in the beginning. It 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
having all the facts known. Explain
ing his start to leave Santiago and his
refusal to obey department orders be-
fore Simpsons arrival they said it
was because he had been unable to
coal at sea. When they were asked
how it had happened that they had
been able to coal thirty-six hours af-
forwards, they replied that this was
due to the fact that storm had given
place to calm.
Senators Lindsay and Pettigrew,
who were not standing for either Samp-
son or Schley, made the point that
these developments had merely en-
phasized the reasons why the senate
should be put into possession of all
the facts before the voting.
81 am not the champion of either of
these officers" said Mr.. Pettigrew,
land if Schley ran away from the
enemy or showed a disposition to do
so, want to know it. I"