Hutchinson gazette., 1899-01-26
NAVALCONTROVERSY
eDiscusses tho Relative Nor
It's OF Sampson and schley.
EACH COMMANDER HIGHLY LAUDED.
Tho Question Of Precedence I'm Pro'
motion MadO the occasion for
n Regular Field In
the senate.

Washington, January 2A.-The en-
tire executive session OF the senate
TODAY was devoted wholly to the dis
cussfon Of the promotion OF Admirala
Sampson and Schley and other naval
officers engaged in the Santiago cam
paign, over the heads OF officers who
were their superiors In rank. The
controversy was then postponed for
twenty days, after o vote had been
taken TO call for the records OF the
navy department. bearing upon The
conduct OF all affected by the ad'
vancement.
The discussion arose over the reso'
lutlon, OF which Senator Butler was
the author, calling for these decu,
meri originally offered, II asked
COR the advancement,
out the resolui IL was modified so as
10 request the record only. The first
vote on a motion made by Senator
Hale TO lay the resolution on the ta-
bic, and on this the ayes and noes
were taken, resulting: Ayes, "; noes,
85. The resolution was then allowed
TO pass without further division.
For three hours previous to this,
however, the senate had been engaged
I'm n very animated verbal battle
which involved many intricacies and
was participated in by a large num-
ber OF senator's. The main contests
were, first, over the general policy OF
promoting these officers over others
who were characterized as quite as
deserving though less fortunate, in
that they were deprived OF such ac'
tive participation in the war, and,
second, as to the relative merits OF
Sampson and Schley.
Senators German and Wellington,
OF Maryland, one Republican and
the other o. Democrat, united In n
fierce attack upon the navy depart
menb for favoring Sampson over
Schley, while Senators lindsay, Petit
grew, Perkins and Money attacked
The whole system Of promotion as "a
species of favorltlsm which was not
warranted by the facts" The method
Of the administration was defended
by Messrs. Hale, Chandler and Lodge.
Senator Wellington was especially
Jealous in his advocacy OF the claims
OF Admiral Schley and in his presen-
taton Of reasons why Admiral Samp-
son should not be preferred over him,
and both he and his Democratic col
league Mr.. Gornan, made The state
ment that II the official papers were
ordered they would demonstrate be-
yond possible question the fact that
Schley and not Sampson fought the
battle Off Santiago. They contended
bhalt. with Sampson ten miles away,
he could not be accredited construc-
tively with having command of the
feet 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 govern
ment at Washington. Senator Lind
say found much in the promotion OF
both Schley and Sampson over Com
modore Watson to condemn them. He
took occasion to praise Watson as n
man who undoubtedly would haye
made q fine record In the war VI given
the opportunity The should have had
as a senior officer, and said That to
deprive him OF Mis- rightful rank be-
cause other men were pressed 10 tho
front and given The posts OF honor
was in every way unfair and unwor-
thy Of great country. Senator Per-
'lbins, Senator Plott, 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 II might decide for itself as to
the merits OF the men so signally fa-
yored compared 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 preterring the man who was i'm
command of the feet They depre-
cubed the opening up of controversy
which Senator Chandler said might
Ncad 10 a condition which might prove
az unsavory as that which the war
Investigating commission had develop
Cd in connection with the army beef
contracts. Senator Lodge Joined In
depioring this policy, and, owing to
Che fact tlkat ne had but recently in
che interest OF private research made
nm exhaustive Investigation, he was
enabled to throw much light upon the
controversy In behalf OF the conten-
tion that the controversy should not
be stirred.
During the presentation OF this side
much was said in uphoiding the
claims Of Sampson in preference To
those Of Bchley, and the friends OF
che latter Officer were warned tl'pt