El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-27
The 6adflies After SChley.

PHILADELPHIA Times.
If the president and secretary of the
navy desire to command the respect Of
the nation they will stop the gadflies
who have been buZZing around Ad-
miral Schley ever since the battle of
Santiago. In all the newspaper dis
cussion that has been provoked under
what was presumed to be the desire of
the navy department. there has not
Admiral Schley from any responsible
source whatever.
True, Admiral Sampson in q report
written some time after the battle, and
suppressed for many months by the de-
partment. referred to some "reprehen-
sible conduct" of Admiral Scbley with
out indicating in any way wherein his
conduct had been worthy of reproach.
With the full knowledge of that state
sident sent Admiral Schley to Porto
Rico at the head of the evacuation
commission when he sent Admiral
Sampson to Cuba on q like mission; he
invited both of them as the represen-
tatives of the navy to the most import
ant state dinner of the adm nissrstion
to meet the peace commissioners, and
he nominated both to the senate for
promotion-frst nominating Sampson
as the senior of .Schley which the SEN
ata refused to confirm, and subsequent
ly nominating Schley as the senior of
Sampson which the senate unanimously
confirmed.
ALL these things were done by the
president land secretary of the navy
with the knowledge of everything that
the public has heard from the buzzing
gadHies, who have been engaged in
cowardly attempts to sting the hero
of Santiago in the dark
The latest phase of this gadfy cam
paign Games in an issue between Lieu
tenant Hodgson and Lieutenant
Heiluer, who were navigatOrs of two of
the vessels engaged in Santiago bat
tie. The Issue of veracity as between
them does not in any way affect Ad-
miral Schley. He did his duty; he
was the commander of the fleet; he
was in the most conspicuous position
of any commanding officer in the
battle: not a word of complaint
has come from any responsible source
as to his management of the Brooklyn
or of the fleet, and if the adminis.ra-
ton shall attempt to magnify the per
sonsl issue between two lieutep ants in
to an issue by which Admiral Schley is
to be put on defense before a court
chosen by unfriendly authority, the
country would almost as with one voice
protest against the suicidal attempt of
the bureaucratic naval power to de-
grade hero who is irrevocably en-
shrined in the hearts of the people.
Admiral Schley is the one prominent
commander of the Santiago battle who
has never uttered u word rejecting up
on any officer connected with the
squadron. He has never claimed spe-
cial credit for himself, as true heroes
never have occasion to do so. On the
contrary, he has given generous credit
to Sampson: credit far beyond his de-
serving, and he was the first man to
utter the patriotic sentiment, in re-
spouse to the cheers of his brave gun
ners, that the victory was due to the
men behind the guns"
Accident made him the commander
of the greatest naval achievement of
the worlds history. He fought the
enemy in closer quarters than any
other vessel of the fleet; his flagship
was struck more frequently by the
enemy's guns than all the other vessels
comb ined; he was first in the fight and
first in the finish, and his manly and
patriotic signal to his chief, who long
after the battle came within signaling
distance, was: "There is glory enough
for all of u.s." Against such hero
the gadflies of disappointment, of jeal-
Ousy and OF bureaucratic hatred must
buzz and sting in vain aud face the
contempt of the whole American peo-
pie.
FL 2aso Dairy comnanv. Telenhone