The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-24
A Plea III Abatement.

1t really seems to be high time that
Hohson, the naval nuisance, should be
abated Once, this erratic junior seemed
to deserve we'll of his country. We have
doubts, based upon the record, but he is
entitled to every one of them. Take him
at his own. and Simpsons, estimate,
never in the history of mankind has a
young man destroyed the effect of a good
action by showing himself such an sdjec
lively hopeless fool as Hobson has.
We should certainly refrain from digni-
flying him with notice in these columns
were it not necessary to refer to him in
connection with matter important to
the discipline and honor of the navy. All
intelligent Americans know how care
fully our naval service is guarded by its
intelligent and gallant members from
scandal, and from determination in the
foul political .conspiracies of the day.
But the erratic and oscuIatory Hobson
seems to regard himself, like Napoleon,
as "a man apart" He appears to fancy
that he Will be acquitted of professional
error and indecency, where his brother
officers would be held up to criticism and
j.
on account of his failure to at once sink
a naval scandal, in the Merrimac, and to
get that evidence of Administra ton ras-
caIity across the ehannefef Santiago Bay,
assumes that he has won the right to be
regarded as at once the critic and the
arbiter elegantiarum OF the service.
Following out this exalted estimation Of
his ability. service, and prestige, the Ad-
niraI of the Navy must take off his hat
TO this Admirable Criehton. It is Hobson
who for the first time tells the country
that Dewey did not sink the fleet of Mon
toto in Manila Bay, but that the Spanish
admiral, DESTROYS of avoiding trouble
sunk them himself. Having heroically
disposed of one great naval victory Of the
Spanish war, this exalted individual pro-
ceeds to settle the sea fight of Santiago to
his own satisfaction, which, we may lie
allowed to say, is not in accordance with
the nearly universal verdict of the coun-
try.
Eobson is represented asserting in
his speeches in Alabama and elsewhere,
in which he endeavored to show his per-
sonal gratitude to Admiral Sampson by
taking the side of that person against facts
and history, that the person most IA
nous in our Naval annals for his alb
sence from the scene of Admiral Schley' S
great naval victory, is dying of a Ecut
heart" because the American people are
unwilling to bestow the laurels of the bat
tie upon the man who was not within
twenty miles of 1t. But this is incense
quentiaI The truth OF the sea fight OF
Santiago is common property. The case
is res adiudicata, and the digestive OF
other organic ailments which have de-
seconded upon Sampson, either as result
of the universal national decision or other
is not an issue.
real question is whether junior
officer shall be allowed to slash
ID the country. in a manner preju-
al to good order and discipline. and
licly put the acts of his superiors
ough the fiery furnace of his superior
tticism. Hobson's assertion that he does
,His sort of thing with the full and per-
sonaily conveyed permission of the Presi-
dent and Secretary Long, is rather too
much for belief. It is disgraceful either
TO him to them, and we shall expect
the latter TO deny it,
AS TO whether the American people have
dealt fairly with Sampson or not, in the
matter of his claiming a victory won by
another man. history will decide. Since