The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-01-29
"The Shadow on the Navy"

we are indebted to the same indus
trious deliver for the following remarks,
suggestions and comments with which
it embellishes the facl that certain pro-
gressive and patriotic people in Geor-
gia would be glad to see n monument
erected to perpetuate the name and
memory Of the gallant officer who was
Dewey's flag lieutenant:
The Atlanta Constitution has called
for subscriptions for a monument to the
late Thomas Brumby. Of Georgia. Dew
ey's flag lieutcnaat IT Manila. We sim
cerely trust that the present generation
will see 70 erected Meanwhile. we call
our contemporary attention to certain
facts that bear upon its undertaking.
Because of the spanish war rewards
are due TO many men Of the navy. living
as well as dead. Dut no supporter Of Rear
Admiral Schley Ike our friend The Con
sutution. can put forth an appeal in be-
half of any officer. be he the bravest and
most irrcproachaAla that ever served his
country. without these revolving Quos-
tious forcing them elves into the mind.
us there no record against the candi-
date for honCrs tHat shows him 70 be.
Ike Schlcy. uuwor hy 81 an officers uni
roru2 is there no evidence Of his per-
sonal dishonesty? Is there nothing 20
show him guilty ~ conduct unbccoming
an officer ana gentemau2 Does there
not apply to him the crushing cOndemnN-
ton expressed unanimously to the presi-
dent by thc COMMANDERS 81 the fleet with
which Schls ~ as associated. told Of in
,he foi.owi7 or 3.apa.ef from Wash
There was general uuar.Hity OF opinion that
where charges ~ repfeaeuslhie conduct sJood
on tho record agaI nst an o6tcer, there should be
no such reward for him until be snoula nave
asked Tor an inquiry. or until they were ex-
riaiuod. as this would be Injurious to the ser
vice.
Does The Constitution not know that
ga unfolding Sch.ey, to whom IN tho opin-
irn of his brother officers reward in
existing circums tances would DO lnJu-
rious 10 the service" lt raises the Ques-
zion of desert i4 regard to every man
for whom 4 asks distinction, even though
that man be the honorable and gallant
Erumby?
our contemporary ana its friends or
the Schlcv press are doing more Ihey
ara throuph their championship Of an
unworthy officer aud dishonest man. put
ting upon the entire naval service OF lhe
United States suspicion ana huulllaIlon
such as afilicls no other service III the
a lavorite phrase 81 schley's is that
the battle Of Sautiato silhe1,, ,5IotS
over the service IN which an officer with
SchIcy's dlshunorabie record wears us
uniform
We print the foregoing. not for the
pUruose OF gOiue into any extended re-
view of The remarkable controversy
that has arisen over the efforts OF a
cabal i'm the naval department to wreck
tho reputation Of q gallant officer
but 10 give our readers an exhibition
of the methods that are resOrted 10 by
those who serve the Sampson faction.
In The comments Of Tho sun the scope
and animus of the whole conspiracy
stand revealed in all their nakedness.
The small part The Constitution has
taken in this unfortunate controversy
is based on no prejudice in favor OF
Schley and on no animus against
Sampson, but on a patriotic desire to
serve the interests of the country by
an effort to save the navy from the dis
grace which the cabal in the navy de-
rartmont has inflicted on it. The ca
bal first showed It's hand by the pro-
motion of Sampson to command over
officers who were equally as gallant
and who had been longer in active SER
vice. We do not say that Sampson
did not deserve 10 be promoted; we
simply say that there were others
equally us OtStlk Ing, NuOSc Iduh
should have been considered.
This promotion attracted no crlti-
cism so far as The Constitution was
concerned. Ii was somewhat surpris-
ing. considering The traditions OF the
service, but we felt, at the time, that
the officials of the department We're
acting for the best, without regard
TO persons. 1t was only after the ma,
val battle of Santiago had been fought
and won by Schley and the captains
under him that the country began to
open its eyes to the real situation. The
eye-oDener was the report which Samp-
son wrote and sent TO the navy depart
ment. That report stands on the rec
ord today, and if we remember correct
ly, the only naval officer mentioned
therein by name is the captain OF the
New York, who, being with Sampson,
was not in the battle at all!
chat report made it impossible for
the people TO make hero of Sampson.
The fact that he was not personally
in the engagement has no bearing
whatever on the judgment of the pub
lie. II he had written such a report
as we know Dewey would have writ
ten under similar circumstances-if
he had written, on larger lines, such
\ report as Schley made to him-he
would have been the hero of the affair.
Men are not heroes because they are
courageous and accomplished. Some of
the biggest blackguards in the history
have been as courageous as Bayard and
as accomplished as a college professor.
To be q hero, a man must not only