The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-10-23
THE NAVAL CONSPIRACY.
Obvious Attempts to Doctor Testimony
against schleY.

AS the testimony Of the navy depart
ment in the Sohley case approaches 3
termination the existence of vicious
conspiracy to rob the Santiago victor Of
his lsurals and to degrade his character
becomes more and more apparent. It's
ramiicstions can be traced.
The testimony Of the last few days
presents in egregious form the plans Of
the consrirators in the navy depart
ment. Their attempts to doctor testi-
mony and to make out case whether
CLIO against the distinguished "appli.
can't are witnesses of their part in the
unparalleled fraud which they conspired
to prepetrate sgainst the object Of their
enmity and against justice.
It is evident that the conspiracy ez.
tended far back Of the active DAYS Of
the Santiago campaign. The principal
means Of obtaining information, which
were possessed by even young aubordin-
ates on the minor vessels Of the feet,
were not intrus!ed to Admiral Schley,
who was in commsnd before Admiral
Sampson appeared on the scene. He
vas betrayed in advance.
The worst feature Of the conspiracy
is the evident fact that 30 many junior
officers were placed ss spies On the 7sri.
ous vessels to prepare testimony in
advance against the commanding officer.
At least such is the inevitable infer
ence from the testimony Of thess young
men who sWesr to statements which are
contradicted by their superiors, by the
logs Of the vessels on which they sailed
and by the official records.
It is all deplorsble and shameful.
There is nothing like it in history.
When these witnesses, scarcely out Of
boyhood, we're confronted with the
testimony of veteran officers whom they
had contrsdieted or with charts and re-
ports their impudent and Aippsnt an
ewe7s we're that ''he is wrong" or is
mistaken" OF that ''the chsrt is incor-
reot," OF that there must be a mis-
take in the log.
What will our navy be in the future
when these young c6cers advance by
promotion to commanding places? They
will ascend to the highest naval rank
with this vsnal training and with this
eorrupting example which is placed be-
fore them by their recent chiefs Of the
navy department. II they carr7 their
present teachings and practices into
the administration Of navy affairs in
ysars to oons they will establish re,
cord cf shame in place Of the present
record Of glory.
TIE corruption of the youth Of the
navy in making them false witnesses in
this case is worse than the mutilation
Of records, the omissions and forgeries
in the Official dispatches and the other
nalioiously false portions Of the testi-
mony already before the court. To
suborn witness who gives bis personal
testimony is worse crime than to pres
ent a forged record as testimony. A
new perjurer is created, which makes |
two perjurers-the suborned witness
and the agent by ghom he was suborn.
ed-in place Of a single psTjurer who
may present false record and swear
to its authenticity,
This make the employment Of the
young spies On the vessels and the per-
version Of their testimony under oath
the worst part Of the entire detessable
conspiracy against one Of the most ez-
emplary officers Of the American navy.
Congress alone can deal adequately
with this disgrscsful plot. It should
90 to the bottom Of the whole miserable
affair without unnecessary delay. The
American people cannot afford to have
naval esta5lishmens-shey certainly
cannot afford to take the awful risk Of
war-Ehile it is possible for comman-
der to be betrayed in the fscs Of the
enemy as Commodore Schley was in
the early days Ct the West Indian csm-
paign.-Chicsgo Chronicle.
ATFRTrANQ wEpE eUPpPTSEn