The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-15
ALL ARE FOR SCHLEY
ST. PAULITES GENERALLY CON-
DENIM VERDICT OF COURT
OF INQUIRY
DEWEY's VOICE THE PEOPLES
Gov. Van SAINT, Mayor Smith and
Others Think SchIey En-
titled to Vindica-
ton.

From the common and vigorous ex-
preston of condemnation for the report
of the Schley court of inquiry heard on
every hand yesterday in this city, one
would have imagined that Admiral Schley
was a resident of st. Paul. There was
practically one sentiment in St. Paul,
unanimously in favor of Schley. 1t was
impossible to go into an office, store
or building of any kind without hear
ing the case vigorously discussed and
the decision of the majority of the court
OF inquiry most strenuously denounced.
Shame" Outrage" Disgrace" were
the expressions heard in reference to the
decision. Business men, usually quiet
and unconcerned as to what goes on in
the outside world, hared up into almost
Incorporate expression as they vented
their Indignation at what they considered
q "damnable injustice to brave and
faithful officer" as one of them put 1t.
1t was the topic of conversation every
where, and all the conversation was one
way. 1t would have been almost danger
Gus for a, man to have espoused the anti
Schley side of the argument. The gen.
eral feeling was that Dewey's opinion
would carry more weight than the conf
biped opinions of Benham and Ramsay.
A great many Of those who criticised the
decision, insisted that 1t was a put-up
job, and piece of navy department
Jealousy. OlH6IS, IOWSN0I, lOOh the View
that Benham and Ramsay were not in
a position to pass upon the case with
. the same justice and fairness that Dewey
was.
There was considerable criticism of a
Minneapolis paper which had insinuated
that Dewey was not honest in his opin-
ion, but was playing for popularity.
1.-THE editor of that paper says in effect
that the American people are chumps,
thew will Cpb1ay ON
well known state house official.
Dewey's Judgment Is Reliable.
Gov Van SAINT would not say much
concerninG~it, but he did say that Adj
miral Dewey's opinion was worth moro
than the opinion of the other two ad
mirals When 1t was suggested that
Benham and Ramsay had failed to con-
slider the difference between what might
have been done had all the facts been
known, and what should have been done
under the circumstances, with the few
known facts at that time, the governor
said: 1T is true that after a thing is
over we can see oftentimes where it
might have been done better, but in this
case I do not see how Sch1ey could well
have done any better than he did do.
He won the victory, and it was complete,
and without, a fluke. What more can be
demanded"
that the people would be so overwhelm-
ingly on the wrong side of a PROPOSE
ton, and it is a fact that the people are
with Schley thousand to one. Ihe peo-
PIE are not interested in the technical
question in this case. They are satisfied
to know that a great victory was won,
and that Schley won it, They do not care
whether or not he might have done this
thing better, or that thing better. He
performed his whole duty at the critical
moment and the people will not readily
approve the spectacle of a great COM
mander being practically court-martialed
for winning a great victory
A well known state senator sajd ''I do
not believe that the people will let the
matter rest here. Congress will be forced
to take it up. There can be no doubt
that in this case the voice of Dewey is
the voice of the people. So far as the
public of today is concerned the decision
cuts no figure. Before this inquiry few
people had heard of Benham and Ram
say. The necessity for complete vim
dication of Schley by congress is the
fact that fifty years hence the historian
will take his story from this opinion not
knowing what the public sentiment was
at this time