The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-10-22
At the Billings postot1ice a. Second
Glass Matter.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER %, 1901.
ITS RESULT.


The Scn1ey inquiry promises to be
productive of results much more far
whose actions compelled it ever
dreamed and who had they been able
to look into the future would probably
have hesittated long before allowing
their prejudice and petty enmity to
lead them to the extremes in hound
ing a good man that they did. Wash
ington dispatches say that the pres
ident is greatly concerned over the
disclosures which have been brought
out concerning the spying, insubordi-
nation, Reorganization and depart
ment politics which admissions of
officers examined have established as
existing in the naval branch of the
government. He is credited with the
desire to completely reform the de-
partment and do it in such a manner
as to convince the public and congress
of his sincerely in that respect and
if possible prevent a congressional
investigation, for the demand for
such an investigation is constantly
growing and comes from all parts of
the country.
Whether it has any basis of truth
for it's foundation is, of course, not
known. but a very cOrpulent rumor
is afoat at the national capital that
it is not an imposibility that Chand-
Ter may be called to again assume
the portfolio Of secretary of the navy,
to succeed Long, who to a certain eX-
tent is held as being responsible for
the deplorable conditions existing
in the department. Senators Lodge
and Frye and other close political
friends of the president are credited
with having already strongly urged
him to make a change. They give as
their ground for advising thusly that
Chandler is one of the few men in
the country who have the necessary
experience and courage to take up
and deal with the extraordinary con-
ditions that the present inquiry has
established as existing in the depart
ment, as already stated. Whether he
is of the same opinion as his advisors
concerning the peculiar fitness of
Chandler for the position of secretary
of the navy is not known, but accord
ing to all reports he is satisfied that
Long can be improved upon. In Sup
port of this the statement is made
that he will call for that gentleman's
resignation within a short time after
the conclusion of the Schley court
of inquiry, unless the secretary vol
UNFAIRLY resigns before that time.
Of course much of this is surmise and
much of it mere report, but the robust
honesty of the president and his we'll
known abhorance of everything
smacking of under handedness and du,
plicity, it may be taken for granted,
will not permit him to allow matters
to continue in their present condi.
ton and a general shaking up may
be looked for before much longer
He would not be true to himself and
the people if he failed to take cogniz
ance of all that has been brought on,
by the testimony adduced before the
court of inquiry and institute reforms
of the most sweeping and radical ma
ture. Department politics have
brought decentralization to one of tn
departments of the government which
has hitherto been supposed to be FREE
of such incubus and which the peopl,
of the nation have held in the highes
esteem because they believed it, abov'
all others, to e compose'
of men whose high sens
of honor and obligation to duty mad
it impossible for them to stoop to tn
depths of deceit, intrigue and dishon
esty of which many of them now stan
convicted before the nation.