The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-16
THE SCHLEY "PERSECUTIoN."
MEMBERS OF 1T PREDICT THE AID
MIRAL's DOWNFALL.

Assert That Court of Inquiry is n
SchIey and That They Have No
Fear of the Result-The Attitude
of Dewey and His Associates Does
Not Bear Them Out, However.
Members of Congress Are Indig-
nant at the Naval Scandal and n
Congressional Investigation is Az
most Certain.
Washington. Oct. 15.-In view of the
developments thus far brought out by
the Schley court of inquiry, it will
doubtless surprise the average fair
minded citizen to learn that prominent
naval officers. directly interested in the
persecution" of Rear Admiral Schley,
have been heard to remark;
1.-THE charges against Schley will be
sustained. Notwithstanding the show
ing. 1t is a one-man court antagonistic
to Schley, and we are not the least dis
turbed as to the final result"
Now, while such remarks may not
have the slightest foundation except
in the biased imagination of some blind
follower of the Crowninshield combina-
ton, it is, nevertheless, a serious allie
cation against the honor, integrity and
intelligence of Admiral Dewey and his
associates on the court, Rear Admirals
Benham and Ramsay.
Prejudice of Long Standing.
PnhliN &c In
the narrow minded jealousies which
are known to exist in the navy as well
as in the army. There is no disputing
the fact that there is a strong preju-
dice against Schley among naval Off
GERS generally. 1t existed long before
the Spanish American war. and but
for the fact that chance Qt may be-
made him the recognized hero of the
battle of Santiago. the searchlight OF
a naval court of inquiry would
not have been turned on Schley. IT,
however, the naval friends of Sampson
on duty in the Navy Department, are
correct in their forecast of the deci-
sion, or findings of the Dewey court, it
| is more than probable that Congress
| will take a hand in showing up the
| true inwardness of the Sampson
| Schley controversy.
During the past two weeks many
senators and representatives. have dur
! ing their Visitat lions to the White
| House INDUCED in strong comments
on the naval scandal and the deliber-
ate and semi-official attempt to black
en- the record of Schley and at the same
time discredit Congress for having
! Joined the late President Mckinley in
| promoting Schley and other naval Of
ficers for their brilliant victory al
Santiago.
The InsinuatiOn Unjustifled.
Those who have been regular in theil
| attendance upon the sessions of the
court and who are personally &C
quainted with at least two members
| of the court, Dewey and Ramsay, de
not credit for an instant the insinua
| tion originating in the Navy Depart
ment that it is "a one man cour
against Schley." Admiral Dewey hai
won the admiration of all present b!
his fair and impartial rulings anC
many of the questions he has pro
pounded to witnesses indicated that h
proposed to consider facts and discart
idle theories and impressions, whicl
showed a decided bias.
Much to the discontinue and cha
grin of the Sampsonites, their ow
witnesses have fully convinced nine
tenths of the American people tina
accusations against Schley ar
not sustained. 1t has been demonstrat
cd by testimony drawn reluctantl
from witnesses of the persecution,
that either by design or accident, i'm
portant information which Schley. q
commander of the flying squadron
should have had off the southern coas
of Cuba, was kept from him. The sec
ond charge, upon which the "persecu
ton rested so heavily, the Brook
lyn's famous loop" has been practical
ly abandoned, because il was a clea
case cf theory kicked to death b.
stubborn facts. Common sense an
the conditions then existing, as ex
planned by the prosecutions" owl
witnesses. has convinced naval expert
ami laymen that the loop" instead o
being an act of cowardice. was a STRAIT
egic move which could not have bee
avoided without blanketing almost cv
cry American ship in the battle. HOY
much stronger tlsh case will be mad
when Schley's witnesses come upo
he 60. Nd n ha daua1nnnd