The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-10-25
THE NAVAL Conspiracy,
Obvious Attempts to Doctor Testimony
Against sohleY. L,

3 y ID "a +.
Against HohlsY.
AS the testimony Of tho navy depart.
ment In tho Schley case approaches q
termination the existence Of vicious
conspiracy to rob tho Santiago victor Of
his laurels and to degrade his character
becomes moro and more apparent. Ita
ramifiostions can bo traced. ,s!s
The testimony Of the last fow days
presents in egrogtous form tho plans Of
the consrirators in the navy depart
ment. Thoig attempts to doctor testi.
mony and to make out case whether
or no against the distinguished "app!i.
csnt" arc witnesses Of thoir part in the
unparalleled fraud which they oonepirod
to prepstrato against the object Of their
enmity and against juetico. Isl
tbs evident that tho conspiracy OK.
tended far back Of tho aotivo deys Of
the Santiago campaign. The principal
means Of obtaining information, which
were possessed by oyen young nubordin-
atos on tho minor vessels Of tho feet.
woro not intrusted to Admiral Sohley.
who was in command before Admiral
Sampson appeared on tho aoepo. He
was betrayed in advance.
The worpt feature of the conspiracy
10 tho evident fact that 50 msny Junior
officers wcro plaoad as spies on the vari.
GUS vesBeIa to prepare testimony in
advance against the commanding offioer.
AT least suoh Is tho inevitable infer
enoe from tho testimony Of Chose young
mon who swear to statements which arc
contradictcd by their superioru, by tho
logs Of the vessels on which thoy sailed
aud by the official records.
1t is all deplorable and shameful.
There is nothing like it in history.
When those witnesses, scarcely out Of
boy hood, wero confronted With the
testimony OF veteran officers whons they
had contradiotod or with ohartn and re.
ports their impudent and fippant sn-
Bwors wore that "ho ia wrong or 'tis
mistaken" or that ''the chart is moor.
reot," or that ''there must be mid
take IN the log.
What will our navy bo In tho future
when those young o1fioorg advance By
promotion to commanding plaoes2 They
will ascend to the highest naval rsnk
with this venal training and with this
oorrupting example which is placed be-
fore then. By .hc!s ressr. chiefs CT the
navy department.. If they carry their
prosont teachings and practices into
tho administration Of navy affairs in
years to como they will establish a re.
cord Of shame in plaoo OF tho prosent
record Of glory.
Tho corruption Of the youth Of tho
navy in making them false witnesses in
this case is worso than tho mutilation
OF reoords, the omissions and forgeries
IN tho official dispatches and the othor
maiioiously falao portions Of the testi-
mony already before tho court. To
suborn witness who gives biz personal
testimony is worse crime than to proa ]
ent forged record as testimony. A
now perjurer is created, which makes
TWO porjurers-the suborned witness
and the agent by Hhom he was auborn-
ed-in plaoo of q single perjurer who
may present q falso record and swear
to it's authenticity. ~. &,
This make the employment Of tho
young spies on the vessels and the per-
version of their Testimony undoy oath
the worst part Of tho entire detestable
conspiracy against one Of the most ex.
emplary officers Of the American navy.
Congress alone can deal adequately
with this disgraoeful plot. It should
go to the bottom Of tho whole miserabl
affair without unnecessary delay. The
American rooplo cannot afford to have
. naval esteblishmont-thoy certainly
cannot afford to take the awful risk Of
war-while it is possible FOR oomman,
dor to bo betrayed in the fsoe Of the
enemy as Commodore Schloy was il
the early days Of tho West Indian oam
! paign. Ohioago Chronicle.