The Tucson citizen., 1901-12-23
ROOSEVELT AND SChLEY.

the historian of the Navy, and 1t is
now in order for President Roosevelt
10 call for the resignation Of Secretary
Long. 1t is an afront 10 the people
that Maclay should be permitted to
resign. 1t was the duty of the adj
ministration to kick him out without
ceremony Macay has been carried
on the pay rolls Of the Navy Depart
ment as "a laborer The office he held
was mere sinecure. his real duties
being 10 biacken he Character OF Ad-
miral schley.
1t is now nearly six months since
the controversy regarding the battle
of Santiago harbor was reopened by
the publication OF a naval history
ular verdict as to the respective
merits OF Schley and Sampson During
the entire lamentaDle contention tho
suspicion that the real hero OF the
memorable naval action on Santiago
was to be deprived of his well-earned
lanrels as the result of Official ia
voritsm, gained general credence. The
records and the testimony show that
Schley bore the hrunt OF the battle
valor of his action and the brllIiancy
OF his strategy Either because OF
the fact that he Is an out spoken
Democrat In politics, or in consequence
OF Simpsons superior influence In the
Navy Department, it soon became ap-
parent that Sampson was destined by
the Navy Department to wear the
laurels OF victory. Then. ever on the
alert to guard against injustice, the
people spoke, aud SchIey was ac-
corded the consideration which he had
won.
The case. however. was reopened by
the Navy Department clique with tht
apparent purpose of reversing the YER
diet OF the Nation. This was made
manifest when the third volume OF
his history of the Navy was published
- Maclay This work was made an
official text book at the Naval Academy
at Annapolis by the Navy Department
officials. In the last volume of the
book Maclay impugnB the courage
and ability OF Schley with
bitterness and acrimony that con-
vineed people that his WORK was
partisan diatribe and not history. II
has been asserted by Maciay, and
never denied. that Admirals Samp-
son and Crownlnshield and Secretary
Long read and approved the proof
sheets of his book has approval of
the work by Long and the Navy De
partment officials meant that the gal
liant officer whose ship courted the
destructive fire of the Spanish fleet
was to go down to history as an arrant
coward and pretender. 1t meant that
no American naval officer who does
not court the special favor OF naval
politicians can ever be sure Of reCog~
milton even for the most valiant serv-
ice There Is not a doubt that the
historian" went to his task with the
deliberate intention OF defamlng the
character of Admiral Schley. Let the
following quotation suI1lce to show the
spirit of the work:
In his report about the coal supply
of the vessels under his command
Schley exhibited either a timidlty
amounting to absolute cowardlce or
prevarication o, facts that were in
trinsically falsehoods. SchIey turned
IN caitlf flight from the canger spot
toward which 0uty, honor ana the
who.e American people were most
earnestly urging him. Viewed in what
ever light ii may be. the foregoing
dispatch cannot be characterized
otherwise than as being. without ex-
ception, the most hnmiliating. coward
ly ana lamentable report ever pcnnod
by an American naval officer
DO the American people indorse the
above sentiments? They were reau and
approved by Sampson Crowinshield
and Secretary Long before they were
placed between the permanent covers
OF book. 1t shows that the Govern
ment attempted to officially poison
posterlty against one Of the most ad-
mirable characters connected with the
American military service.
1t Is to be presumed that the de-
mand made on Saturday for Maclay's
resignation means that the admin
istration no longer stands sponsor for
his work. Put that will not satisfy
the people. Maclay was never but a
hired underling. a puny atom. In the
infamous conspiracy The men res