The Washington times., 1901-08-08
A Hint to Admiral SchIey.

v.
It is fair presumption that Rear Ad.
mtral Schley fully understands the
gravity of the task before him, and, in
cidentally to it, the patriotic duty he is
expected to perform in unmasking a
number Of backbiters. liars, and all
around rascals who are blistering dis
grace to the naval service and the coun-
try. 1t is not so much how he is to
come out of the inquest that interests
the American people at this juncture.
They are not afraid that anything unto
ward viii happen to the victor of San
/ tiago. But what they particularly want
and hope for is complete exposure of
/ the conspiracy in the Navy Department
/ to falsify the facts of the great naval
campaign in the West Indies. and TO
give the chronic absentee, Sampson,
| credit for winning a battle he never
| saw.
| 1t viii require the most talented,
! skillful. and adroit counsel to bring the
truth out of witnesses, some of whom
| will be unwilling. and even mendacious
! as far as they dare 1t is of supreme
Importance to the cause Of justice and
/ decency that the people who handle
1 Rear Admiral Schley's case before the
/ court shall be lawyers of the highest
I class. They win have to meet and over
/ come every obstacle that the ingenuity
of the Navigation Bureau ring is cap
able of throwing in their path Prac-
ticalIy they win be fought at every step
by the whole power and influence of the
Administra ton, which is determined to
, undo SchIey and glorify the creature
Sampson rather than confess that its
course in connection with the Sampson
scandal has been wrong and wicked
The report that Vice President Roose-
welt is to be called to testify concerning
his knowledge Of the rotten and unsea-
worthy condition of the collier Merri-
mac, from which the department con-
spirators declare Commodore Schley
should have coaled in d heavy sea. sug-
gests the fund of information that a
really great cross-examiner might de-
velop from such a witness. When the
Government bought the Merrimac, the
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt was Assistant
Secretary of the Navy. Before he re-
signed that Office to enter the volunteer
service. it is said that he received a full
report which detailed the outrageous
character of the old hulk which had
been unloaded on the nation a a cost of
four hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars, when the useless bottom was in
fact hardly worth breaking up for what
nails and scrap iron could have been
gotten out of it 1t Is altogether prob
able that the report in question has dis
appeared from the department files.
The same spirit that led to the destruc-
ton of the tell-tale collier might also
assist in the suppression of an incrimi-
mating document. But Mr. Roosevelt
probably remembers enough of what
the paper contained to considerably
illuminate the country in respect of its
subject matter. Ry all means he should
be closely questioned, not only as to the
report, but as TO what he knows about
the sale Of the craft To the Government
1t was his habit while 5 assistant Secre-
tary to display what the Administration
considered pernicious activity in inyes-
tgatlng Such matters, and probably he
could tell who It was that negotiated
the deal. and whether or not more than
fifty thousand dollars Of the purchase
money ever found its way into the
pockets of the vender. 4 great deal Of
public interest attaches to such ques-
tions, and if counsel are bright and
alert the piilory which Sampson and
- IL
Rear Admiral Schley will be occupied
by their unpleasant persons early in the
proceedings. and continuously thereaf-
ter to the joy Of every right-minded cit
izea of this Republic.