Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-16

est naval authorities in Wash ington that even ill play ing whist he plays altogether 10 win, and is ludicrously ignorant of the liter ature of the game. 1t is an actual fact that he has never read Hoyle You can see from Dewey's minority report how incapable he is of caring for anything ill q war except to win battles. That, to his contracted in- tellect, is everything.
 Nevertheless" urged the unscientl- lie reporter, .'Dewey awards to Schley the glory of having sunk the spanish fleet, which, after all, was the object for which our ships were at Santiago.
 Sunk the Spanish fleet r exclaimed the historian, dropping his hoe and be- ginning to shovel lime on to the nor tar pile furiously. Sunk the Span- ish fleet! Yes. sir; and for that Schley ought to be courtmartialled and shot What right had he to sink the Spanish fleet when the immortal Samp- son was away Didn't he know that he couldn't sink the Spanish fleet without at the same time sinking his superior officer Why didn't he wait until Sampson could get back and take command What was q mere Spanish fleet compared with Samp- sons interests as q hero The com monest sense of loyalty to his comman- der would have induced any decent man in Schley's place to refuse to pluck for himself the laurels that of right belonged to another. It was the act of d caitiff, q poltroon, coward r. 1ni1 nt to wait for Sampson.
 s'If Schley had done that" timidly suggested the reporter, the Spanish fleet would have got away.
 '.Well, and what then? demanded the greatest living historian, scattering hair on the mortar. What was q mere Spanish fleet in comparison with ,Sampson's fame? What has been the consequence of Schley's greedy, sell fish and base eagerless to get in and win renown for himself at the expense of q commander to whom he owed the duty of subordination? Would not the escape of the Spanish fleet have been a small price to pay for the health and reason of William T. Sampson. now a wreck in body and mind, pathetic sacrifice upon the al tar of the despicab1e Schley's insati- able ambition?
 .sSir," proceeded the greatest living historian, "Schley ruined Sampson, but justice is eternal. and he shall no more escape the penalty for sinking the Spanish fleet in his superior's absence than Dewey will evade the punishment he deserves for having indorsed that ungrateful, vain-glOrious and revolt ingly selfish deed Already you see him accused of playing politics, and we, i'll whose charge the fame of Samp- son rests, will take care that the vic tor of Manila, so-called, shall be blast ed ill reputation, as he ought to be. It was Schley alone until Friday last; now there are two upon whom official history-of which I have the honor to be the greatest living representative will direct it's stern and yengeful gaze -Schley and Dewey.
 ..Though I am of the philosophic mind," Historian NIaclay continued, re- stunning his hoe and labors, "I confess that the thought of this man Dewey, who's no better than a coarse pugilist of the another Schley-fills me-
 "Hey, there, Mac! Mortar! Mortar!''
 The voice, distant, but imperative, came from q bricl1layer up above, and MT Maclay, jumping for his bod and shovel, dismissed the reporter with a significant jerk of his thumb in the direction of the frowning foreman.