Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-12-27
NO. 80.
THE SCHLEY VERDICT.

The following article, from the pen of DR..
Delos Walker, of Oklahoma City, written for
the Oklahoman, is one of the best things we
have seen on the subject, and we reproduce it
in full:
To the Editor of the Oklahoman.
Two of the naval board decide against Schley.
That is what they were appointed for. Those
who furnished McClay, the historian of the
navy, soft place while he wrote that Schley
was coward, cared for him after he had so
written, and endorsed the manuscript which
contained the SANDER, did not want fair trial
or an honest report. Those who, through a
want of the honor which cheracterizes brave
men, included in the first appointment one who
had blurted his enmity to Schley all over the
land, did not wish fair play. Any ordinary
scoundrels would have avoided an outrage so
loud and rank
Schley may have made mistakes. All people
do. No man would sail, or march, or anchor,
fight, or build the second time Just as he did
the first.
When the battle is over and the smoke has
cleared away, novice can tell where great
commander of fleet or army has failed.
In the hour of battle much that lay beyond
the red line of war was conjecture; later, in the
searchlight of history, the captains well as
the critics, see "what might nave been." In
the language of Artemus Ward:--"If mans
foresight was as good as his hind sight, many
mistakes would be avoided.'
Strong, manly men recognize these things
with charity, knowing that "to err is human"
The weak and pussillanimous pounce upon
and mar the purest life or most worthy page of
history. Envy has always done this, but has
generally delayed little
Those drawingroom heroes who knew more
about war than Grant or Lee had the caution
to wait until those chieftains were dead before
they came before the public aud ''admj!tcd that
those great captains had made many grievous
blunders in war;"
Not so with these modern carpet-knights of
the empire: For commercial administration,
where railroad presidents are quartermaster
generals, where presidents of plate glass trusts
are secretaries of the interior, and where attor-
ney for the steel trust and attorney general are
synonymous titles must realize at once. So
they undertook to knife Schley to the heart
while yet the air was vocal with cheers of the
millions because of his mighty victory. ellis
victory!" so Admiral Dewey says. And his
say should count against the conspiracy of the
society pimps of the seaboard brothels His
victory! Sampson was not there. SIMPSONS
absence may have been dental; if so, Pm
in favor OF accidents. 1t may have been prov-
dental; if so, I'm for providence for Prov-
deuce did no better thing along about that time
than to run that stilted ass over into other SEAS
while real man, typical American tar,
fought the battle of Santiago and covered him
self aud our navy with immortal honors.
Maybe Commodore Schley disobeyed orders.
Some retired commodore says that if Farragut
and Porter had not disobeyed orders, they never
would have been heard of.
Maj. C1oghan disobeyed orders at Ft. Steven
son. in the war OF 1872, and as result he was
at once made lieutenant colonel.
Concluded on editorial page.]