The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-02-25
sampson on Naval Aristocracy.

The case Of Gunner Morgan. who is seek
ing promotion 10 an ensigncy in the navy
under the Personnel law which allows the
Secretary Of the Navy TO give commits
sioRs 10 six gunners, serves 10 Hiustrate
the peculiarly undemocratic attitude of
Rear Admiral Sampson and his little fol-
lowing TO every man who IS not : graduate
of Annapolis
Gunner Charles Morgan recently ad-
dressed Rear Admiral Sampson in a modest
and Well-Written letter. asking the latter
10 recommend him TO the department for
promotion It will be remembered that
this young warrant officer was in charge
Of the divers who inspected the hull Of the
Maine after the disaster in Havana Har-
bor7 and it was largely due to his shrewd
investigations that the point was settled
that the battleship was blown up from the
outside by a Spanish torpedo.
It is Just possible that helping 10 con
clusion which the Administration very
much wished 70 avoid, may have calculated
the feelings Of Sampson toward the zeal
Gus Morgan; but we need not stop TO dis
cuss that. il view OF the direct point made
b. the admiral. that there is no way to
get gentlemen into the navy except by way
OF the Naval Academy. all others being
possibly good enough In their way, but not
Of the blood which Is blue Sacapson can
not recommend any other sort of psrsoz
for advancement: because. as he puts it in
his neat and concise way:
<4Ehle Il Is true that these men are selected
from large class u men Of very unusual ability
#G-srr-
ELoIdI equals OF their officers as far a. their
technical education stands 1t j. also tine that
they are recruited from class Of men who
have not had the social advantages that are 4
requisite Tor commissioned officer
1T Is submitted that in time Of peace tine
TlsvE's function consists. to q certain extent
ii reareseu-IEg the country abroad and II Is i'm
Pe-lant that the Nays representative should be
men u al least refinement While there are per
laps 4 certain few among the warrant officers
who could fulfil this requirement I am Of the
opinion that the E4st majority Of them could
not
once they are commissioned they ggiH have the
same social standing As other Officers and no dis
function properly could be made IN extending gen
Gral invitations The CONSEQUENCES thar vgulJ
arise from Their acceptance might not rebound
% the credit Of tAe navy the country which
the navy represents
Hence. Rear admiral Sampson expresses
the earnest hope that 8Ir Long may not
feel himself called upon 10 use the au-
thority vested il him BY Congress 10 pro-
mote gunners. but. on the contrary. insist
upon keeping them in the humble position
they occupy without hope Of the honor
OF commissions
Supposedly. there never was as great a
man as Sampson. either in or outside Of
the navy, and Of course what he says
ought 10 end the matter. But. in some
way or other. we seem % recall several
people Of greater or less usefulness IN the
service. who came into It through the
hawsehoIe. AID were not born TO any more
purple than was Sampson originally. II
we are not greatly mistaken John Paul
Jones. John Lawrence, Oliver Hazard
Perry. Stephen Deca UT, and David G. Far
ragut we're men Of this order. and not
graduates from Annapolis We're they Iy-
ing today. Sampson beyond question would
write Of them as he is quoted as having
written Of Gunner Morgan:
Unfortunately for them. they have been de-
Pi'Fed q certain natural advantages and in con-
sequence their proper place Is that OF leading
men among tEE crew. and not as rerlreseHtztiges
o. the country IN the wsrdroon and Storage
Rear Admiral Sampson evidently writes
81 the strength Of deep conviction. He is