The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1901-09-07
THE sCHLEY CONSPIRACY

American people understand the silua
ton, or rather are thoroughly acquaint
ed with the conditions that surround th,
examination TO be had as TO the de-
pertinent Of the commander Of th,
Brooklyn at the Santiago fight In which
Admiral Cervera 10 the picked vessels
Of the Spanish navy. 1t is rs plain to
be seen as is IN u~nobscGred mid-sum-
mer sun that the coming trial, SO called,
is To be ca Payfs and that the verdict,
in the mInds of the conspirators who
are determined, II possible, to blur the
spotless reputation of the great naval
hero. is already made up.
No matter, however, what the find
ings of the court of inquiry may be,
Admiral Schley has the consolation Of
knowing that the masses of hts u
trymen are not overly gullible and that
they are quick TO resent the act of any
man or set Of men that tends toward
persecution. While The biased aud
over Jealous admirers of Admiral Samp-
son are explaining ''loops" aud other
naval maneuvers and philosophislng
AS to how Cervers's ships might other
wise have been destroyed, the bald fact
remains that Schley did the work, thus
changing what might have been into
what really was. All naval attaches
who have not axes to grind or who do
not fear to tell the truth lest the official
guilotine be applied, speak u 10
praise OF Schley's work at Santiago,
Admirsl Cervera himself having added
a strong endorsement sometime sit.ce
nt the courage aud sea-tghting ability
displayed GU the occasion In question
by the man whom Sampson aud his
co-conspirators would smirch. Ignoring
a small ring OF naVa. lights who have
their being ia an around Washington
immediately under the r~epu6licapized
infiasnce Of the naval department aud
passing for taught the man Maclay
who tossed truth and dignity to The
wind aud became IA common BLACKBOARD
10 discussing the Santiago tight, from
epIlauted admiral TO The commuuest at
Lache OF a warship, all commend
Schley and say hts conduct now severe
ly criticised by Interested enemies
could not have been improved upon.
The latest witness TO testify to the
admirable conduct Of the now much
prosecuted democratic naval belo Is
Marshal b. 0'Connor VINO up to a few
few days ago was Il naval machlnist.
OCOnnUr wao on the Oregon during
the Santiago tight. He received bis
discharge at San Francisco a few DAYS
ago and consequently feels tree to talk.
While en- route 10 his home at Memphis,
Tenn, be SAID:
''Capt. Forsyth was right in decIar-
ing that the promotion OF Samuson
over men who oulrauked him is re-
sponsible for The present trouble. That
~ the irst place was all wrong. Samp-
son was only u captain when he was
made rear admiral, while Schley was a
commodore il wasn't "a move that
could be expected to leave everyone
concerned satisfied.
personally | can't see how Samp.
son could reasonably take credit for
The victory at Santiago. He didn't
arrive on The scene until after the vic.
tory was won. Schley was the man
who directed the attack, and canse.
qnentiy the officer who should have the
credit. Practically all the LADS who
'ook part in the battle feel the same
way We are all proud to think that
we had n hand In it, and feel that there
WAS SO much glory that everyone should
have a shaie.
1.-The ORGAN took orders from the
BROOKLYN as, Of course, all the othe,
vessels Of the fleet did. We chased
ihe Crislobal Colon, the largest OF
Cervera's ships, and what happened TO
the vessels as IA result Of our chase is a
matter of history. The attack was
directed and executed in an admirable
manner. II 1t hadn't been the victory