Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31
attisee1la1eous gsaaiug.
THE CASE AGAINST sCHLEY.
Looks Like a Kind OF ftDreyfus Con-

bPEaSSs
A prominent cabinet officer, q man
who has not in any way been identi-
fled with the Schley-Sampson contro-
versy, told me today, says the Wash
ington correspondent Of The News and
Courier, under date Of last Friday, that
it was his deliberate opinion that the
evidence before the Schley court Of in:
quiry would reveal beyond all doubt
that Schley was guilty.of disobedience
of orders on several occasions. He
went further and gave; 1t as his belief
that the verdict Of the court would not
only be against Schley, but that the
ultimate outcome Of the entire matter
would be the dismissal Of Schley from
the service Of the government. The
statement was most remarkable one,
coming from a man of conservative
tendencies, and, II 1t shows anything,
points to the widespread prejudice In
official circles against the officer, who
has just demanded a. court to investi-
gate his movements and tofduct up to
the time Of the destruction Of Cervera's g
fleet. The cabinet official referred to
knows practically nothing Of the facts
of the controversy, except what he has
obtained at cabinet meetings and In
conversation with cabinet officials.
I asked this cabinet member what he
thought of the existence of close ring
in the navy department. headed by Ad-
miral Crowninshield. He gave 1t as his
opinion that such ring has long ex-
listed, and that it would be an immense
affair to break up and to change exist
ing methods in the department.
When I asked him why it was that
Secretary Long, who Is recognized as
having breadth and penetration, could
not see the drift Of things, the cabinet
officer said that he was unable to ac-
count for Secretary Longs failure to
observe the real state Of affairs in his
department.
POSSIBLY he does know how things
are working" said this cabinet officer,
"but he is a wise man and could see
what would happen to him If he should
bring down the whole clannish aggre-
cation upon him. It would be a fight
for his life, and in the end the naval
officers would probably win, notwith-
standing Secretary Long is probably
the closest man in the cabinet to Pres
ident Mckinley"
AS the court of inquiry can take a
wide range in it's hearings, a strong
effort will undoubtedly be made to
show up some Of the facts connected
with the ring which has so long DOM
mated the navy department. If this
investigation should result in nothing
more than shedding broad light upon
the workings Of the crowd, headed by
Crowninshield. 1t will not have been
without results. Crowninshield and
every ramification Of the navy depart
ment, and have done so for years.
Those who know Secretary Long to be
a fine man are under the impression
charitable belief in human nature have
caused him to fail to see the situation
in it's true light at the navy depart
ment. Whatever Crowninshield says
every other bureau officer also says.
and 80 Secretary Long finds unanimi-
ty of view and sentiment on practical
ly every important matter coming
through his department. While
Crowninshield's influence has extended
through Secretary Long to President
Mckinley, it is not believed that the
ring can sufficiently surround the pres
ident with it's influence to cause him
to become impartial in his final treat
ment of this matter. The verdict of
the court of inquiry will have to go be-
fore the President for final action and
in the end it will be MIN who passes
upon Schley's case.
The same cabinet oHicer with whom
l talked told me that it is probable that
Admiral Schley would have been court
martialed Immediately after the San
tiago fight had 1t not been for the fact
that the victory was one in which ev-
erybody could share. and in which the
president hated to see discordant ell
ement injected by the trial of one Of
the men who had participated in the
fight. The president, it is stated. has
for a long time been the main one in
keeping down any decisive action In
the case of Admiral Schley.
The official prejudice against Schley
does not extend, however, to the unof-
fetal part of the Washington world.