Arizona daily citizen., 1901-12-14
SCHLEY INDICATED.

Ramsey anyway? Who ever heard OF
them What did either ever do to
leave an imprint on the public mem
oryo The hero of Manila. the best
living Judge of what a naval officer
should do. and now he should per
form his duty, says regarding the atti-
tude and actions of Schley, that the
passage to Cienfucgos was made with
all dispatch. ana that in view OF his
coal supply the blockade of Cienfuegos
was effective: that he allowed the
Adula to enter Cienfuegos for nforma-
tion that his passage to Santiago
was with as much dispatch as possible
keeping the squadron together: that
the blockade OF Santiago was effect
i've, and finally that he was the senior
officer OFF Santiago. in absolute com
mand. and entitled to all the credit
due for the glorious victory which re
suited in the total destruction OF the
Spanish ships
What more does Schley need? Do
the American people require further
proof of the efficiency and gallantry of
Schley? We think not 1t was what
Dewey would find and declare that the
American people were interested in
and that caused them to wait for the
findings OF the court with patience
and dccorum. B"nham and Ramsey
were superhuous They wcr, n ere
legal form. They were veriform ap-
pendix Dewey was the court 1t wds
the finding OF the Admiral that the
people waited for. and he has found
Dewey heard the evidence n,
and won great victory himself
Neither Benham nor Ramsey ever
commanded a feet nor won a victory
Benham is a fairly honest, stubborn
thick-headed old sea dog. Ramsey
goes to mass at o'clock every morn.
ing and plots against his fellow mar
for the remainder of the day. or the
AZ years he was in active service in
the navy. 27 years were spent ashore
III soft berths He preceded Crownln-
~Eloh AZ Ciiisf of tn bureau of Nav
igation. and has all the cunning. all
the power OF regeneration all the pre-
iudice of the navy department clique
that he was for many years the cen
t:al figure of
the report OF Dewey justIfes the
common sense and Is creditable to the
sense Of justice OF the great body OF
the American people. some people seem
I" blink that the average intelligent
man cannot form as reliable an opin-
ion as a naval officer. This, OF course
Is all nonsense. Admiral Schley was
Charged with several plain things
technical knowledge Ii not necessary
mere When Schley was charged with
eowhrdice. for instance. the judgment
OF the average man on the question
was just as good a. .er reading the
evidence, as that of some swelled up
toad In the navy department If
Schley was rather SLOW In going to a
given point. let the average man con
trast his progress with that of Sampson
who took eight days to go from Key
West to San Juan instead OF Ave days
when 1t comes to running a ship, OF
knowing the difference between mar
ling spike and a belay!ng pin, the civ
iiian 10 not In 1t; but ne can add two
and two together as we'll as a naval
oficer. There was nothing at all in
tricasa or technical about the Schley
case, and consequently the opinion of
the Deopl, was just as good as the
forced and pretended opinion of pom
pous naval officers. and this has beer
demonstrated by the report OF Dewey
Schiey Is vindicated. He ranks with
Dewey and Farragut and Semmes in
yalor. in dash. in determination. in
ability. He has borne himself with a
modesty that is as rare as 1t Is be-
coming. Future generations will
wonder how 10 gallant and patriotic
an officer. with a record of duty well
and Loyalty done. should have been
compelled to ask court to exonerate
him OF any charges palpably inspired
by envy and malice. It Is a poor re-
ward for hero whose life has been
spent In upholding the honor OF the
gag and fighting the country's battles
70 heap. calumny upon him for no
other crime than adding glory to the
American arms. That is the worst
which can be charged against Admiral
Schley. Surely II cannot be regarded
- heinous offense for an officer In
command during the absence OF his
superior TO win battle which ranks
among the most brilliant exploits In
American naval history. Possibly ac
cording TO the new code of naval etl-
quette. Admiral Schley ought not to
have attacked the Spanish ships when
they were coming out of the harbor of
Santiago. He should have let them
escapa rather than take any action
Which would prevent the Commander
4&snk f&fss fvsssua snsfmnfnr nm aounn future