Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-07-22
rur WAR ON sCHLEY.

THE WAR ON sCHLEf.
The attack on the hero OF Santiago
through Historian" Maclay. Who foi
writing the same, was given a wa a
day iob as a "laborer' in the Brooklyn
NAVY Yard. is especially vicious and
and is probably the worst
of the numerous scandals that have dis
graced this administration. Maclay
was formerly an editorial writer on a
New York paper, which has been espe-
cially vicious and unfair in attacking
Schley.
What constitutes the special pull
of Admiral Sampson, tine man VINO
wasn't there" is as great a mystery as
the administrations venom against
Sehley in descending to such incompre-
hensi5le depths to injure that most
gallant and brave officer.
Having begun wrong in UNFOLDING
Sampson at the expense of Schley, it
seems the administration. as usual
too weak to acknowledge itself wrong.
has e%ndeavored to cover up one wrong
with a greater outrage. In this IN
stance it might have succeeded, and
Admiral Schley been e~ternally discred-
tied and disgraced in history had not
Gen. Agnus, OF the Baltimore American,
and a heretofore firm supporter of the
administration, suddenly flashed a
great light on the whole dark business
by his public protest to the President.
Since then the squirming of the Navy
Department officials who nave been
waging this secret wal or Admiral
Schley, is pitiful to behold.
Secretary Long makes the weak plea
that all" the proofs OF this Maclay
history we're not submitted 10 him.
This at best is a confession of remark
able laXity, since it means he endorsed
the book without knowing what was in
it. The proofs were submitted to Adj
miral Sampson. also, and Maclay, him
self, says that the matter referring TO
Schley was so closely interviewer with
all the rest that Sampson could not
have helped seeing it. But Sampson, the
administration pet, also O K-ed the vol
ume, which, however, might have been
expected.
But the most strange feature of this
business. in view of Secretary Longs
plea OF ignorance, is the statement chat
Admiral Dewey firmly refused even to
read the proofs submitted to him.
is a mystery here that needs
up. If the Navy Department
was ignorant of the character of this
work, how did Admiral Dewey know all
about it and positively decline to give
it so much of his official recognition as
even to read the proofs submitted t o
him? This was certainly a remarkable
proceeding on Admiral Dewey's part,
and must have had an especially
weighty reason behind it.
It is not likely that the public will
be deceived by the plea of ignorance
made by the administration officials
this %scandalous business.
Admiral schley, who was on the
Brooklyn in the Santiago battle. al
though accused of characterization
among other things, declines to make a
statement against his superiors in his
own defense. further than to point out
this essential fact:
The brooklyn inflicted So per cent.
the damage done to the Spanish
fleet, and she received 3 per cent.
the damage sustained by the
a American feet. These facts speak
Tor Themselves, and L have h
TO add to them.
There are numerous other things also
that speak for themselves in this ON
nection that are familiar to the gen.
eral public, IL not to the Navy Depart
ment historian" One OF them is that
although Schley, at this late day, Is
criticised for cowardice in not entering
Santiago harbor after lie Spanish feet,
at that time he was criticised for hot
Medicines and imprudence in want
ing to enter the harbor and give the
Spanish Admiral Cervera battle. Schley
then was criticized for his "~foolhardi-
n S. in wanting to do the very thing
he is now denounced for not doing.
The brave plan of his superior officer,
Admiral Sampson = elevated over
ScEley's head by the administration
which was to sink the Merrlmac in the
channel so that the Spanish feet
couldn't get out, was substituted. 1t
failed. The Spaniards got out, and
Schley whipped them, standing the
5runt Of the battle on his flagship, the
Brooklyn. Sampson was some fifteen
miles away during the battle, coming
in only in time to acso Spaniard's
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it all.