The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-27

Had William T. Sampson, in reporting
the naval battle off Santiago, written
a manly, generous. dblooded dispatch
announcing the victory of the American
fleet over the Spanish enemy. the United
States navy would have been spared a
Scandalous controversy that promises to
run on forever. There would have been
no dispute over the distribution of hon
ors. There would have been no division
of public sentiment into the Schley party
and Sampson party. There would
have been no official inquiry into the
conduct of Admiral Schley, with the
conflicting reports of divided court,
and Admiral Dewey would never have
filed an opinion holding that Schley was
in absolute command of the Ieet and en-
titled to the credit for the destruction OF
the Spanish ships.
The scandal is not to be traced to the
promotion Of Sampson over his seniors;
but to his own ungenerouS, ungraciouS
treatment of the men that had been
placed subordinate to him in command.
Whether hatred of Schley inspired Sanp-
son, or whether his unfortunate dispatch
was inspired by chagrin over his i'll luck
in not having been able to participate in
the battle. the fact remains that had a
tactful officer like George Dewey been
nominally in command of the American
fleet that destroyed Cerveras ships.
there would have been no scandal. and
no controversy worthy of the name.
When Admiral Sampson sent the
Fourth of July dispatch announcing
that the fleet under my command had
annihilated Spanish sea power in West
ern waters for "a hours he was the most
popular man in the United States. Even
Dewey's victory was eclipsed by the
achievements of the Atlantic fleet. But
Sampson remained on his pedestal for
only scant "a hours. The next day it
was discovered that he had not partici-
pated in the battle, as his dispatch init
mated. and that apparently. he had been
obtaining glory under false pretenses.
From the moment of this discovery
SIMPSONS popularity waned as rapidly
as it had grown. Either his selfishness
or his lack of tact had proved his Deli
lah. who had shorn him of his strength
and delivered him into the hands Of the
Philistines.
Had Sampson suppressed nothing in
his dispatch: had he given Schley cred
1t for being temporarily In command of
the fleet; had he been even effusive in
his praise Of that officer and of the fleet
captains a great scandal would have
been spared the country. 1t was not
ASSCSSdAy loI SdIlpSOIl " WOEIy lest the
country should fail to recognize his title
either to glory or prize money. The
American people are a generous people,
and they admire generosity. The very
fact that Sampson was not seeking to
claim anything to which he was not OBJ
viously entitled would have moved them
to render to him more than the full
measure of credit. They would have
accorded him all that he sought and
more; for they knew. as Schley knew,
that there was glory enough in the vic
tory for all.
Schley might have been REWARDED more
than, in SIMPSONS opinion. he deserved;
but it is reasonably certain that Samp-
son would not have been rewarded less
than he deserved. He would have had
in addition what would have been worth
more to him than prize money or pro-
motion-the respect and the admiration
Of the American people-and today would
not be broken in health and old before
his time.
Sampson, however. managed to do the
wrong thing al the right time. The pub
lie Immediately began to inquire as to
what manner of man it was who sought
to gather to himself all the honor for