The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-27
The President and the Scandal.

|
We have frequently been told that
Mr.. Mckinley earnestly desires to have
his Administrations remembered by the
| American people as the greatest, most
| fruitful, and glorious things of their
kind in the history of the country. He
really believes, it is said, that Alger,
| Eagan, bad beef, the Merrimac. and
similar frauds upon the Government
| will be forgotten, and only the success
| of the Spanish war and the acquisition
of world power and empire remember
ed. In entertaining such notions, if he
does entertain them, unprecedented
minds will be apt to think him optimis-
tic. But how can anybody reconcile the
commendable ambition ascribed to the
President with the liberation, or. let
us more kindly say, the apathy with
which he appears to view the progress
of the Sampson scandal, which, as GER
tainly he must know. has brought upon
the American Navy the "derision and
contempt of the Old World, as Sena-
tor Depew asserts, and has covered
our own country with shame and hui
initiation.
Mr.. Mckinley is a close student of
current events 1t cannot be said in his
excuse that he is not aware of the
startling disclosures of favoritism,
spite, persecution, the disappearance OF
discriminating documents, Justification
and fabrication of records in the Navy
Department, which are creating a men
acing public opinion regarding his Ad-
ministration in every city, town, ham,
let. and place where men meet, in every
part of the United States. He cannot
plead ignorance of a sea of evidence
that under the protection of his official
power, exerted through Cabinet Min
lister, a conspiracy has been Matched,
nurSed, and has become strong and
dangerous, its object being to belle the
truths of history, so as to make the
world believe that Sampson. who was
never near the Battle of Santiago until
thirty minutes after the surrender of
the last Spanish ship. was the victor
Commodore Schley, who commanded
in the battle, and whose flagship in
ficted and suffered more damage than
any other vessel in the squadron, was
inefficient and a coward.
Up to certain point it may be posi-
BILE that the malign influences which
always have surrounded and apparent
ly dominated the President may have
been potential enough to make him be
lieve the fabricated stories and forged
documents upon which the Sampson
ring have hung their claims for the Ma
tanzas mule man and their accusations
against Admiral Schley. but Mr.. Nc
Kinley could not have been blind to
the seandalous Maclay incident. He
could not be ignorant that the scurri- |
lous and mendacious language hurled |
at Admiral Schley in the third volume
Of the dock lsborer's history of the |
navy had been read in proof in ad |
vance of publication and endorsed by |
Sampson and by the Navigation Blu |
reau. He should understand that he |
greatly disappointed public eXpecta |
tons in not then taking instant action
to discipline the members of the SER
vice who could be guilty of such despic-
able conduct He can hardly have his
ear to the ground now. without realiz-
ng the establishment his feIlow-coun-
rymen feel because of his continued |
luiescence in the face of the Vixen ex-
Dnsure.
The Augean stable is disclosed in all
is filth and corruption, but where is
Hercules, with his club and his hose:
That is the question that all men are
lsking, while the President plays with
lis heifers and chews straws with his
armer. They do not expect him to
cave his village retreat. but they have
loped that he would use his long dis
ance telephone to blow something like
few detachments on waiting orders
nto the Navigation Bureau and some
words of stern admonition into the
nipple ears Of Acting Secretary Hack
tt The opportunity still is his. What
viii ne do with it?