The age-herald., 1901-12-17

The passionate outDursL ol dhSei Oii oS7 count of the findings of the Schley court of inquiry, observable in every hotel lob by and other places of public gathering in Washington Friday night. has settled into a spirit of fierce resentment that seems to gather force with the passing hours
 Nothing in the course of legislation is more certain than that the report of the court will provoke bitter rancorous de- bate in Congress; but any attempt in the way of a congressional investigation is extremely improbable. What's the use? The naval committee of the House and the like committee of the Senate are un- derstood to be to the liking of the navy department, and the department has done its best to destroy Admiral schley. That there is a conspiracy against schley there is unhappily no good reason to doubt
 "The findings of the court will be against Schley," said a Senator to me two days before the report was made public.
 "The navy department is rotten-the rottenest department of the government our country has known. in all probabili- ty," the Senator continued, in forceful if not elegant language. There is nest of conspirators there, and they must be smoked out. They are destroying public conf1dence-they have already destroyed it-and are gravely impairing the effi- ciency and usefulness of the service.
 'In the history of no country, save France, in recent times, is there record of blacker infamy than the bitter official warfare against Schley. It is worse than the Dreyfus affair, for Dreyfus was a mere captain in the army, whereas Schley is a ear-admiral who won the greatest naval victory of modern times, and one of the greatest of which. there Is any rec tainty in my own mind that the report of the court will be against Schley" The Senator spoke with prophetic vision. Yet everybody else in Washington was the same kind of prophet. Senators and Congressmen and the general public here foretold the verdict. But the widespread anger of Friday night was no less pas- sionate for that.
 Clearly, Washington Is for Schley. There seems to be but one opinion. In the vio- lent expressions of that opinion rings violently the word infamy It is outrag- eous It Is infamous--it is everything it should not be, is the way people are talking
 Dewey, in his just and bold stand for Schley, is held to have achieved d victory in morals as great as was Manila in war. He takes his place beside Schley. They two are the twin heroes of today, as they were of yesterday, and as they will be in nobler degree tomorrow. Dewey's decision is accepted as truth as real history = as something nobly strong by which Americans may live and be guided. Senator Hoar. Senator Ma son, Senator Hale, Senator Cullom, these leaders whom one feared to be bent to- wards the navy ring of slanderers, speak out today in applause of Dewey, accept ing his view of Schley as the just tribute | to one who added the greater glory to | American valor.
 Numerous members of the House have expressed themselves as sharing the opin- | ions of those eminent Senators. The wild scramble for office is for the moment lost sight of. Whenever two or more Senators or Congressman are gath cred there is no talk but of Schley and Dewey, Benham and Ramsey. At break fast, at luncheon. at dinner, in the cloak rooms and corridors of the Capitol, and in the hotel lobbies-everywher 1t is the one subject. If an applicant for office ap- proach Senator or member with his plea for place he hears only of Schley and Dewey, Benham and Ramsay. Ben- ham has son in the navy. Ramsay be- longs to the ring, as does the man with a son.
 And the resentful critics name other names with blunt, even profane. impreca- | tions Lemley and Crowninshield come in for most of the criticism. The chief of the Bureau of Navigation appears to be considered the head of the worst offend ing, though Secretary Long himself is violently held to be scandalously blame | worthy, since he is chief over the con spirators and must be aware of their methods
 | Admiral Schley seems to be the only truly calm man in all this turbulence that has arisen about his iliustrious deed at Santiago. Chance took me down Pennsyl- vania avenue yesterday afternoon. A slow rain was falling and the atmosphere was close and heavy and as warm as an April day in Birmingham. A closed car riage, driven rapidly, was stopped in front of hatters Together with many other persons I looked to see who should get out We were rewarded by seeing the man of the hour, Admiral Schley. him. self. He hurried into the hatter's, and in that mysterious way which news swiftly | speeds along a crowded street hundreds of people were quickly aware of the ad- mirars presence. Immediately the wide | sidewalk was blocked and there was no policemen to interfere. The crowd waited | five or six minutes, when Admiral Schley came out and almost hopped across the sidewalk to his carriage Somebody cried: "Hurrah for Schley!''
 Then some hundreds cried:
 l Hurrah for Schley!'
 l He lifted his soft crushed hat, i dgel | into his carriage and was gone. He was as smiling and happy-loolSing as he was when Alabamians greeted him in Bir- mingham two years ago!
 The federal patronage in Alabama and
 the activity of the men who desire the | offices, joined with the militant efforts
 of friends of the respective applicants, |