The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1902-02-27
Roosevelt versus the Facts.

son Of HE bumptiouS and erratic order
of mind. The man who could swear to
two directly conflicting statements re-
garding his taxes, and who has made
the astounding discovery that the
cause of good government and civil
service reform could be promoted by
appointing horsethief to Office in New
Mexico and o murderer and convicted
thief to be United States marshal of
Arizona might be expected, Of course,
to top off the Schley case with some
amusing exhibition Of his peculiar
mentality; and expectation has not
been disappointed. Mr.. Roosevelts
decision gives the opera bouffe touch
to the naval controversy, which we
were led to anticipate. Admiral Schley
made his greatest mistake when he APP
pealed to the president; but he was APP
pealing to the supposititious Roosevelt
and not to the real Roosevelt.
The president has made some new
discoveries regarding the Schley case,
but they do not happen to be the truth /;
and they involve him in a beautiful
web of Inconsistency. Let us consider
few Of them. For instance, he refers
to Schley's abandonment of the block
ade and disobedience of orders" AS q
matter Of fact neither of these accusa-
tions is true. When Schley reached
the vicinity of Santiago and was told
by Sigsbee that the Spanisrds were not
within, he began his retrograde move
ment. He did not establish blockade
then and consequently he did not aban-
don what he had not established. When
he returned to Santiago, he established
a blockade which he maintained thence
forth. His disobedience of orders ia
entirely mythical. On this point the
court OF inquiry only goes SO far as to
say that he should have obeyed orders
promptly. The orders which he il
charged with disobeying we're "to as
certain facts" "see that the enemy
does not leave without decisive &C
ton, and "notify department whether
enemy is there" Cat Santiago.) SchleJ
thought at one time that these orders
could not be obeyed, and SO sent wore
to the department. But it is fac
that every one Of the departments or
ders were obeyed. He ascertained til,
facts, reported the situation at Santa
, go, and saw that the enemy did not es
cape without an engagement. The on
ly thing that could be truthfully alleg
: ed against him was lack of promptnes
o in obeying orders, and this is as far a
the court of inquiry goes.
Mr.. Roosevelt has also made dis
: covery regarding the question of com
4 mand. He says that "if Admire
Shelley was guilty of reprehensibl
n conduct of kind which called for sue
notice from Admiral Sampson, the
Admiral Sampson ought not to hay
: left him as senior officer of the block
n aiding squadron on the third of July
when he steamed away on his prope
a GRAND of communication with Generf
Shafter."
Here is plain admission that Schle
d was left in command of the feet; W
Q further on this wonderful logician say
o that because some of the America
"a ships on the eastern blockade could Sc
+. the NewYork in the far distance, SamI
son was in technical command OF tn
" feet during the battle. No one dil
}. putes the fact that Admiral Sampso
IS was communicating chief of the entil
IL American feet; but if he was in tecl
meal command during the battle, no
could he have left Schley in comman
q when he steamed away? If Sampso
1t left Schley as senior officer OF Il
g blockading squadron when he steame
"a away, wasn't Schley still the senior o
ficer of the blockading station half q
y hour later when the battle begun? I'll
Is naval regulations provide that when
t. naval engagement occurs the seniC
is line officer ION the spot" shall assun
u command of all the forces present.
is simply piece of shyster reasonin
!" to say that man who had left Il
u blockade and had left another as seniC
officer of the blockading squadron, an
" had gone ten or twelve miles east
!, hold conference with Shafter, was
technical command of the fleet durin
. q battle in which he took no part al
is issued no orders. Sampson could n,
10 have been in command unless he WI
r 'on the spot, and it is certainly III
; true to say that he could be ten mill
away from the spot and yet be ''on I'll
~ spot" Schley was on the spot, an
IL the command devolved ON him, whetl
70 or any of the captains recognized th
or not. Mr.. Roosevelt may assert IL
technical command" of Sampson unit
% he is black in the face, but he can nj
% change the facts. The man who is q
J. actual fgher, and whose services hay
1t made him the admiral of the navy sta
e ed the exact fact when he said thu
= Schley was in absolute command dul
ing the battle and as such commando
as entitled to the glorious victory.
. There is one point that has Away
: been hard for tho naval clique to e
L ornund and that 10 tha anouok ~ doy-