Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-02-27
The SChley Case.

president RooSeVcltS expressed hope,
that the agitation of the unhappy Schley
controversy may now be allowed to cease.
is shared by multitudes But 1t is hop.
ing against hope. Schley has been play
ing to the galleries. from the start Ho
must have known that the President would
sustain the verdict of the Board of In.
quiry as well when he appealed from its
findings as he does now The appeal was
for popular effect 1t was made in order
to keep himself constantly in sight and
for future political effect. lie and his adj
Visers unquesticnably intend to use the
popular furore fer Schley against Roose-
Welt in the next national canvass. They
expected that he would deny the appeal.
and when he is nominated fer reelection
they viii use his decision to the utmost
extent in their power against him, and ir.
favor of the democratic nominee, whether
the latter is Schley or some one else.
The blind Partially for Schlcy on tn
part of so many people is a notable in-
stance Of the unrcasonug character OF
popular favoritism, in many cases.
The first accounts of the naval battle of
Santiago led many to suppose that Schlcy
was as truly the hero of that battle as
Dewey was of the battle of Manila, and
such an impr, Ssion once fixed, often be-
comes almost ineradicable. Then came the
SIMPSONS chley controversy in Congress,
in which Schlcy played the part of dog in
the mangcr. This became largely a sec
tional issue, the Southcrners all taking the
part of Schley as Southern man. Tho
democrats saw their opportunity and as a
party they have been and are swinging
their hats for Schley. And so, in the face
of the facts and Of the findings ii Just
and able Board of Inquiry, composed OF
men acceptable to Admiral Schley, multi
tudcs persist in considering Schlcy a per-
secuted hero, the victim of IAN organized
conspiracy among a lot of land sailors, -
as one Of his adorers terms it. Land
sailors indeed! Was Captain Philip Of the
Texas who said: Admiral Sampson was
commandcr-in-chief before, during and af.
ter the action" land sailor? is Admiral
Evans Of the Iowa n land sailor? He
said: when the fight began Admiral
SIMPSONS ship, the New York, was in
plain sight I received no orders from the
Brooklyn, Cschlcy's ship nor should l nave
needed them if ] had received them mas
much as / considered Admiral Sampson to
be present and in command"
| Is Captain Taylor of the Indiana a lana
sailor? lie testified: AT the beginning %
the night the New York was about as far
10 the cast Of me as the Brooklyn was to
the westward. ! considered Admiral Samp-
son to be present and in command"
! Is Commander Wainwright of the Glou-
ccstcr a land sailor? He testified: al
the outset of the fight the New York was
not much further away from me in one
direction than the Brooklyn was in Tia
other, and was in plain sight. OF course
Admiral Sampson was present and in
command" Arc the distinguished admirals
whose findings bore so hard upon Schley
land sailors? The truth Is that at least
four-hfths Of the officers of the Atlantic
fleet are against Schley, so far as they
taken sides in the controversy. As a nava
writer has put it, Most of Sampson
friends were in the naval service; most o.
Schlcys were newspaper editors, ant
writer's, and politicians. Tho service wa'
with Sampson, the public with Schley
Men who knew all about the affair (mor'
than has ever yet been published wer,
with Sampson. Men who knew little O
nothing about it were with Schley. Natur
Z ally, the latter were. and still are. in
= great majority"
Under the circumstances the controvers.
l is certain to be kept up by Schley
friends. There may be one good thin,
about the business, however the publ
will get SO tired Of the one sided quarre
! that reaction may set in, and reason
r resume her sway.