The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-01-07
THE FINDING OF THE sCHLEY COURT.

(Walter Wellman, in Golfers VI eekIy.)
The National Capital has been in a
ferment of excitement over the find
ings of the Court of Inquiry in the
Schley case. Apparently no one has
been satisfied with the verdict of the
court. The friends of Admiral Schley
have complained because of the
severity of the censure passed upon
the Admiral, and Admiral Schley
himself has entered formal protest
to the Secretary of the Navy. Many
Senators and Representatives have
taken up the budgets in his behalf,
and a number of resolutions have
been introduced rendering the thanks
of Congress to Admiral Schley, call
ing for investigation of the Navy
Department, and in other ways tes-
tifying to the great esteem which
public men feel for the naval officer
who fell under the displeasure of the
court.
When the findings of the court
were announced it was hoped the
end of the long and bitter contro.
versy had been reached, and that all
hands would be content to drop it
once for all. But at this writing
suoh a result does not appear at all
probable. Though the party leaders
in Congress may succeed in sup
pressing all resolutions with the aid
of committee room pigeon holes,
debate cannot be forestalled. When
the Naval Appropriation Bill comes
up in the two Houses the Schley case
is sure of an airing.
At Washington a number of con-
sentative and influential public men
have thrown the weight of their in
huence in favor of a suppression of
the controversy. They claim it has
already worked incaloulable harm TO
the navy, and if permitted to go on
will work much more. They can
see no good purpose to be served by
further agitation, and while many
of them sympathize with Admiral
Schley in his disgust with what ap-
pears to be an unnecessarily severe
Judgment, they advise him to seek
redress through the courts.
Among those who favor drop.
ping the entire d~eplorable matter, so
far as the Navy Department and
Congress are concerned, was no less
a person than the President of the
United States, He insisted that the
Navy Department. take such action
as would lead to that end by the
shortest road, and asked Secretary
Long TO simply approve the findings
of the court, without entering upon
a review and without making any
reference whatever to the supple
mentary statement issued by Ad-
miral Dewey.
So much passion has been stirred
up by this celebrated case that no
man who has had aught to do with
it is safe from attack by one or the
other set of partisans. No sooner
had the Judgment of the court been
made public than the friends of
Schley attacked the two Admirals
who were against the Admiral on all
counts but one. The Navy Depart
ment people and friends of Sampson
were equally indiscreet. They we're
quick to rush to the front with at
taoks upon Dewey,
These ordinations and recrimina-
lions have Disguised a good many
conservative and oool-headed public
men. They have perceived the dan
ger that if the controversy goes
much further it will develop into an
American Gfaire Dreyfus. Indeed,
it is not far behind that celebrated
case in passion, blindness, slanderous
attacks upon the other side, willing
ness to pull down men of the high
est character and circulate false and
wicked stories in order to score a
point for or against Schley. 40
cOrdingly, a CRY has been raised at
Washington and in the better part
of the press for a cessation of the
campaign of bitterness and for a re
turn to reason
So far as can be discerned, public
opinion has not changed. The trouble
is that outsiders aud insiders ap
proach the subjecs from wholly Off
ferent points of view. The people
care little or noShing for the details
of a naval officers service, for the
preliminary campaign, for the prem