The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-03-27
ROOSEVELT'S SECOND GREAT
BLUNDER.
Wilmington Messenger.

Wilmington Messenger.
Roosevelt does not mean well. He
has already been guilty Of two or
three very serious plumbers. II he
should live to be as Old as Il century
he will never out live that Booker
Washington tiasco. II he should achieve
a longevity equal to two centuries he
will never escape remembrance and
criticism for his escapade aS to Rear
Admiral Schley. He was treasured
by his Republican friends and advis-
ers that his deliverance as to Schlev
was immense. Just the thing, most
conclusive, grand and glorious. And
the little man believed it all But
now he is laughed at. perforated,
iibed and despised by some. His
inconsistency and ecccntricitv are
marked and visible and contemplate.
1t is said that before that most un-
fortunate, absurd, I'm ust dsliverance
there were several classes who fore
cast the horoscope and made predic-
tlOns of the coming show or comet.
The Baltimore SIM saws:
"a skepticaI minority were of he
opinion that tn Presidents devtrance
would be a prodigy of cccentricity. Now
that we have Mr.. ROOsevelt's decision it
must be conceded that the minority fore
cast was the correct one. The Presidents
conclusions are very eccentric.
Mr.. ROOsevelt's eccentricity is cOnSpicu-
Gus in his treatment OF the turning move
ment of Schley's flagship at n critical
time in the Santiago battle He is
4 L i
Schley ordered the loop to avoid dan
gerous proximity with the enemy. Hence
he observes in lofty sort Of way: This
kind of danger must not be too nicely
weighed by those whose trade it is to
dare greatly for the honor of the flag. 1t
is impossible to be seriously offended by
such an observation when one reflects
that Admiral Schley was fighting heroic
ally before our present Chief Magistrate
had graduated from the nursery, with
its imposing array of little toy soldiers
But what would be the use Of a
Riders record? 1t would probabl
prove to be another case Of cloves
labor lost" 1t is plain he has taken
the evidence of men who were not in
the fight which ignored that of gallant
officers who helped to win the most
splendid naval battle in American
history. The President is so shame
fully hard up he declares that some
of the captains in that great fight
Schley. If true they deserve to be
kicked out because of jealousy and
characterization. The braggart Evans
is one of these. The Sun SAYS to the
point:
There it is. Each captain at Santiago
with the exception of the modest Clark,
regarded himself as bigger man than
old SchIey, and not to be ordered around
by his senior i'll the service. Those who
have mistakenly imagined that a beauti-
ful spirit of cooperation prevails among
naval officers and that they worked to-
gether in unity will be disilusioned by
Admiral Evans blunt assertion
Roosevelt found no commander on
hand at Santiago on the morning of
the great battle, July 3, 1898. 1t was
simply n free fight" every man for
himself and the devil take the hind
most Sampson was away, ten or
twslye miles off; Schley was not in
command, and Evans and his tribe
were in revolt There were confusion,
dismay, despair because OF discord.
Was that true? Who were in the
tight-the chief lighters? Schley was
there, Clark was there But somehow
Schley deserves no more credit than
Evans or Sampson and the recalci-
trants. The Sun asks:
III Schley is not entitled to the credit
of commanding the American fleet, and
Sampson was not there to assume com
mand. why not give all the honors to the
Board OF Strategy in Washington, or to
the Secretary OF the Navy, who ordered
the blockade? Ii our captains can fight
so efficiently without commander, why
have any Rear dmirals or Admirals at
all' Why not run the navy on Il I'll
tight-when -please-captain styl", with
no seniority OF rank among the com
manders Of warships' Then embarrass-
ing questions abaut the responsibility oil
command would never arise.
The people know three things we'll
now: l. That Schlev was the winner
of the great fight. ,. That he has
been prosecuted, slandered, lied upon
by naval officers and the naval de-
partment. 3. That Roosevelt has put
himself in a very dismal hole hard of
cxtrication and by his injustice and
partisanship and eccentricity he has
written himself down an official blum
derer