Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-01-16
Commander Of the Army Open
Candidate for Presidency.
In the Democratic Race-Part Of His
Programme Lies in Appeal schley
Made to President Roosevelt
Seeks to Embarras Latter.

little If any ccncealment CT his intention
to win the democratic nomination two
years hence If he can, says Walter Well
man IN n special to the Chicago Record
Herald.
He is actively playing his cards with
that end in view. In fact. the dec,2ion
OF Admiral Schley to appeal his case to
the President is said on good authority to
be part of the Miles Irogranne to en-
Lairass Mr. Roosevelt Tho n1tional capt.
tai is fun Of most interesting gossip con-
corning this latest phase of the celebrated
controversy and the pans of Gen. Miles
to make a political ss ne Of the Sc1ley case
WIN himself as the central fgurc. Gen.
Miles would like to be nominated for Pros
ldort in 1901, with either S, hley or Dcwc '
as his running mate. He believes a ticket
icddng Miles ard Schley or Miles and
Dewey would bring victory against Tresi-
dont Roosevelt CT any ether man the re-
rublcans could put UP.
Gen. Miles is very much in earnest in
his candidacy for the presidency. He
talks of little else to his intimate friends,
and already by anticipation is etioyir d;
Victory over the President. who dared
administer to dim a severe pubic reprl-
murd
On account of this kncNn political au,bl.
tie n Of tn, head OF tho army there Is .ntno
surprise that Gen. and Mrs vi IS were
81" sis of the President at tho diplor,ptic
n. I
licsidcnts table 81 soon after the ia
nous roprinfnG has tcou constri;nl in
some quarters as an indication that Mr.
Roosevelt regrets IS aciiCn in cansnrin ,
the gen 'ral ana is trvinr e. hold 1ut the
Give branch with this invitation to diana-.
move IS no warrant 70: this assumption.
ne invitation to Gen. ard Mrs Mills tc
the diplomatic dinner v as 50 NJ oit s,,yrrul
weeks ago, at least ten days before tn, oc-
cu'ftnCo Of the rep Intending incident or
course the President could not recall after
II RAD seen accepted. 1t IL customary to
nave the army anC the navy rrprcs ,ntcd
at the diplomatic dil ner Us their ran<inr
ohicors, and admiral and Mrs Dewey
we're also invited at the same t.r1e IN
ava Mrs. Miles were. But dniraI and
MIS-. Dewey had planned to go t. Flori Ia
OF account of Mrs. Devey's health md
Trey declined the invitation on that ac-
count.
Naturally Gen. Miles has not forgiven
the President for his affront and he has
gone cunning fer the Presidency Is 4
scheme of revenge. He will retire from
active service in August 1903 in cool
tlhc to make hi rae before the nation,
d'mc'ratic convention. Cen. Miles be-
ic|cs the President did him good service,
IN Hdminlst ring that reprimand as it has
given him popularity Which he never
hdd before. II p receives many letters Of
SNNpat from all parts of the country,
t1d the press cuttings buleaus. to all f
men II" Is subscriber, supply him with
i"ifo quantities of faVCrnhle comments
AT the New Years reception at the. White
House and again at the d'plomatic r,c.D-
ttn Tuesday night Gen. Miles found MIN
self the c2uter Of an admiring group
wherever h. vert. In fact he h,lI n rec
ception of his own in the cast roem and
hrhdreds Of men and women PROSE- for
ward Tor chance to Shale his ,!haul
"a n,
Miles, and he believes the tide of public
sentiment Is running with him, and that
ne may be- able To ride upon it into the
presidential chair He is not only willing
but eager, ana spends most Of his time
talking about it ana in laying plans. He
writes many letters to senator's and repre-
sentatIVes, and has a well-orEanized press
bureau to promote his popularity He as
serts that the President treated him with
great brutality; that the President had no
rlght undT the regulations to reprimand
him without first securing a conviction by
court martial and finally that the Prasi-
dent did not invite him to 60 into the cabi.
net room for a private talk. but rushed at
nm and fired at him fusillade of censure
the moment they came together
1t was the influence of Gen. Miles that
led Admiral Schley to apply to the Prcsi-
dent for review Of his case. The admi-
raj and his counsel had decided not to car
they had good reason to believe there
was small chance Of securing a reversal of
the findings of the court But Gen. Miles
saw chance to embaTass the President
Mr.. Roosevelt could not reverse the Nc
kinley administration, his own administra-
ton (Which had spoken In the regular
course through the secretary of the navy
and the three admirals who composed the
court of inquiry. But if he refused to do
so ana decided against Admiral Schley he
would run up against public opinion which
everyone knows is for the gallant admiral
in the proportion of nine TO one.
Hence, Admiral Schey went to the White
House and begged to have his case reopen
ed. The President promised him TO look
into II and the admiral's attorneys are
now preparing the appeal.
1t may well happen that out Of this az
fdir VIII come a supreme test OF Theodore
Roosevelts moral courage. We may have
opportunity to learn whether or not he is
to continue TO be the Theodore Roosevelt
tine country knows, or whether he is to be
come a politician among the politicians If
II snail occur. as II may, that Admiral
Schley presents no important new proofs
nothing 1ustifying a reoponinE of the case
or reversal OF the verdict, the President
VIII be confronted with the necessity of
doing an excee dinghy unpopular thing
some of his friends aGNise him to tom
porize, t. smooth it over" to shift the
i'SllbllSlplllly upon olHtfS as lar as pos
sible. They tell him his political future
may be involved and he should he careful
Put this is not the Presidents views. tie
Is determined to do his duty TO his mind
1t IL not a question of public opinion. Pun
lie opinion is great thing and 1t must he
given weight in all matters of policy and
of method. But this Is a question of right
and wrong, the President thinks. and on
such question public opinion has no
weight whatever His own political future
will have no consideration whatever The
ccmmandsrinC hief of tho army and navy
must stand by the service, by discipline
by the courts.
The President has no idea that Congress
mas right to revise or YeNtr rise the verdict
OF the court. What right has Congress 10
reverse any court? 1t NAV logisla.a a
court out of existence. hut it has no power
to reverse the findings of a naval court
any more then a civil court. As long as
the record stands against Admiral Schlov
the President Is opposec to any interior
cncc by Congress, If Congress seeks to
promote or reward any officer Tho Is un.
der the ban of service court the presi-
dent will veto the measure,
Now that the SChlcy case has been err
lied into politics there Is no telling whcr,
II viii end. The democrats i'm Congress are
disposed to FAKE the most of it, They
plan to press resolutions of thanks to Adj
in'ral Schley, and in the Senate it Is an
dcrstood that Mr.. Jones of Arkansas win
take the lead in pr EFFORT "a secure con-
sidoration for such re resolution. II neres-
sary he vii move to dismiss the naval
committee from further consider atom Of
the subject md &c have the resolution
a. n ~