Waterbury Democrat., 1902-01-02
ADMIRAL sCHLEY's PLANS.
He Will Take a Rest and Wait for
 Congress to Act in His Case.

He Will Take Rest and Wait for
 Congress to Act in His Case.
 New York, Jan Park Benjamin, who has been q personal friend of Rear Admiral Schley for many years, was asked yesterday regarding the ad- mirals plans for the future and the report that friends of Schley would ask congress to vindicate him by retiring him on full pay and reimbursing him for the expense of his trial.
 "Congress,n Mir Benjamin said, "has gone back to it's constituents. The rep resentatives have gone home and Will get the opinion of the country on the whole matter. When they meet again in Washington they will have received instructions from the people who elect ed them. I think Admiral Schley Is waiting for that I do not think he has made any plans or will until after congress has expressed its opinion or taken it's choice of the various plans that have been suggested.
 ssTwenty-fve or thirty bills looking to some recognition of Schley have been introduced. I do not think Schley himself will do anything in connection with them He does not want to press himself before the public. but will wait and see what is the pleasure or con gress. His friends have no doubt that the feeling throughout the country Is in his favor He has been through a terrible strain for three or four months and at present wants rest. Everybody, so far as I know. is advising him to take it. Admiral Schley is not a vim dictive man. but is very good natured. I think if congress wishes to yindicate 1 him he would be very glad. but if not. he will bow to the will of the people. ] It has been proposed to adopt Admiral Dewey's report as the judgment of | congress. to restore Schley to the act i i've list to keep him on the retired list and give him full pay, as was done with Admiral Jewett. now living, or 1 to make Schley. Sampson and Captain { Cook all vice-admirals. None of these propositions would involve any inves- tigation by congress.
 T do not think, however. there is any desire on the part of Schley or any of his friends to press these matters 1 at the present time. but rather to wait and see what the people think about ! it, as expressed by their representa- i tives at Washington. With Schley the great point was the cowardice charge. The rest did not interest him. as those things had been settled by the presi- dent. the secretary of the navy and the senate. and he did not ask for au investigation of them. But he did wish to be exonerated from the charge of cowardice, and he was eXonerated.' I Mir Benjamin added that it had been stated that 95 Der cent of the officers of the navy were adverse to Schley and thought he had got his just de
 serts from the court. MT Benjamin
 however had heard great many of the officers of the navy on the subject
 and knew there was no such over
 whelming sentiment against Sch1ey. A few were the admiraFs bitter oppo
 nents. very much large number were
 ill favor of him and still larger per
 centage were neutral. Furthermore
 many officers were against Schley not
 only on account of the present contro
 versy. but for totally different reasons
 for example. his oppos' I to the per
 sonnel bill, in March. 1899, which haC proved a dismal failure.