The Pensacola journal., 1906-04-14
Charge of Smuggling
Altogether Too Broad.

@~@-~@ -
The recent report that sailors from
the battleship Oregon, which has
Just returned to the Pacific coast af
ter several years spent on the AsiatiC
station, had smuggied dutiable goods
into the country valued at $3.50, ,OOC
has stirred up a newspaper contro
7ersy that may result in an investi
cation BY the Navy Department, es
pecially as the charge has been open
ay made that the officers Of the YES
sci were parties to the conspiracy
10 defraud the government Of Gus
toms duties. The Jacksonville Times
Union is especially severe upon the
officers, in this connection, and has
the following to say relative to the
matter:
Much is said about the honor oi
the army and navy. The smuggling
Of goods from the battleship Oregon
does not bear out the claim to such
nicely Of honor among the nations
professional defenders. Il cannot be
charged exclusively against the sea.
men on board the battleship. What
has been done could not have been
done without the knowledge and con.
sent Of the officers. In fact, il is
probable that they alone are respon.
sible for the seamen would not have
had money for buying goods to
smuggle.
1t would not be so bad if this were
something new, but it is not The
smuggling scandals in which officers
an Porto Rico were involved have
not been forgotten, and other vessels
Of our navy have recently had sim
liar scandals. Ii is probable that q
very small part of the truth has
been revealed.
The present administration has
been remarkable above all others
Tor the number Of investigations
which its span of life has contained
We are ready and even gald to give
all credit that is due the exposures
that have been made. though in few
cases has punishment yet followed
exposure. Perhaps We will see more
punishment later when the law shall
have dragged its weary course to the
end. We cannot now recall an in.
TestigatiOn that has not shown an
appalling mass Of corruption and
some who have been exposed have
been shielded.
Grover Cleveland said: "A public
office is a public trust" These were
rot mere words. They are meaning.
less only to the corrupt. No govern.
ment can be good in whose life they
are not incorporated.
With the advent Of Mckinley, per.
sonally honest. all ideals were over
thrown and dollar worship was the
religion Of the era Of cOmmercialism
that his administration saw reach
sts elimination. The Level Of Amer.
ican honesty could be expressed by
the words "A public Office is a pri.
vate snap" This has been the gen
eraI standard OF oficialdom and il
has been applied by the wholesale
tn private life.
This government will never be free
from scandals as long as it is con
trolled by a party that sees no wrong
IN taxing one citizen to enrich an
ether. The public conscience shows
signs OF activity and these signs fur
nish hope Of a change
While It is possible that a consid.
cradle amount of goods may have
been smuggled into this country by
sailors Of the Oregon. the statement
that the smuggled goods were valued
at $3.50, 900 sounds q little bit fshy
70 those who are familiar with Uncle
Sans bluejacl0ets, and especially so
sn view Of the fact that the sum men
toned represents, approximately, an
investment Of $500 on the part of
every man on board the vessel, on.
GERS included.
II Is hardly conceivable that every
ofieer, from the captain down. was
q party to any such proceeding ana,
n they were not it would be almost
impossible to store goods valued at
even a tenth Of the sum in question
on board a battleship, much less take
such goods ashore In the ships
launches, as has been alleged was
done.
Jack Tar is not an angel by any
means. but neither is he a swindler
or thief and before the honor Of the
United States navy Is sssailed. sim
ply on the strength Of q newspaper
story. which may be made out Of the
whole cloth, 1t would be well to
await the result Of an oficial inves-
tigaion. There may have been some
smuggling, but the charge that the
entire personnel Of the Oregon was
implicated is altogether TOO broad.