THE COURIER
graph had been agreed upon, the docu
ment was ent to a committee on Style
who revised it with a single eye to its
liteniry finish nnd distinction. After
the instrument left the hands of the
polishers, the convention received and
adopted it, the members signed it and
it was ratified by nine states. After
that no chnnge either In the substance
or style could be made without using
the cumbrous machinery provided by
the document. This machinery Is sodil
(Icult to set in motion that so small a
correction as the use of a singular
verb after the United States instead
of a plural one is not likely to be
made, although the change would be
in the interests of truth and to the con
firmation of what time has already ac
complished. The Town Mating;
The Fourth, Fifth and Sixth wards
held large meetings last week at which
some of the candidates for the council
were present. The scandal of the
present council lias been so great that
men who ordinarily do not pay any
attention to the primaries and vote
their party ticket straight on election
day attended these ward meetings in
order to Interrogate the candidates ami
tliul out If possible if they were in
clined to represent the city or a cor
poration. It was an exhibition of civic
interest ami responsibility that demon
strates a healthful condition of the
body politic. The present council was
apparently unaware of the disap
proval with which a large part of the
membership is regarded by honest
men of both parties. These ward meet
ings weje attended by disgusted re
publicans who spoke their minds very
freely. It is one of the glories of the
republican party that when a republi
can otilce-holder neglects his duty, or
steals, or boodles, or becomes the tool
of a corporation and forgets that he
represents the people and only the
people, the voters who elected him do
not shield him. On the contrary the
criticism from his own party is more
severe than from the democrats or
populists. In the fourth ward. Mr.
Itacon, whose record is considered es
pecially objectionable by his own
party, did not attend the meeting. Mr.
C Y. Smith, a candidate from that
ward, did. Mr. Smith is suspected of
being a tool of the gas company. The
voters who were quite seriously en
deavoring to select a suitable candi
date from the Fourth asked him some
questions about his connection with
and obligations to the gas company.
Mr. Smith's replies were flippant, and
out of harmony with the purpose of
the meeting. No criticism has be"n
made concerning his ability and good
faith so severe as his own replies to
the questions addressed to him by the
Fourth ward voters. In accepting the
services of a man who considers that
he is really too good for the place, but
that it is his duty, considering the
taxes he pays for other people to rep
resent the property in the council, the
people felt that they were running too
great a risk and accepting too much
of a sacritlce from a young man.
The Americanism of a ward meeting
is a survival of the old town-meeting,
and of the witenagemot where the
citizens met and expressed their minds
about measures and politics. A can
didate who can not appreciate Its dlir
nlty and historical significance is unlit
to represent anyone but himself. He
is an egotist and forever foreign to
our institutions. Humility and the
consciousness of himself as one in
many, of no more importance than the
unit of democracy, is the first requis
ite or a real American citizen. The
representative of the people Is a ser
vant and If he objects to the word
and his preliminary examination it is
an indubitable sign that lie is not lit
for the place to which he condescend
ingly asks his fellow citizens to elect
him. Mr. Smith is a young man, and
for such there is sometimes salvation.
But political preferment seldom waits
upon the superior young man who an
nounces in a card to the public that
he does not particularly care for the
ofllce to which he invites it to elect
him ami that, if so-minded, the ward
may nominate someone else.
The city is a corporation and very
frequently the interests of a corporate
city conflict with the interests of a
gas, or a traction, or a telephone, or a
railroad corporation.
The representatives of the city
would do well to imitate the conduct
and the policy of the employes of a
railroad company. Itailroad employes,
from the. higher ofllcers to the lower
ones, as a general thing serve the
company faithfully. They represent
the railroad company and its Interests
at all times. They do not attempt to
nominally serve the company and
actually try to bankrupt It. A few
conductors hold up fares, but consid
ering the thousands employed, theft
is very rare. Whereas an absolutely
incorruptible council, a council as de
voted to the interests of the city as
the railroad employes are to the com
pany is very hard to And.
The Schley Case
The president's revision of the Schley
case is comprehensive. As he is a just
man and a brave one it is idle for those
who comprehend the president's char
acter to claim that he was influenced in
Ids decision by anything except the de
sire to declare the truth. Schley's par
tisans sincerely believe that an organ
ized clique exists at Washington which
has the confidence and support of the
administration and of the higher naval
ofllcers, whose raison d'etre is the ele
vation of Sampson and the degradation
of Schley. When men express them
selves as aggrieved by the treatment
which Schley has received they do not
profess a knowledge of the facts in the
case, but they answer all references to
the loop and to the fact that Sampson
was the commander-in-chief, accord
ing to the testimony of all the ship
commanders, by saying that it is all a
part of the same plot to belittle Schley
and exalt Sampson.
One captain or lieutenant commander
might have joined a diabolical cabal to
obstruct justice and give the credit of
The Dr. Bailey Sanatorium.
Thoroughly equipped and beautifully furnished every electriccurrent useful in treat
ment of sick ideal Turkish, Bussian, and Medicated Baths only non-contagions
chronic diseases received. This institution is net a hotel, not a hospital, hut a home.
tlie victory to a man who had not
earned it, but it is inconceivable that
the President, the Secretary of War,
the admirals, and the former President
McKinley were members of this cabal.
President McKinley in consultation
with the Secretary of War, appointed
Admiral Sampson commander-in-chief
of the Atlantic squadron. The Presi
dent expected to live, to complete his
term of ofllce and to retire with the
consciousness of possessing the affec
tion, gratitude, and respect of seventy
tie million Americans. Moreover and
above all. President McKinley had an
exacting conscience. He was generous
to his fellow man. When the police
were mauling the man who had shot
him and while his own life blood was
spurting from the wound President Mc
Kinley said. "Don't let them hurt him."
Is it likely then that he would join
with others to do -fin injustice to a
man with the naval record and the
personal lovableness of Schley?
Notwithstanding his generosity the
President appointed Admiral Sampson
to the command of the squadron that
he hoped would capture Admiral Cer
vera's fleet because he thought him the
best man for the place. In such a
supreme decision at such a moment, no
American can believe that the Presi
dent was actuated by any other mo
tives than those wholly based on the
welfare of the American cause.
"A war cloud was gathering from
over-seas, and soon its shadow might
shroud the nation. It was for us a na
tional question of right and wrong,
and if the storm must break, it were
well to be prepared. The brunt would
bear first upon the weakest arm of the
service our untried navy. The Presi
dent called his counsellors about him
and there were long deliberations. If
war must come the ships must be put
in order and the commander-in-chief
appointed. The President read slowly
down the list of naval officers. Finally
his finger stopped. 'There is the man."
he said, "He should be the commander-in-chief
of our provisional battle
squadron." The name was far down
the list. It was ranked by a score but
the President said: "I'll make him a
rear admiral if it ever comes to the
point." The war cloud was not coming
out of Spain. The President was not
William McKinley, the head of a re
publican ndminintration, jumping
Sampson over the heads of some of
his senior captains for partisanship, or
favoritism or what else. The president
was Grover Cleveland. The time was
1S94. and he was jumping Sampson not
only over the heads of a few captains,
but of nearly all of the captains. Cleve
land then had never seen Sampson."
(Condensed from The Sun of February
S.)
The war was averted, but when war
was actually declared against Spain
another administration was ruling this
country. But the republican President
selected the same man that the demo
cratic President had designated as his
choice.
Sampson has never been a popular
man. He is an aristocrat although of
very humble birth. He is pharasaical
and oratorical where Schley is modest
and democratic. But the virtues and
faults alluded to have nothing to do
with the case. The President tried to
select the greatest naval commander
in the ser ice and the verdict of pos
terity will doubtless ratify his judg
ment. The weight of contemporary
judgment if not of popular judgment
is against Schley. The commanders of
all the other ships, the Secretary of
War, three presidents, and almost
without exception the voice of every
naval officer, from second lieutenant to
rear admiral, pronounces Sampson th
greater man. Sampson's snobbery, the
silly telegram in which he announced
the destruction of Cervera's fleet, and
claimed the whole credit, and the letter
to the Secretary of War. wherein lie
advised against promoting warrant of
ficers, however able, because he feared
their lack of social graces would dis
credit the United States in foreign
ports, as well as his failure to correct
the MacClay proofs, are responsible
for the prejudice against Sampson
which most people feel. He has shown
neither simplicity nor generosity, and
he is not just. For all these faults the
American people condemn him, but it
is fortunate for those same people that
it was Sampson and not Schley who
was in charge of the squadron that
blockaded the harbor of Santiago.
Whether they like It on not the
American people are forced by their
good sense and by events to finally
accept "the verdict that has been, ex
pressed by the men best qualified to
render it. They have said again .and
again that both in the battle and dur
ing the blockade and chase which pre
ceded it Schley blundered, and al
though we like Schley as a man and
brother we are forced to accept the
decision of eye-witnesses and of naval
authority in regard to his capacity.
CLUB NOTES
THE WEEK'S REVIEW
The art department of the Woman's
club met on Wednesday. Mrs. H. M.
Bushnell talked of ancient and modern
sculpture.
-M. t
The Hound Table met Monday even
ing with Mr. A. J. Sawyer. The sub
ject discussed was, "Central Bank
with Branch Banks, and power to Is
sue Asset Currency." The leader was
Mr. John B. Wright. z
The Fortnightly met Thursday after
noon with Mrs. A. J. Sawyer. Mrs. W.
G. L. Taylor was the leader, subject,
"Constitutional Aspects of the Rela
tions between the United States and
Dependencies."
H-
The regular meeting of the Woman's
club will be held Monday afternoon at
Walsh hall. The election of club offi
cers, and of delegates to the national
and state federations will consume the
time for the meeting so there will be
no program. A full attendance is de
sired. J. -V, .21
C fV c
The Candlelight club met Monday
evening at the Lincoln hotel. The com
mercial relations of the United States
and Japan were discussed with Mr. O.
J. King as leader. New members elect
ed were Auditor Charles Weston,
Messieurs J. B. Horton, H. O. Barber,
I. S. P. Weeks.
J" 2 ."
rV rC f
The members of the Matinee Musicale
and their escorts occupied boxes, and a
large part of the parquet at the Hof
mann recital last night.
The next regular meeting of the
Matinee Musicale will occur Monday.
March the tenth. A Bach and
Beethoven program will be given under
the direction of Mrs. R. A. Holyoke
and Miss Haywood.
-'t -'i
tC Tr tc
Mrs. M. H. Everett returned Thurs
day from Washington, D. C, where
she went to attend the annual conven
tion of the Daughters of the American
Revolution. Mrs. Everett represented
the Lincoln chapter, of which she is
regent and acted as state regent in
place of Mrs. S. B. Pound, who could
not attend the meeting. Mrs. Pound
was re-elected state regent.
The Xew Book Review club met on
Wednesday with Mrs. J. H. Stevens.
Mrs. W. M. Widener gave a fine review
of "Kim,' which received many com
pliments from those who hear it. Miss
Howland gave a biographical sketch of
Rudyard Kipling. Mrs. Warner sang
a pretty song, and Mrs. Elias Baker
contributed to the enjoyment of the
afternoon by singing some of Kipling's
poems set to music. The club will meet
next with Mrs. C. H. Warner.
The W. R. P. C. club met last Fri
day with Mrs. O. It. Eller and Mrs. H.
E. Gregory at 2816 T street. Mrs. I.
M. Heckler, vice president, was in the
chair. A song by the club opened the
program. Mrs. Maple conducted the
lesson. Mrs. Eller and Mrs. M.'.ple
played a piano duet. Miss Green read
a paper on "The Passion Play," Mrs.
Rush read a poem, "The Schoolmas
ter's Guests," Mrs. Sinclair read a pa
per on John Winthrop and music was
rendered by Mrs. Maple. Master Har
old Baker, and Miss Florence Butler.'
Blue ancT white refreshments were
served.
