Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-07-18

Ripley, then Superintendent of Springfield ar
mory, concerning the title to property claimed
by the Major as belonging to the Government,
and who ever since has been the active man
in getting up petitions and charges now being
urged on Congress, writes us communication
which appears On the outside Of our psper
to-day. We publish it, however, with notes
Thus We have numbered his important mis-
takes-from to 16-and explain his errors in
what follows here, numbering our explana-
nations and corrections to correspond With his
misstatements or mistakes.
While we do not care straw by whom these
works are superintended, We arc unwilling to
remain silent, when those who have charge of
them are maligned most upjusti6ably, as has
been done for years past in the efforts to Dust
them. If they fail to discharge their duties,
or If they can be better discharged by any
other class Of public servants, the latter should
take their place; but not otherwise. 1t does
not strike US, however, that there is q neces-
sity for maligning them to justify their reno
vel. But to our task:
l. Civilians were originally appointed only
because there were then no ordnance officers
in the service of the United States.
2. See testimony Of John Bell, former Sec
|i,ssary of War (Miscellaneous) House Docu-
ment Is, page rs, present session, for entire
refutation of the charge that he made the
change under improper military influences or
interference. - -'i# sat..ts.
8. See act of February Is, 1915, for full
authority for making the change. Also act of
February 8, 1915, directing such establishment
to be placed in charge of the Ordnance branch
Of the War Department. F-a.-.-,,.. '-.
4. See document and page referred to above,
for proof that the President Of the United
States consented to and advised the &C. of Sec.
rotary Bell in making the change, after due
consideration and investigation. ~
5. See House Document 207, Twenty-Second
Congress, second session, and SEQ Mr.. Keitt's
report just made, for proof that under civil
superintendencies tho influences of partizan
favoritism which were operating at these ma
tional works, the want Of system in their man
| agement, the disregard of, or inattention to-,
| tho regulations and instructions Of the Ord.
| nance department by the civil superintendent,
and the impossi bility of the head of that mill
tary department exercising sufficient control
over civilians, compelled the (then) Secretary
| of War to carry out the original intention in
creating the Ordnance corps, of charging 1t
| with the management of such branches of the
military depart ment of the Government.
L ~ ne
gunsmith, when appointed superintendent of
the Springfield armory, was a Lieutenant. Co..
onet in the regular army of the United States.
Very shortly afterwards, on the reduction of
| the army, he was disbanded, Blu. was very
| properly retained as superintendent of that
establishment. His military and practical
| experience combined, made him, perhaps, un.
| eoualled, before or since, for the position
His success should be credited to the military,
not to the civil branch of the account, as he
| stepped from tito army right into the superin-
tendency. r.
| z. The Rev. Mr.. Roba, of Md, was, though
| preacher, very active political partizan.
From the day General jackson sent him to
Springfield 20 this hour, he has been known as
an active, emphatic and undisguised demo.
cratic politician. Hundreds in Washington
know this fact.
| 8. See Document 207, second session, TWEEN.
ty-Sevsnth Congress, above referred to-
| 9. See Keitt's Report, above referred to, for
quotations in gross from testimony of record
for proof that under civil superintendencies, i,
was customary to let men, spar.izan favorites,"
be 4" absent, engaged on political business
| 10. Major Ripley might have been q Wing
but being an army officer, he knew his duty
too we'll to interfere in politics; the first sus.
picion Of his doing such thing has yet to be
b.eathed. .
IL. See House Document No. 70, above re.
fsrred to-the Secretary of Wars letter in re-.
ply to the committees queries-for proof tina,
than under the civil superinteniencies-thus
disproving the sweeping assertion to which
| this note refers.
| II. The assertion Of our correspondent thai
all the Improvements in The manufacture Of
arms have been made by civIlians-none by
military men, is unsustainable by proof. He
makes no effort to prove it, it will be perceived
Is. See Keitt's Report for proof that every
Secretary Of War since the change was made,
has emphatically reported that the military
superintendencies have proved most economi.
cal and far best for the Governments interest
as involved in these establishments-see also,
document rs above referred to; Cyl. Church
hills Report, page 1853 to III.
IA. Here again, the writer sets down Col.
Lee as civil superinte ndent, which is not true
lie stepped from the line of the army directly
into the armory, and as before remarked, that
fact makes it but just and proper to credit his
success to the military side of the account
Is. See Mr.. Keitts Report for proof that the
excellence Of Mr.. Robb's management was
merely referred to as in contrast with the
shocking mismanagement at Harper's Ferry
at that time-not that it was better than the
management Of such establishment by ord.
nance officers.
| l6. For thorough refutation of all this clap
trap about the horror Of free American me.
chanics in working under their countrymen
who happen to be in the army and all that