The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-12-02
Corruption in the Navy Depart
ment.

IN New Jersey or to
pleasure, Secor Robson has returned
to Washington branded by the hon
est people of his own State with de-
feat and disgrace. During all this
time he drew every cent of the Off
cial salary, just as if he had been &C.
tually present and engaged in the
of his functions, while it
is notorious that the Navy Depart
ment was turned over to a subordi-
nate, and the public business was
scandalously neglected.
One of the first symptoms that he
has resumed charge of the depart
ment is a notice that the estimates
for the ensuing fiscal year will be
nineteen and half millions Of dollars,
Or say three and half millions more
than were appropriated at the last
session for the current expenses
AS the incidents of the recent cleo
ton are fresh in the public mind, we
hope that not a dollar will be voted
for this service, until after a thor
ough investigation. 1t would be a
saving of many millions annually if
the appropriation bill for the navy
should be absolutely rejected, until
a searching reform was established.
Without some radical treatment of
this kind, the plundering that is now
notorious will 90 on under pretexts
and disguises that cannot be success
fully reached.
Thousands of men wete employed
in the navy yards of Charleston, Nor
folk, Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Pen
sacola, just previous to the election
and dismissed few days after, as if
to certify the partisan object for
which they were first taken on and
then abruptly sent away. They were
not regular mechanics in any proper
sense. but mere hirelings picked up
in the streets and purchased with
the peoples money, voted by cor
rupt Congress under the false pre-
tence of supporting the navy.
This outrageous abuse was first
introduced by Robson on a large
scale at the Mare Island Navy Yard
in California, three years ago, when
the workmen and employees were
marched to the polls by their chiefs
and compelled by open threats o
dismissal to vote Grant ticket con
spicuously large and marked to en-
force fidelity. 1t has been continued
here ever since, growing continual.
f in proportions and cost, until nov
immense sums are expended in thi
form of barefaced bribery.
t While every industry is suffering
trade is stagnant, tens of thousand
of poor laborers walk the streets i
idleness, and taxation is to the las
degree oppressive, the Treasury
n thus robbed by venal Secretary t
serve his own selfish ambition an
i to aid in keeping an infamous Az
n ministration in power. The depar
|, ment is rotten in every part, and e
e pecially at the head.
f. When Mr.. Borie requested tt
" President to appoint Robson as h
successor in the Navy Department
the intention was to improve b
v needy condition by the salary. I
,r entered Office absolutely poor and d
e pendent on the pay. He is now Il
is owner of large property in Washin
it ton, has built summer residence
IN Long Branch, and maintains t
d. style of a millionaire at the capit'
th 1t is hardly necessary to ask hi
ne this wealth has been accumulated
i'll four years. His relations with CO
r. tractors and jobbery tell the sto
d. plainly that would have been reye
lis ed long ago in a more positive for
on if an impartial inquiry had been e
Ter nestly prosecuted by Congress.
he Robson like other members
ill the Cabinet, has been whitewash
M but his venality is rendered more
10 tent by that fact. There are so-c'
< a ed Democrats III Congress, too, "
ay have aided in this process for G.
ort sideration, but the time is near
,og hand when that sort of rascality c
ito not be repeated, and when ofiici
Ike who have acquired sudden fortu
Ian may expect to be turned inside {
of Meantime let the navy bill be
to plored and the supplies stopped
the til the navy yard proaigacy is ex
T it ined, and the dandy feet now /
ple for the amusement of officers in
to Mediterranean is brought he
IN. Y. Sun.