The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-25
SECOR ROBES0N'S RECORD.
THE NIVY DEPIRTMEN 4 SINK or
INIOUITY AND CORRUPFION'

ststeutIy Niointtd fncts th"' ~'""'
cure his Impeachment with""' "''"''
w,sutNeroN, July al transmit fuftner
extrncts IRON, the Forthcoming heuoft OF '"o
House com lnittec on Naval An ire "hlcn SUI"
In the rlcMest liSut the Industry Whicn 0'oo'
Roneso,. has DISPLAYED IN his great WORK "' rum
ip., our navy. swell ~ his zen and reckless
dcnnnceof law IN many different Instances inc
committee. - ,rqtoting the testimony wh'oh
,.rrincipal fricers II the navy have given In re
btton to the trrscut worthless character Of that
arm ~ our national defence. say:
:, ,npenrs that I'm 1900, when the present Sec
refnrv look Gu rye. the navy b. re on It's register
a. vessels that by authOiity Of law eight SCOOPS
al war AT Il two ttrieuU uuats have been aided
tI.tcfo and mat hv pur base three more, o.
vii. tie Despatch. the lilo Br 70. and the Sc
Ws d have IL 50 Oeeu added. making 2i6 vessels
NNicu -huu nov app ar on the re. ister out
w. cf. .ccutding tu the Secreta vs. last repor',
there are only lF. 81 that seventy one vessels
|. We disappeared and, counting up To the res
emf me, il IL more, bt cause several vessels have
been sold since December lust-have disar pear
su. Your committee nave therefore to report
10 he liouse the fact that the present secretary
II tie NAVY las TX euued IN money at out tllO'.
tOUO; has used or disposed OF tue maten = OF
more tnan seventy ships OF war, besides Othcr
6aterial nos contracted luhill les amounting
b. several tuillons OF dollars. aud has 20 snuw;
~ q result, navy whose cOndi ton Is desctluSu
In the testimony OF It's cbief onlcer' aHeauy
quoted. .,. ,,.,, ho,or.
.hem " hile they ars painfully conscious 81 Tue
,muuut of taxes 81 wutoh tney have pau Tor us
,unpurt. the people MA, we'll ask now tn, SO re.
,,,, = nave been rought Hbout-may well feel
shat with the A3 vessels ON hand when the Ures-
,ui Secretary assuu ell control OF the deuart-
men. anu with tue expenditure Of tf0,OvO,OOO
pf their money since that time, the nation
Nould now have n navy In which IL could take
prtup-Oue aueuunte TO tue defence OF itr com
ncrCc aud It's honor and. failing In this, they
o. y well iuquiie b, what means his ere W $40
pl their Resources has occurred, aud exact 81
th,-e VINO have mad charge Of these Interests a
Ai.nful aud rigid account of their trust, ami n
be not gwen DEMAND tnat thuse om.eis' W
h. language ~ 9he OF tho lopuihf plnat-
lorus vi the day, "be punished with
in-u rlns h nd Relieving, as ha. been init
naird IN tue testimony OF Tue Admiral OF the
W. that 10y wise nd honest administration
nAt, ut seventy millions Ot dollars 81 tue sums
~ ended upon ne navy during The last eight
t,ir- 4. uld nave been saved believing tuat, II
d ou the OF er nand the sans expended had
,,,n wisely aud economic lly expended, "A navy
gould u We been created sucn as the country re-
Iifcs, navy winch would oe nov the pide OF
~ own peOple and t"s admiration 4 not the
INV ot utuer nations, rs WIS once the proud
iHcf N the history of The American navy; and
,eneying, further. mat this imA.ense waste OF
lie puulic Il oney ana property mas been illegally
IN crimipal, brought stoul' your committee
rave now Ia submit To the House the reasons
winch their opinions on mis- subject are
POLITICS IS NAVY YARDS.
l. Il well known that the priucioal items Of
=. IN tie bulidiue Of vessels OF war re III the
luf,usse Of materials aNu the emuloyment 81
n Yul (aUing principally l.tOt, anu Il Is III these
lVts more Uarticuiarly That tnere has been ex-
uas gsnce and curruptl In uu the part Of those
Mo- nave admnisttTed tue Affairs VI our navy.
The u.e Il the navy Yards OF the country "a pD-
huc.l engines Is "A lac which IL Is admitted has
xi-ted tor A great many e RS past. Their pros
h,uunn Uy the pOi icians Of both parties wes
tarreu t. such an ex rene iength that u Uecame
nco, ssary several Years ngo, Ia Response TO tue
abuses xlstlnR la inis regard, ana Cong esS, ~
le,ersl tLa, tments TO WI, la Msich, 1885,, ia
lie. 1865, nj la May, 49,. PROVIDED, among
other Things. mrs., that master workmer la the
riDus navy ,ards should te men skilled Ia
heir -evcfa dulles 4; secondly. that no uftcer or
tMrloyee 81 tue OOveinmeut should require
w workman IN any navy vard TO con-
Eiuute OF pay any money Tor political pur-
Doe, = anu that no workman should be To-
u ved or disc hatged on ccount of hts political
ipDinus anu, shlruly. that laboIers should be
improved in lbe seVerai navy yards, by the
roper officers Ia cha ~, with reference to ski
.nc fl 'ieuOy Oud without regard 10 other CON
u.,rI.i,us. lhese .eyeral provisions Of law
seIe INT ended TO correct abuses ten existing
u the III .nageinent II tie navy yards, aud nOw.
~ much ne Democratic aud " mtg parties OF
mNudu,tion Il politics mao the navy y rds ttnd
terra uiy they suOnld he ceusuTed for ~, tue
AT, sement I the wards III This respect since
NE tnAc;ment- aUuve referred 10 has been stu
hure Corrupt ANA cilnlnai IA thls Inat Tue
d" Teen uptnS. uruandy. INA corruptS
i-i.garded. la converting e navy yards int q
pDlftCu machines, TIE W mig ana Democratic
D.il,s Of former years violated expres.
IL Ite. ruat nigu oneuoe NAMED for tue
Nrscut administration.
An examination OF The various navy yards
lIuu tnr \ .lantic coast bas convinced your
.o.4ni tee Lat fuliy Sl,OOO.OyO per annum, d ur-
- ,'e- ion years, O. ~ been taken from the
lIc.sury for tne purpose OF couuptns tue
futef- Il the coun;rl. ahu II has been done vii
iult. ga T. r face VI tue law, and Tor tue purl Ust
controlling the elections. Ia addition to th'
o. ( Vie money linus unnecessarily and cor
GOuN eApended, II mus. De re mennberei tn"
M - duIe u tue great ue trment ald pTeg 1dic'
u tie Lonest anu Industrious NE. names ui -
iouh r., VINO are ueptNed III TINS WAY loi seN
raj months OF tue year of tue means OF sap
,orung themselves .nd their families, Ia otde
hat lie party Ia power may secure Tue votes q
fa-abouus nd io,itrs. Inc trelned And wVftn
a.. nanics VINO desire emplJ' ineut, aud VIII
you'd serve me GJNernnent lutelligeutIy an'
hlthfuiiV. are, Tor three OF Tour uuulhs OF ID
fe.r, informed that tney cannot be employee
because tue .uproin lions have been eXueud ed
Ihey IRE thus discouraged and uenoraIlzru
Khue tut little, II any, good Is done To I o.
sor,nlrss ana trt,ng men wno are given te IN
porary employment pending elections.
II no tur,her VI UtDef cause OF comnlaint ex
ls.ed against tue present. administration .
bly, mace Uy tue worthy aud thrifty mechanic
aud lab rers Of the country That alone h 81
LIST ma wcignty tnat II should at oLce AIRES
Toe attention ol Tue House aud their test Ell RI
fOr Inc correction Of .nis growing evil. But tn
direct loss 10 tue Ooveinment docs not sto
VITA the expenditure Of tue money paid e. III
WORTHLESS cla-s of persons above alluded L.
Great additional loss aud damage necessaril
Arlses fTOm tue wasAs aud destruction u Iua
lena resulting irom the employment OF an
InIii-d lauor. 1t Is manifest, from the proof lie
tore your cou,ilIttre, that II would take yer
Iigr sum Of money 70 cover the los, and d am
IKE iesulu Y irVm the en- ployment VI sue
.Oor. anu AZ ID also manifest tbat tue RESPONSE
tue secretary Of the Navy and the cuieis y
bureaus uudSr hltn.
lue secretary oi the Navy directly interfere
90 oe 'snite by name parties who snhii be elm
Iio.~. a. f.re.nen or az iaOorers, directs no,
NJ. .ppuiu,,.s snall 10 rated. the amount U
tpupeu-ati.u they sbail receive, and in VIVA
"a, mont they shall be empiuyed; and We
TIL srry SECRETARY. VINO can 30 descend To tn
detail, Il Dep rtment Ia navy yard, ambush
ln.b appsars Jefofe TINS Committee ana dis
G. lIia any knowledge Of toe working of tn
Vau.us bureaus under his Immediate eve, L
"hht extern. VI ia what manner they have ex
= nded tue peoples money, nOtWlthstaIIdIn
tns iact that lie ually approves tneH bills.
FAYoRlTIsM IN CONTRACTS.
In the haoitu ! disregard Of the various law
enacted ~ bougtess iOf tue security and prl
lection OF the naval service IA relation to cOu
tract, there has grown up a Class Of person
Known a. favored ocaler- WITH the department
Not many persons are quainteu win what at
supposed to be the p-cuh r wants Of tue navy
IL LAS apparently Ueeu managed II close COZ
puraiIon. and wLiis u has hau lalge sums "a
hive ue0n tue recipients OF no iayors. For le II
pa,t IL has boen sOutwnat Ot1riOus That " con
htrtors' have cUrrUDtIy fattehed upon toes
fNnT-. DuInR the recent war 4 ngTers tour
Il unccss ~ to make us CONTRACTORS, Tor the
fI.4ds, subject u trlal " cuurt-.hartial; yr
eva 50 rigorous law seemed to have bee
hlNIIt enect.
VIA knowiedge OF adj this. the country had
rlRh- 10 exec. IRON the pr sent Secretary an
l., hef assist nts sucn thorough change an
aaI