The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-08
The Navy Department Frauds.

The Navy Department Frauds.
SEcoR RoBEsoN is n much more willy
scoundrel than BEIKNAP. He Is not one
of the officials to whom CAMERoN's remark
applies, that "those inexperienced fellows
don't know how TO manage these things"
Even SIMON CAMERON couldn't teach him
tricks, but might indeed, even learn some
from him. RoBEsoN's proficiency in adj
dition, division, and silence is not so
much due to training as to positive
genius. lie has no MARSHES about
TO squcal on him. Some time ago he
stopped the gifts OF canel's hair shawls
from old iron and timber men, giving
them 70 understand that he would attend
10 all that sort of business himself Pru-
dence and public opinion required that
there should be no display OF gifts. RoBE-
SON is n sort of man who keeps his own
books, and, as 1t is said that he doesn't eat
and drink as much as he did, his head is
probably clear and his eye keen to watch
his tracks and see that they are well COW
cred.
But SEcoR RoDEsoN. clever as he is at
knavery, has been in too many jobs to
have kept them all concealed. From al
most his first appearance at the Navy De
partment until now, hr has been putting
MP jobs for the bencht of contractors,
with divvies, of course, TO himself.
JoHN Roach alone has been given millions.
for doing utterly unnecessary things.
These are, for instance, as IN the case Of
the Tennessee. ripping ont new machinery
and replacing II with other new machinery,
while the original was in part used in other
vessels, also committed to Roach to spend
money on. These jobs, so palpable to any
man OF ordinary sense, RoBEsoN has pro-
tected from exposure by all the devices
OF official formalites aud endorsements. He
has had venal or stupid boards of engineers
easy enough to get in the navy. survey the
ships and make such reports as are con-
venient to carry out these corrupt schemes
for enriching friendly and confederatcd
contractors and damaging the navy. If
he had wished, he could have got boards
OF Engineers to recommend that an armort Il
yessol should be covered with papcr machG
instead Of iron, or n steam vessel turned
into II sailing vessel III order to increase its
efficiency.
Since RoBrsoN has been I'm ONCE, he has
spent enough in just these ways to make n
respectable navy. But JoHS RoACH is IA
close-mouthed man where his interests are
concerned, though in general so voublc n
talker that he conquers his listener by
pure staying power He should bo put
through u course Of questioning; but we
can assure the committee that they Will
not find another MARSH i'm JoHSNY Roach.
The payment of sos, coo to SncoR on "A
fraudulent war claim. again and again re-
jected by GIDEON WEIIEs, offers one Of
the best openings for the exposure of ROBE
son. The Republican withdrawing COM
mittee found the transaction all right, rs "a
Republican investigating committee would
have found BELKNAP perfectly innocent (;
but that the money was paid in contraven-
ton of law, in violation Of every principle
Of equity, through corrupt collision and
"a present TO lady" was made man
ifest.
One Of the rottonest places IN RoBEsoN' +
official career is his connection with NOR
MAN WARD, man VIGOROUSLY destitute
Of character, a humbug, a charatan.
and n scamp. Though there Is not an
ordnance officer In the army or navy who
does not know this fellow to he a fraud,
ana his so-callel inventions mere clap-trap
contrivanccs and clever tricks for stealing
money, yet RoBEsoN has given him hun
drcds of thousands of dollars for pretended
experiments, on which not one tenth part
OF the money has been spent, according TO
the statement OF his own assistant. RoBE-
SON was hand in glove with tins man.
When WIZARD was gong about the New
England coast with steam Yacht, at
the time he was milking the Government
most successfully, RoBEsoN joined him,
and together they cruscd until all the
rum ana cigars aboard were expended.
The head OF the navy Ordnance Blu
reau, Commodore JEFFERs, unavaling-
ly protested against WARDS devices
but RoDEsoN kept him nevertheless
abundantly supplied with Government
money, ana If ne had not been Obliged
TO divide with his principal, WIZARD might
now be Iich man.
If the investigating committee really
means TO find out, aud goes resolutely TO
work, we do not fear that il will fluid its
lAbors fruitless. A corrupt official SO deep
in iniquity "a RoBEsON, one who has gained
profits from so many directions, is sure 10
be caught in some of them.