The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-06-14


The New York Times saws:
I'VE venture to remind Secretary
Robson that he misapprehends the
case he IS required to meet when Ire
gives only his version Of his deal
lngs with the Cattels. and fails to
explain the sudden control o.
wealth which his various bank &C
counts appear to reveal. SO far as
Is generally known, he was not a
rich man when he accepted office .
When the leading organ OF the
Republican party drops thus heav-
lily upon the secretary OF the navy.
1T Is conclusive evidence that his
record, however carefully vanished.
is pretty thoroughly rotten. This
sudden change from poverty to
riches is extremely suspicious. Mr.
John NJ. Scovel of Camden, n. j..
when examined by the House com
mittee in regard to Robeson's finan-
cial condition previous to his APP
pointment, said: II think it was as
near nothing as possible. | know
that he was a very poor man, and
poin tment bears date June 25,
1869, and the Times calls attention
to the fact that from July to De
cember of the same year, SI7,SS7
were placed to the secre tarv's cred
it in Camden bank. and that this
money was in checks and notes of
A. G. Cattell & Co., and checks of
the Corn Exchange bank. Philadel-
phia, where the Cattells kept their
private accounts. From April,
1872, to September Is, 1878, the
secretary's deposits with Jay Cooke
& Co, Washington, amounted to
over $4,000. During the fall of
1878 and the whole Of the year fol
lowing, he deposited with Drexel,
Morgan & Co, and their books show
sum total in his favor of $4,000
and upwards. Geo f. Cutler, paw
director in the navy, testifies that
on one occasion he carried $4,000 /
in bank notes from Washington to |
New York, and deposited them in
Robeson's name, and at another |
time was the bearer Of s.. 500 in the |
same kind of currency to the same
destination. Here then is an ag-
gregate of nearly $4,000 in six
years, without including some 1922
900 in notes indorsed by the Cat
tells and discounted for the secre |
tary's benefit. The salary attached |
to the head of the navy department
is $4,000 per annum.
Now, if Robson can explain how
he swelled $4,000 in legitimate
pay to $137, 900 in bank deposits,
he will be entitled to clean bill
of health. Otherwise, not. Making
all due allowances for the transfer
of funds from one bank to another,
it is impossible to understand, on any
honorable hypothesis, how so much
money could possibly pass into the
hands of man whose annual salary
is only $4,000, and who is not en-
gagged in any outside business The
$40, 500 in bank bills taken from
Washington to New York by Cut
Ter, has a bad look, and there are
other circumstances which show
that the congressional investiga
ton has struck the right trail We
hope it will be vigorously followed
up, and that while Secretary Ro be
son is treated fairly by the commit
tee, he will act be permitted to
dodge the responsibility of mis- off
cial actions. He is an uncommonly
shrewd operator, which Belknap
was moi. Int no quantity or quality
Of shrewdness can cover up all the
tracks made since 1869 Patience
and perseverance cannot fail to re
veal, sooner or later, the secret Of
this sudden rise from chronic impe
curiosity to abundant wealth.
There has been SO much of that
sort of thing in Grants administra
ton that the people are justified in
demanding the closest aud most i'm
partial scrutiny in the present in
stance.