Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1878-09-28

ROBESON's NOMINATION..
The Republicans Of the First District O
New Jersey have nominated the notoriou
Robson for Congress, and thereby hav'
assumed the odium and the infamy Of hi
corrupt administration Of the navy undel
Grant. No man ever held high Office in
this country who SO openly and daringly
prostituted it to venal uses during the
seven or eight years in which he converted
the department into a brokers' shop Tor
Jobs and contracts, and auctioned the pub
lie patronage to the highest bidder. In
this plundering system he was upheld by
stolid President, himself defiant of pub
lie opinion, and by party majorities in both
Houses of Congress.
During the seven years, from 1870 to
1876, inclusive, before the House OF Repre-
sentatives passed into the hands of the
Democrats, the expenditures for the navy
aggregated S157. $50, 847.57, or an average
of nearly twenty-five and a half millions a
pesr in round numbers. To this enormous
total must be added about twenty millions
in public property which Robson bartered
away with favored contractors, without au-
thority of law, in order to swell their col
lusive profits. The expenditures for the
navy in the fourteen years from 184S to
1851, inclusive, summed up $159, 456, S39.18
or less than half the average Of Robeson's
seven.
For these vast expenditures there is
nothing to show but rotten hulks, q
debauched service, and the sudden wealth
Of . Ring who had pass keys into the de-
partment. The investigation of 1876
proved beyond the possibility of successful
dispute that q regular combination of
middlemen was organized, who. with Robe
sons favor, levied toll on all contracts and
open purchases for the navy, and divided
the spoils. In spite Of the appalling perjury
Of different witnesses, of the alteration and
mutilation Of books of account, Of fabricated
vouchers, and Of other deceptions, the cor
yupt connection between Robson and the
Cattells, and Matthews, and Noblitt, and
Roach, and many others, who monopolized
the great jobs, was fastened SO strongly
that no ~artifce, or lying, or false swearing
could unite the knot.
Identified with Jay Cooke and the throng
Of spectators Of which he was the oster.
sible chief, Robson did not hesitate when
the panic came to take a million of dollars
Of the public money and transfer it to Lon
don to prop up the tottering fortunes Of
the foreign branch Of that concern, for
which act impeachment and its penalty
would have been q deserved punishment.
Utterly reckless and INSCRIPTIONS, he
stopped at no violation Of law by which his
Ring might be enriched, or the party on
which he relied to defend his excuses
could be strengthened.
The navy yards were transformed into
political headquarters, their commanders
into partisan agents, and the employees of
al grades became mere or eatures Of the
saueus, who at Mare Island were marched to
the polls in double file, every man bear
ing . large ticket with the names OF the
Republican candidates to prevent the exer-
else Of any independent opinion. At home
and abroad, under this disgraceful rule,
the navy fell in public estimation, and the
gallant officers who took a just pride in
their profession would not cross the TIRES
hold Of the spokesman, knowing that pro.
motion and favor could only be procured
By the sacrifice Of self-respect.
His career as Secretary closed consist
entity with its whole course. Invited to ac'
temporarily until the advent Of his success,
sor, to discharge the routine duties, in thu
six days Of holding over he made illega
contracts for three or four millions OF dol
lars, which had to be broken, after having
In the remaining hours Of his own term
diverted the money appropriated for pa,
Of the navy to the benefit of the Ring con
tractors.
throughout the whole country, and ire
spective Of party, Robson is regarded as
successful jobber who betrayed his trust
He has the ~effrontery now to set up for Al
honorable place through an ill-gotten nom,
ination. The sitting member, Mr.. Sin
nickson. had . Republican majority at tn.
hst election Of 1880. But there are Re
pubIieans in that district whom no ties o
party can induce to support q candidat
whose nomination il . Disgrace 10 tn
party and . dishonor to the State.