Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-09-20
ROBESON.

George M. Robson, ex-secretary of the
navy, has just been nominated for Congress
by the Republicans of the First New Jersey
district. In his speech accepting the nomi-
nation he flung this defiance in the teeth of
his enemies:
You have given me the first opportunity
have had to say to the whole pack of my as
! sailants hunters and hounds "Now is your
time! Meet me face to face before the people
of this district! Try the issue between us
man to man, eye to eye each man who fights
to see the man who strikes him.
George needn't give himself any uneasi-
ness. He will find plenty to 'smeet him face
to face before the campaign is over and
prove to his full satisfaction the charges that
have been made against him. But he is not
to blame for accepting the nomination ten
dered him. It is the party that is to blame
for placing before the people man convict
ed of the most bare-faced maladministration
of the public trust given in his charge. A
party which chooses such men to represent
it cannot escape the imputation of being in
sympathy with the jobbery and thievery
that have been the salient features of the Of
fetal conduct of Robson and those of his
ilk.
In this connection the GLOBE may be per
mitted to call Mr. Robeson's attention to a
few Of the charges that have been at various
times preferred against him, simplr that he
may begin to explain them in due season; for
if he doesn't get an early start it is to be
feared that his explanations will require
more time than is allotted for the Congress
sional canvass. Mr.. Robson cannot be ig-
norant of the fact that while he was secre-
tary of the navy he was openly accused of
being in corrupt partnership with the Cat
tells, of New Jersey, through whom all con-
tracts for work or materials for the depart
ment were made, and that the government
suffered serious loss through such partner
ship, often having to pay double or treble
prices for the construction of vessels of war
and for navy supplies. This charge has
never been successfully contradicted, and
the bills on t1le in the department are strong
ly presurnptive of its truth. Again it is al
legged that another corrupt partnership ex-
listed during a part of Robeson's admins
tration with Secor, and that the relations of
the twain were redolent of fraud. 10 cover
up these frauds and destroy all evidence of
documentary character that might be used
against them, it is charged that the navy de-
partment building was set on fire several
years ago, and large number of important
public documents destroyed.
1t is also charged, on the authority of the
present secretary of the navy and Con-
gressional investigating committee, that ves-
sells that cost many millions of dollars and
were never put into service, we're broken up
and sold for the price of old iron to some of
Mr.. Robeson's pet contractors, and that in
this manner the government was swim
died out of twenty-s six millions of
dollars. Robson has never attempted
to explain these circumstances, and he might
begin now. These are few of the matters
that his adversaries will fling in his face
when he meets them in controversy. It
would probably be we'll for Robson to COM
mence explaining these rather suspicious
circumstances, SO as to get his hand in for
other explanations that will have to follow.
He needn't be backward in coming forward.