The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-07-01

lows:
Puritan. 81 1892
Monadnock Sot'5S3
Amplitude. l3o,szS
Terror !11og-a
l''lo'1'o
Total Sc, 4s9 ,22s
There was in 1874 Secretary of the Navy,
Robson by name, in whose eyes the SIX and
a-half millions represented no value whatever,
since he had had no share in the expenditure.
The five monitors had all been built before
Robeson's time. None of the construction
money had passed through his fingers. He
therefore went to work to build the five mon
itors over again. For the protection of the
treasury against any thief who may happen to
be Secretary of the Navy, the law forbids that
officer to contract for the construction Of YES
sels-of-war without specific and explicit au-
tbority from Congress. But the Secretary of
the Navy IL allowed to order repairs for yes
sells already in existence; that extent of dis
erection seemed legitimate and necessary.
Robson set about repairing the ronclads
As a preliminary measure he had them con-
demned and knocked to pieees-eyery part of
them demolished but their names.
This was Secor Robeson's method of re-
pairing, and the method was original with
himself. Notice the curious operations OF his
system in regard to these ships. He discard
lions and a-half and kept only the immaterial
and intangible part, the names, which had
cost nothing. On and around the naked
names be proceeded to erect new vessels,
charging the cost to the repair account on his
books The fiction sometimes led TO singular
combinations. For example. he began to
build the new hull of the Puritan around the
old name before the old null was demolished,
and 80 there were in actual existence at the
{. me time two Puritans, although only one OF
them had legal existence. And in regard to
the Monadnock, although the work OF build
ing the new new hull around the old name
went merrily on, Tie ceremony Of knocking
the old hull to pics was for some reason
forgotten and omitted altogether.
Four Of the FIVE monitors were therefore
broken up and sold for old junk. Each mon
itor was sold tn \ shipbuilder, = contractor.
frienaand confederate Of Robesou' 5. one ofthe
Incorporating with and through Robson. Ia
each instance the party buying the old monitor
was the party who had arranged with Robesou
to build the new monitor of the same name.
In each instance the sale OF the monitor Tor
old Junk vas made not only IN violation Of law,
bat in open, fragrant corrupt violation Of sew
eral laws. Nov, here are the Sums which
the costly ships fetched as old jRak, set
against the sums which they had cost the gov
crnmeRt:
The Puritan. which coss the government
81. 9sl. So, vas sold TO John Roaeh for SI3,'
32S.
The Amphltrise. which ooss 81. Isl, sli, was
sold to Harlan. Hollingswcrih 4 Co., for
S2s. ~
The Terror, which cost 81, oi6,071, was sold
20 W. Cramp 4 Sons for Sl2.Si5.
The Mianionomoh, which cost 81 .3I0,353,
was sold 10 John Roach for 81. sSI.
TbE N.asar shfFa total ssaaa Ia aks. trnFgrst-
mrnI, s.. Al, 7sl, brought as old junk Sla2,
4s9.
Bot from the proecrds Of the sale " Old
iron and old hHlks Iausl also BE- deigeird the
cost u demolition, In the sase nl the Milan.
ioHoasuh he work 81 destruction eass 81, go.
- that the government Frrsised s3,3i1 net
for this ~ 80 60 ship tnvaed over by SecoT
RobesoH 20 John Reach. TN The four mnui
tors the cost u destruction amounted 81 S,.a,.
e2i. Herr wcre tcaT ships, government
property, costing ., Isl. so, sold oat by Rob
asaa 10 Robeson sFiesds Tor S7s.Sis. Not
one cent even Of that sum vas paid in cash TO
the epYernmeat BY RobsSaas contractors.
Il was paid Elg IN work and uiAsertal on new
ships Illegally contracted Ear q, exh0ghisant
psices.
Nov. uosiQe hos 10 this nsoAstsus,siy cor.
+ raps prpcceainE the !as was aefsed a. every
turn. ~ lhs legai disposition ii government
material ihe foiiaslng checks 10 dishonesty
ere inirrposed The property 90 be sold Is
appraised ~ eDmFetsas authorities q = then
condemned BY board 1t Eaval efheers; The
sale i then advertised iR lesdiag newspapers
~ 81 icas; inar priHsirtl cities II the aited
States, the material finally Is cold al pabllc
sale. IN open eompcsiua. 10 the highest bidder,
+ The Secretary y slso required 70 Fepos, his
acts % Congress, r. cover The pForetds OF
snch sales IN the treasury. and npt % expEnd
ihesa prucoeds withoat a Subsequent arprS-
pgiaftan b. Congress- ~apNy Nls,sasan lAhtp-
a az shesp saws- fbe fasriian, Amphitriic.
TsFg0g and Marlborough sege a8s appraised;
~ beard ~ condemnation declared any enc
u them Enhi fsg farther Service ieey Sere
sewer cssudsmaud. lhs sales we're not adSer-
Used; there Wss no pablie sale. m eompeii-
sioa; the material Was dispo-ed II 20 the sey-
ersl coHsgacttus - private sale. al the per-
chASers oEn tegms. NaizAiy kneH that
s.. ssT,T 80 wUrth ~ gevafeEgeKs ,ran-slasis
wrra a \, .al3 ssf ail jank exceRs Srear
EGies0n. wha orders The sale, Isaiah Hans.
snsn. who sold. aud Iaha h1aeh, HasiAa.
HaliinKssorth Co. and W. Cvsnsp 4 S0ss,
wka houghf. Ne rspun was made 10 Con
gsess u tbs sale; the proesr1s werv not COW
erea into the treasury. The pFoeeeds Ncre
applied s. nsS contract. siihaaf any appro-
pslation by Conxrrss- Never was the iaW de-
lied in ~ insay various ways 81 eae bFigaHd
transaction. Bat tbs ras as.ss preparatory.
Al the illassliss asd dishonesty ~ the de-
siruefiuu ui the old monitors Wsz aolhiug bat
the pscfaee 10 greater dishonesty and morc
aadsciaas disoleslieaee nf law ia the cousirss-
li0a ag ihe Rsw menitars. The old ships are
out u lhc way. Aoihingi i lrit Of them ,sai
their names. l.et Is STE h0w SecaF Hobesen >
system Of repairs worked IN the shiPyards
" his friends
We will follow the history ofthe Puritan. the
largest and cosiiisst ofthe hvs iFnaelads The
principle j. the same IN Fegarl "a All the ships.
although ia The Gasa II the MOnasnock there
as saIas pai0T ~ legality ia the original con
tract. Tho Puritan j. fAe MASTERPIECES OF Ro.
hrsnn sud Reach. Il should be understood
thar the old Puritan, condemned hy Sec0F
ROhcson and cat ap by John Reach. might
have been made aa effective vessel at c0sa-
para;ively staall expense. 4 respectable and
RESPONSIBLE BROOKLYN bailder offered in De
censbeE. 1875. to put the ship in complete
order for service hull. machinery and all for
Sgi8, 90 and the old material, That proposal
did act salt the plans Of the RUG. About a
year laser John Roaeh. unsolicited, wrote Il
Isaiah Hanscum, chief 0f the bureau Of con
sfrariion aud repair. offering 10 pat up the
frame Of a new vessel, 10 be known as the
Puritan for Sl55, 900 and three toas Of gov
eTnment scrap iron Tor eferf ton 81 nfH frtiA
used in tho waTk. Nine days nlieE the RI
ueipt " ibis extraordinary proposal hanseom
accepted il. -Four months latcr tiaascoin,
unsolicited. bound the government 10 g second
Illegal contract If contract such an agree
ment can BE- ealled-ior additional work To
the extent Of S2o7 900 on the new Puritan,
still under the pretenee OF repairs, although
the real Puritan wa@ still in existence, aud
remained In existence for nearly year there
after Ia February. 1876, the original Puri-
tan was lowed TO kolch's yard and broken
up. The 81 ,974,O 900 ship was turned over to
Roach for destruction on a three.llR0 arder,
which was three. line liat
Ths department. nos directs that the Puritan b.
tnrt,ed over 10 Mr. John Roach for the purpose OF
being rsssiH by him az his yard IN Chester.
So the construction of the Puritan, ordered
bv Robeson aud undertaken by Roach, went
on at Chester without the authority Of Con
sress. 1t was in no sense the peoples ship
Il was solely the private enterprise Of Robson
and Roach The work had nat been ordered
by any officer nf the government empowered
10 order ID. No legal contract had ever been
drawn. No means were taken to protect the
government sinterests. There were no plans,
no specifications no definite engagement as
10 the quality of materials and work, no com
petitive bids for doing the work. no penalties
or provisions TO secure the proper and prompt