The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-10-01


ment. When the sensibilities Of a person
do not suggest proper,attention to animals,
there ought to be some authority to en-
force it, or failing in that to mete out
punishment commensurate with the Of
fence.
We throw ont the suggestion merely in
the hope that some Of our people will take
it up and give it hat attention which its
Importance deseryes,) A society, such as
we have named, could do incalculable good,
in protecting animals from harsh treat
ment. and teaching men and boys that
they owe duty to the dumb brute as well
as to community.
The Vandiedtor seems to be greatly at
sea when it undertakes to tackle the navy
business. 1t essays to fortify Jno. Dan
iel's statement that $500 .0Oo, 900 had been
spent on the navy, and to meet the VIR-
GINIAN's assertion that but little more
than 50 900, 900 had beensexpended on the
construction account of the navy since
1865, by bringing in a lot of repairs, &c.,
which it claims aggregates some SILL
000,0 900, overA $40, 100000 of which it de-
clares John Roach received. Now the
whole amount appropriated for the con-
struction of new vessels since 1866, exclG-
sive of the four vessels building by John
Roach, the contracts for which have been
repudiated, is So 900, sum less than
that spent by the smallest nation of the
world on naval construction during the
same period. In twenty years England
has spent $160, 100000. il. the construction
of her navy France $90,00O,OO Russia
100000; Germany $3S,0O0,00o; Aus
tria SIS, 100000; Turkey SIT ,oO9 Hol-
land SIS. 900, 0O0 Brazil so, 100000; Chill
81, 100000; and the Argentine Republic
| $4,000,000
! The amount paid Roach for repairs
since the war is less than So, 200, 900, and
every contract awarded him has been the
result of his undertaking rival concerns
in fair competition. His works were i'm
mense-the government contracts consti-
tuting but about 5 per cent. Of the whole
volume of his business as a shipbuilder.
The V5ndicdtor takes into it's estimate
work done for the government during the
war, when it ought to know that that was
an extraordinary period when all ship
builders were impressed into service, and
supplies Of all kinds commanded war
prices. The Navy Department in that
crisis was glad to have anybody build
ships who had facilities for doing the
shown, government work formed but an
insignificant part of Roach's business,
and had he relied solely upon it his vast
army of mechanics would have long ago
been disbanded and his yards become de-
serted.
Roach's bids for the Dolphin and the
cruisers were $315, 1000 below those Of the
next lowest bidders. They were expert
mental vessels to be built under the i'm
mediate supervision of the Governments
own inspectors. Roach simply furnished
the material and executed the plans as
placed before him, and because the vessels
did not come up to what the new Secre-
tary Of the navy thought they should. he
declares the contract void, throws the
vessels back on the contractor and seeks
to make him refund the amount advanced
on them. What would builder Of Staun-
ton think, for instance, if our friend of
T5,adicdtor should contract with him for
the erection of building, STIMULATING ex-
actly what plan should be followed, what
material used, and employing it's own
architect to see that every nail was driven
properly, every brick laid in its place. Upon
the completion of the building. erected
precisely as ordered and approved by the
architect, suppose our neighbor should
conclude that the structure was not what
it looked like on paper, and therefore it
would throw the entire job back on the
contractor and make him refund the
money advanced during the progress OF
the work. We hardly think that it is un-
reasonable enough to regard such a trans
action square and honest, and yet were it
to follow the programme we have indi-
Gated it would simply be initiating the
example of the new Secretary of the Navy
in the effort he has made to ruin John
Roach and throw $500 Workmen out of
employment just as winter is approaching
and when the chances Of obtaining work
are more remote even than they have been
for years.
To show how costly and uncertain the
building Of experimental vessels is, it may
be mentioned that since our war Eng
land has expended 100000, GOO, upon ff-
teen single engine iron-clads which she
subsequently abandoned as utterly worth
less, and has since expended $165.000,000
upon ten armored ships of the Dread
naught class. 81 armored ships of the Sec
ond class, eighty unarmored ships and
sixty mine gun boats.
All of the twisting and squirming to
which the democratic party resort in its
efforts to defend the shameless reputation
of the Roach contracts by it's present Sec
rotary of the Navy will not avail 1t was
simply malignant, contemplate attempt
to ruin political opponent, and thow
honest workmen out of employment-an
act unworthy of government, and which
would be impossible under any but a Dem
cratic administration.
Judge Geo. w. Ward, editor of the Alb
ingdon Examiner, was shot by DR.. William
White, independent candidate for the
State Senate, with a double barreled shot
gun on the 2Sth. In his paper Judge Ward
used the following language, which was
the cause of the assault; s'The man that
goes into convention and seeks the sup
port of convention, and then runs with
out any valid reasons against the nomina-