New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-07-31

John Roach has been made for several
months the victim of ignorant writing and
malevolent abuse on the part oil the Democratic
press lie has been falsely represented ms
having enormous dealings with the Govern
mcnt and receiving the exclusive patronage OF
successive Republican Administrations rs
privileged contractor. One Journal has added
nd the expenditures Of the Navy DepaI tment
for twenty rears and assumed that the bulk of
the work of repairs and reconstruction has been
done by Mr.. Roach. Many other journals have
estimated the aggregate of his receipts from the
Government during that period as exceeding
81 90, 600, 900. Often there has been loose talk
abont hundreds of millions" From one end
of the country to the other he has been
denounced by partsans of the Administration
as a public plunderer who had enriched himself
under fat contracts procured with the con-
nivance Of Republican officials.
Now we have taken pains to ascertain the
facts about John Roachs dealings with the
Government. From 1865 to 1885, exclusive of
the cruisers still unfinished, he received less
than S3,OOO,OOO from the Government
During the same period the entire amount OF
work done by him on contracts was $50, 00O,-
600. His Government contracts formed not
more than per cent Of the whole volume of
his business as a shipbuider. We have not
estimated his work for the Government during
tho war period. as that was an extraordinary
period when all shipbuilders were impressed
into the service. The Navy Department in
that crisis was glad to have anybody build ships
who had the facilities for doing the work.
From the close Of the war, however, as we have
shown, Government contracts formed only an
insignificant proportion of Mr.. Roach's immense
business. The partisans Of the Administration
have been guilty of rank Injustice in holding up
this veteran shipbuilder to public obloquy as a
privileged contractor who had grown rich and
powerful by plundering tho Government.
At every stage of this controversy the Same
tactics have been pursued. Although Mr.
Roach's bids for the Dolphin and the cruisers
were So 8, 900 below those OF tho next lowest
bidder, the Democratic press has charged that
the entire transaction was tainted with fraud
and that a Republican Secretary and his naval
experts were acting in COLLISION with the builder
and attempting to saddle upon the Government
and worthless vessels. The bulls
for extras have been pronounced evidence of
downright fraud and plumber, although every
one of the charges has been sanctioned by naval
inspectors as a necessary expense caused by
changes in the Departments designs and
specifications. For example the extra claims
on the cruisers amounting to $26,6SS 90
referred to in Mr.. Whitney's last letter, are
based upon alterations and repairs which were
ad vised by United States inspectors, sane
toned by the Advisory Board and authorized
by the late Secretary Of the Navy. ladeed
considerable number of these alterations were
duly authorized by the present Secretary. Yet
with amazing eilrontery the Democratic press
assumes that these extras are fraudulent bills
designed TO Offset low bids for construction
In like manner tho same press charges that the
builder has received nearly the whole of the
contract price without troubling himself to
hasten the completion of the vessels. whereas
the work actually to be done will require an
outlay of only $4,000, and the sum claimed
by the assignees as due to the firm is at least
100000.
Partisan defamation has been carried far
enough in the case of Mr.. Roach. 1t has been
a most discreditable exhibition of ignorance
and malignant denlnciation. The controversy
ought not to be carried on any longer without
to the facts. 1t is simply m0nstrous