National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-09-19

here to get share of the government work.
! have Il work shop where | can do the work.
despite the assertions of my enemies. To
prove this ! want you tn send one of your
best and most trusted young men with me
to New York to examine my shop and see
whether what | say is true or not The
man was sent, and the result was that john
Roach got the work he wanted. That
was the beginning of his government
contracts on which II Is alleged lie
grew rich Why, bless You, John ROach's
government contracts have been an insignill-
cant part of his work. And Us for his being
In collision with government officials, it's
sheer nonsense. Every contract has been
honestly secured and honestly carried out.
John Roach is man Of immense pride, and
he would scorn dishonesty. One thing con-
corning the charge that he was favored IN
his contracts:
ale put in bid after bid for work, but
found that he was invariably underbddcn.
| He made up his mind that there was II
Niger in the fence lie put in bid in u
certain contract, and at ll:l5 on the day on
which bids were to close he went to the
| chief clerk of the department and said /:
| Il have concluded not to bid on this con
| tract, and would like my bid back
"'That can't he done was the answer.
"'But insist that have Il right to with
draw my bid up to minute before IL
| o'clock, and want mine
| ''The answer was the same. Then Mr..
| Roach turned to the second clerk and said:
| i take you to witness that have demanded
| my contract back. Now taking II dOcu-
| ment from his pocket, this Is my bid, and
offer 1t and demand my other bid back
''The first bid was thrown over to him
and II was open! Mr.. Roach had made IL
high purposely, but the second bid was
low enough to secure him the contract
That ended trouble of that kind.
"Mr. Roach was able to underbid his com
petitors for the reasons that he gave TIL,
| Congressional committee In the Tennessee,
matter He told the committee that 1t
could do the work ut 80 per cent. less thar
the government. How and whyY First
he could buy his material at 10 per cent
| less; next, when one of his wOrkmcn want
ed piece of iron he would not have I,
make requisition on the foreman, he ol
the head Of the department, and so Ol
through lot Of red tape the workman al
this time being idle. But how about tn
other 20 per cent? Mr.. Roach tapped hi
head and said well, had it in here whel
came In; | had II all figured out, but
can't recall il now then his face sudden
lighted and he added quickly: 'Oh, yes
my men work to the tune Of yankee Doc
de while yours work to "Old Hundred. y
"As for his getting the engines of til
Tennessee for S40, 900 when they had COS
S500,000 or some high llgu:e, it's nOnscns
, to talk of that, for every experienced ma
knows that old engines are only worth tn
old iron which has to be broken up and n
, | smelted The onslaught over the sale &
/ | such material at mere song is baselCss,
} "But above and beyond his personal IT
[ | lations, there stands forth the fact thi
= John Roach has done NOR" than any Otht
D | man, more than a dozen Clevclands-
, | though ! am Democrat who say it I
Y uphold the American flag. lie has fougl
, | in the interest Of American shipping bciOr
b | Congress and whenever and wherever 1
n could. II Is his great hobby to-day, ant
as said before, he has sunk great sums {
II money in trying TO carry out his theory; !
}, thought that by his old-time persistcncy ]
Il would at last induce the government TO Sc
J. the wisdom Of his views. Instead of tina
= what has been dOneY John Roach has bee
N assailed In the most Infamous manner, Il
v whole power of the government has bee
e turned against him, It's chief law oilic
|. has declared that he has no contracts L
p the building of the Dolphin and the thr
n other vessels And this drove him to
,e assignment. His enemies point TO i
n schedules and laugh at his assets. VIII
,r do they shOwy Examine them, and "
r. find 81 100000 Of the assC
r. knocked out of value by the fact that 3
a Chester plant and other works can be p
" to no use now that John Roach can hui
10 no ships. Take all the facts into consld'
r. alton and you will find that the actual {
u, sets, although they may not leave Jo
70 Roach impoverished, as some thin
III yet diminish his property to a comparative
III small compass. 1t is a disgrace to
W American people, and the gross'
he outrage ! ever knew In my 10
ry life, that John Roach should be forced il
e. this position. II he goes down, II will
nd with the American flag wrapped arou
ne him. Thoughtful Democrats know a