The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1885-07-31

our cotemporafy, tue DtSsensHsusVf
In its last issue, in speaking Of the fall
ure Of John Roach, says that Secretary
Whitney and the Attorney General are
responsible for the failure as it was the
action in reference to the Dolphin aud
other government vessels built by
Roach that led to the assignment.
Now We protest that our eo,cmporary
has not examined into the subject or II
would not rake statement so ut var
lance with the facts. Tho truth Is that
Secretary Whitney and the Attorney
General have not taken action with ref-
erence to any vessel except the Dolphin,
while our cotemporary traces the cause
Of the failure to their action with refer.
euce TO other vessels as well as the
Dolphin. The whole truth in a nut
shell is that Roach agreed 10 his con-
tract to construct the vessel in accord
ance with the acts Of Congress of March
aud August 5 1888. These acts of
Congress provided for the construction
Of a dispatch vessel or clipper OF the
kind, dimensions and quality as reco-
mended by the raval advisory board in
q report which it made under date of
Dsc. 90, 1882. In this report they
recommended among other things that
such dispatch vessel or clipper should
have sea speed Of Is knots per hour,
and il was this kind of vessel that
Roach contracted to build. Now in
all the trial trips made the Dolphin has
not developed this speed aod hence II
was the duty of Secretary Whitney as
q public officer to whom were ensrust-
cd the rights aud interests of 80, ,0OO,-
600 people, to reject the vessel. But
republicans are attempting to get up q
little cheap sympathy for Roach by
saying that this refusal to acc, c,pt the
Dolphin was the cause of Roach's fail
ure, and the Disseminator says that the
Secretary OF the Navy and the Attor'
nsy General are responsible for the fail
ure. Now the Disseminator seems not
to have learned that Roach has already
been paid over $600,0 900 on this sell
same Dolphin, aud that only few
thousands OF the contract price remaic
unpaid. No, gentlemAn,a nsw order o.
doing governmental business has beer
introduced and government contractor
are expec:sd aud requirea 10 fulfil
their cJntracts a4 strictly as priyat,
contractors are reqnirs.l to do. IL hs
been the custom 10 timss pas, 10 al.o'
, John Roach to submit work withou
examination or impeachment in return
for which extraordinary fIvors, he ha
contributed muniicent sums TO elect th
a republican ticket from tim - time
Tue advisory naval b,ard app1in,el {
examine the vessel With view 70 il
, acceptance reported that the workman
ship was not up 70 tbs requirements O
, the contract, aud while the bosrl Wa
free to admit that the plans and specifi
cations were meager, yet ths vessel ex
hibits structural w,Iknsss a.. 90 b
attributed to faulty plans bat to the
execution. The truth il that Roach
has b I'd free and easy thing in Il
way of government contracts tor "A lor
time, and this cry Is simply 10 crea
sympathy. But whether Wnilney's T
fasal to accept the ID Ilphir lid or d
not cause the failure, does not enter Ii
), to the question, f,r if it did, and Viii
ney knew before hand that il would r
, suit thus, yet as an official he could {
nothing else but refuse TO accept. II
was acting as he servant and agent
+, ths whole people Of the county, ar
not the 25C0 who were 10 the service
Roach.