The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-21
THE JOHN ROACH FAILURE.
An Interview with Mr.. Roach in Which
He Accounts for the Disaster.
Political Schemes at the Bottom of Whitney s
Hostility-The Works Generally Closed
Roach's Property in New York.

New YORK, July 20.-The bitter criticisms of
hostile newspapers and persistent political perse-
cution have made John Roach much older man
in the past few weeks. His face shows it only
too plainly. When seen yesterday at his coun-
try residence at College Point, he said:
II have scarcely had time to prepare my mind
for such talk as l would care to have printed
as coming from me- My assignment strictly
speaking, is not failure; that is to say. my
liabilities if they realize anything like the real
value of my property. cannot now say what the
exact amount Of my liabilities is, nor
what the sum of my assets will be to
meet it, but if were not SO old q
man, and if I had health a while longer,
could pull things straight again. If the people
understood this matter if the mendacious free
trade press had not extensively deceived
them. the failure Of John Roach would be recog-
nzed from ocean to ocean as national calamity.
! Twenty four hundred workngmen, eight
hundred in the Morgan iron works, and twice
that number at Chester, went out of my shops
Saturday night, who will not go back to morrow.
In these hard times that is a serious matter.
This is not party question.
81 have been a Republican, but above that
have first, last and ever been an American It
was my great ambition that our nation should
recover its glory and prosperity on the seas. AT
the expense of more than million / erected a
ship-yard. l built rolling mill to prepare my
own iron and steel. l employed $500 American
workmen. I incorporated companies to sail
vessels. and despite the fact that the
government lent me scant encouragement,
while foreign governments practically
supported their ship builders, have proved that
1t is possible for Us to secure an immense foreign
trade and to become, if the government would
but lift its consenting finger, the greatest sea-
trading nation of the earth. Traduced and
abused by those men and newspapers whom for
elgn interests have subsidized, and brought into
scandal with millions of my fellow citizens who
were deceived by them, and who did not under
stand my purposes, in my old and enfeebled age
and half a century Of toll, have lost my money
and my spirits; but am consoled by the fact
that the people will one day understand it all
and see as its real value what have done of
good and what they have done of harm to our
National interests
1.-The Democratic party is supposed to be in
favor of free ships, and when the election ex-
element began, and people saw the possibility
of Democratic success, and Of the passage
of law that would mean the an
Inhalation of American shipbuilding there
was no business. Carrying companies would
not build ships because they did not know how
soon the foreign ships, operated by cheap for
eign labor, would he admitted to drive their
business away. All the work. therefore. that [
have had on hand has been the construction of
the new Dispatch boat and the three new
cruisers
81 tell you, my friend, that those boats were
condemned before their keels were laid. They
were condemned in Congress. The Democracy
dared not oppose the plan of a new navy, be-
cause it had become very popular notion, The
people in mass wanted a navy. But they
opposed the appropriation because, as they
claimed IN their congressional speeches, the
money would not be honestly spent. My credit,
too, had been badly hurt by the wicked repre-
sensations OF the newspapers. And, consequently
III the best interests of my creditors and of the
government, judged it best to call a halt, pay
off my men, and surrender my property to trus-
tees, who could pay my debts and leave me what
balance for my last days that there might be-"
--n----
Affairs at the Chester Ship-Yards.
CHESTER, Pa, July 20.-The workmen at
Roachs ship yard gathered about the gates to 60
to work as usual, this morning, but only 332
were given employment. About 300, some from
nearly every department. were sent home. Most
of those retained were sent out to the steamer
Comal, few being retained at the shops to
prepare material. 1t is the intention of the firm
to finish the Comal by Aug. 15 After that the
yard will close down The government cruisers
looked deserted. not even the sound of ham
mer being heard about them. Mr. Roach says
that work will not be resumed on them unless
ordered by the government
MI Roach's property in Chester is assessed
that. and the ship yards owned by
corporation, is valued at over $1,000 OOO Mr.
Houston, of the rolling mill, says he cannot tell
what effect Mr.. Roachs assignment will have on
that establishment. By the suspension of the
ship yard they lose their best customer, and in
the event of the sale of Mr.. Roach's stock, much
of the success of the mill would depend on the
purchaser
There is more trouble about the Comal She
was towed down the stream to the State line. off
Claymont, this evening" but the most rigid in
quiry has failed to reveal the cause of her re-
moval. She will remain there for three or four
days, when, it is thought, she will return to the
yard here. 1t is understood the men who went
to work this morning did so with the under
standing that they would submit to reduction
of wages All the men who were laid off were
paid in full this evening. The streets have been
full of idle people ali day.