The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-19
The Armor Plate Frauda.

The exposure of the Carnegie armor
plate frauds that was brought to the at
tention of the Secretary of the Navy, the
| President and congress a short while ago.
and resulted in a fine of $4,000 being i'm
! posed upon the company, covered the
! operations of the mills for period OF only
! ten months, from November, 1892, to Sep
! tember 1893. 1t is stated that aflidavits
! have been prepared for submission to the
navy department alleging that a system
attic supplying of inferior plates-full of
blow-holes, half tempered and in various
ways defective-has been carried on at the
Carnegie works from the beginning of the
work upon the contract, Aug. r. 1891 until
within two weeks. The data of the affi-
! davits covers 10000 plates, and it is as
serted that Of this number 10 per cent.
! are defective. The defective plates are
identified by their mill marks and num-
bers and the shortcomings infinitely de-
! scribed. By the system of marks and
numbers it is possible to trace to the ship
and location every plate used, and the de-
ponents say they will stake their whole
case upon the accuracy of any single state
ment of defects they make
The makers of the afflda Wits are six
Homestead workmen, some of whom,
including John McLuckie, who gained
notoriety during the great strike, are ex-
! employees Of the Carnegie company others
are in the employ of the plate mill at
present. 1t may be coniectured that
the eX-employes are to a degree inau-
enced by bitterness towards the company.
/ and that all OF the affidavit makers are
looking to the money they may get out of
the matter informers in such cases get
One-fourth of whatever fine may be i'm
posed by the government.
Nevertheless, these considerations do
not affect the view of the matter from
the standpoint Of the people If the new
ships of the navy are floating frauds be-
cause of the deception practiced by con-
tractors, the people want to know it. If
they have been depending upon weak
ships, armored with iron sponges, to
fight their possible battles, they want
the sponges removed and the real plates.
for which they have paid, put in their
places
1t may be that no such extensive frauds
as has been alleged have been practiced.
Whether they have or not, suspicion has
been thoroughly aroused by the repeated
charges of fraud, and the already dis
covered frauds, and there is only one way
to allay that suspiciou-by proving the
charges well founded or without ground,
by an investigation. And the in
vestigation should be begun at once, before
there is opportunity for more scandal
The Ohio people are now beginning to
realize how it feels to be jumped on for
something they could not and cannot help.
From various parts of the country hot
shots are being poured into Ohio because
of that lynching in a back district on
Sunday night-the second lynching in the
state within six months The incident is
made TO reflect upon the whole state, not
withstauding the injustice of such re1ec-
tions. Meanwhile Gov Mckinley stands
with his arms folded He is in the posi-
tion that southern governors have found
themselves in-where they could do moth
ing. No official report of the affair has vet
reached Gov. Mckinley, and he cannot
act upon newspaper reports, even if there
was anything he might do. He can only
express his regrets and urge the county
authorities of Logan county 70 do their
duty. The law abiding people of the
south will sympathize with the law-abid
ing Ohioans in this matter At the same
time it is to be hoped that the Ohioans.
knowing how it is themselves. will here
after refrain from unjust criticism of the
south.