The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1898-04-23
TARDY JUSTICE.

Senate bill paying $3.50, l50 to the
heirs of John Roach, ''for labor, ma
terial, detention and dockage of the
warships Chicago Boston, and
ATLANTA 1t is most tardy justice,
but is no atonement for the wrongs
done John Roach. The facts of that
case ought to be repeated often
enough to impress them distinctly
upon the minds of the American
people. John Roach was an honest
shipbuilder, one of the first, if not
the first, successful builder of large
iron ships in America. In the bit
terness of reconstruction days no ap-
preparation could be gotten through
congress for new and needed war
ships. Finally, however, eighteen
or nineteen years after the war clos
ed, congress did appropriate money
to build the "Dolphin," aud at the
next session of congress, if we re-
member correctly, ordered three
more light cruisers, the three named
above. When Mr.. Cleveland was
first inaugurated, the finishing
strokes was being made on the
"Dolphin." and the other three were
on the ways, within few months of
completion. Mr.. Whitney was ap-
pointed Secretary of the Navy, and
he deliberately went to work, solely
through partisan spite, to ruin John
Roach. The "Dolphin" was com
pleted, tested and turned over to the
government. Secretary Whitney did
his best to have the ship condemned.
He selected board to report, and
sent the ship on trial trip. That
board was forced to report that the
ship was first class in all respects.
Not satisfied, the Secretary appoint
ed new board; gave extraordinary
instructions as to how the ship was
to be tested-one was to instantly,
when at full speed, reverse the en-
gines further couched his in
structions in language which was
almost command to condemn the
vessel. The ship again proceeded
to sea, and not only stood all the
tests, but caught and outrode gale
which was almost or quite hurri-
cane, and altogether performed so
superbly that the ''instructed'' board
had so certify to the ships perfect
worthiness. That they were ight
has been proved by the fact that for
thirteen years since then she has
been one of the most used and best
liked ships in the navy. Indeed,
while Secretary Herbert was in Of
fee, the dolphin" was his dispatch
boat. But Whitney kept up his
prosecutions. With ample money
in the Treasury, set aside for the fin
al payments on the "Dolphin" and
on the other three, as their building
progressed, he refused to pay; the
papers, without protest from him,
circulated the rumor that none of
the Roach ships would be accepted
by the government, and this went
on until when Mr.. Roach went to
the banks to get the accommodations
necessary to meet obligations and
90 on with his work, until the gov
ernment would pay, he was refused,
and had to suspend work, was made
bankrupt and died of broken
heart. Secretary Whitney deliber-
ately robbed and killed him to graf
if, his own and his party's spite.
The 'Dolphin" for thirteen years,
and the "Boston," "Chicago' and
"Atlanta," as part of the White
squadron for twelve years, meeting
and outriding all gales in all parts
of the Atlantic, have been magnif-
cent monuments to the memory oi
John Roach, and have been con.
tinued reproach to the prosecutions
of a man raised to power through
personal favoritism and without re-
, gard to his fitness for the high place
Whitney sent to England for plans
for the ships he was authorized tc
build, and the ungainly ''Texas" /:
his chiefest monument.-Salt Lake
Tribune.