Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 August 1882 — WE WELCOME A VALUABLE ALLY [ARTICLE]

WE WELCOME A VALUABLE ALLY

New York Sun: Mhe official report of the debate in the Senate on the monitor job shows that no Senator or Representative on either side has more accurately grasped the great principle of Robesonian double-action thievery than Senator Inf falls, of Kansas, or stated it more cogenty. He has discovered how Robeson and bis gang “repair” ironclads by rebuilding everything but the name; and how they make the process pay them double plunder—the steal on the destruction ot the the old ship and the steal on the construe tion ot the new ship. Let any honest citizen and tax-payer deeide whether he would rather have stood in Senator Ingalls’ boots or in nt> tie Eugene Hale’s small pnmps du r ine ths following dialogue: 6 Mr. Ingalls—Can the Senator from Maine inform the Senate what is the estimated cost of rendering these vessels ready for martial purposes and traversing tu6 80a V Mr. Hale—Yes. It will cost over s3,s 000,000 upon the five. Mr. Ingalls—So we have expended nearly 15,600,000 and $8,500,000, making $9,000,000, and require an additional ex* penditure of $3,000,000 more, which wo’d make $12,000,000? Mr. Hale—We have only spent $3 528 » 620. Mr. Ingalls— But we spent $5,400,000 in the first instance. Mr. Hale—But that has nothing fc> do with this matter. That has been explain« ed over and ever again. These vessels have been bnilt from the bottom. Mr. Ingalls— Twice. Mr. Hale—They haye been built right from the bottom, and now they stand before jia—

Mr. Ingalls—So I understand. There were two Mianonomohs on the Register at the same time —one being in tne process of dislocation and demolition and the other in process of construction around a plank or spike. That I onderstat.d thoroughly But that does not change the fact that the aggregate expenditure for these four vessels, so standing on the Navy Register, up to this time has been $9,000,000, and the Senator informs us that the estimated expenditure I to render them available for tbe purpose !of harbor defense is §3,000,000 more, i which makes §1*2,000,000. Mr. Hale—l do not pretend to state , with accuracy, but it will be something

about that. Mr. Ingalls—lt will not be anything less than that. I think there is no quest ion on that point; and if they are to be again dislocated and demolished and distributed, and again rebuiltaround a plank or spike or knot hole, no one can tell how hti the expenditure will proceed.— Now, what I am anxious to ascertain is whether or not if this expenditure of sl,000,000 is now appropriated by Congress, which is to be inevitably followed by an appropriation of $2,(k0,000 iu another year to complete thesejjvessels, because we shall then be met with the argument that unless the money is appropriated what we have spent is thrown away, we are going to nrocure anything that will be beneficial for tbe purpose for which ; these ships are desired. lam advised by those who pretend to be skilled in these matters that these seeond editions j of these four vessels were constructed without a drawing or without a plan; that they were built Imp-hazard from day to 1 day, erected rib after rib and plank after plank, without any preliminary studies or drawings or models, and that they stand to-day the most extraordinary specimens of Naval architecture in the world; and those most competent to judge hesitate to say that if they were completed they would even float, much less carry armor and armament. Therefore, Mr. President, I should like to have, in some way, this expenditure withheld until Congress itself can say whether, in view of all tbe circumstances, it is advisable to make an aggregate expenditure of $12,<>00,t)00 for lour vessels that will be worth nothing when they are done. The whole question of the fraudulent, double-steel monitor will come up at the next session of Congress before a dollar is voted into the pockets of Secor Robeson’s ironclad ring. We have been laboring for years to make Congress and , and the people understand what a tremendous swindle is on the stocks in the shipyards of John Roach, Cramp & Sons, Harlan & Hollingsworth and Pliiues Burgess—the last name being the alias of. Charles E. Secor We feel that we have gained an invaluable ally in Senator Ingalls, of Kansas, a Republican who has the courage to proclaim the truth fearlessly, and the wit to do it well. No wonder Secor Robeson is dissatisfied with the results of the session!