Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1886. 449
feeling between the armory administration and the citizens of vSpring-
field. This was the year also when Col. J. W. Ripley was made
superintendent. There was almost immediately a loud call for Rip-
ley's removal. His discipline was of the strict military order, and
regulations like forbidding the reading of books or newspapers
in the shops during working hours occasioned bitter resentment.
The armorers, in fact, objected to a military man on general princi-
ples. This unpopularity of a whig superintendent delighted the loco
focos ; and well they might feel pleased, for the disaffection was
great enough to bring about a draw in the November elections for
representatives, the whig abolitionists contributing to this result by
running a "liberty" ticket. The political confusion had been in-
creased by the failure of the whigs, in April, to elect town officers.
There were no less than four tickets in the field, — whig, loco
foco, independent, and abolition.
In the spring of 1842 the armorers sent a committee to Washing-
ton to protest against the "system of military superintendence."
The claim was made at that time that not only the discipline of the
men had deteriorated, but that it was less economical to place a mili-
tary man over the armory. There had been an uncordial feeling in
the armory toward the army officers, running back to 1833, when an
application for more wages for the armorers was referred to a commis-
sion of three armory officers, which promptly recommended a reduc-
tion of wages. This recommendation was not followed. During the
sickness of Colonel Lee, in 1833, Lieutenant-Colonel Talcott had a
short trial as superintendent, and his $12.31 musket and $15,000
deficit did not aid the cause of military superintendency very
much. In 1834 a civilian, John Robb, paid off the old debt,
made a musket for $11.05, and showed a surplus at the close of the
year. In 1835 the musket was reduced to $10.94, and when he was
superseded, in 1841, he had a surplus of $42,000. The return to a
military superintendency had been recommended by the Board of
Ordnance, of which Lieutenant-Colonel Talcott was president.
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