| Show I HERES A HOWDEDO If any other Washington newspaper than the Evening Star had published the story which appears in our telegraphic columns this morning very few people would place any credit in it The Star is one of the most careful and most reputable journals in the country It is not sensational is nonpartisan nonpar-tisan and would not be likely to print the story unless it was true that those who print the government securities have been fraudulently printing and issuing government govern-ment notes from plates and dies in the bu rcau of engraving and printing There is certainly something more than an idle supposition sup-position in publication The wonder is that this scheme of swindling was not long ago adopted In the very nature of things it would be impossible to distinguish the spurious from the genuine notes provided the conspiracy comprised in Hi ranks enough of the employees to carry the bad notes through all the various processes and departments from the receipt re-ceipt of the blank paper to the numbering of the finished bills To suppose there could be such a conspiracy is to suggest that a considerable percentage of the employees em-ployees are dishonest or would be dishonest dishon-est if they were reasonably safe from detection de-tection and this latter suggestion is notfar out of the way when we take into account how men obtain government employment Political activity or the partisan influence of friends will get a place for a man when proven honesty integrity capability and trustworthiness combined will fail A rogue can obtain a responsible position if lie has done good work for his party or has a relative or friend who is influential with tho administration while a good and reliable man will starve before he can get into the government service without partisan parti-san assistance If the conspirators in this fraudulent I note transaction have played their cards well the loss will fall upon the government because of the inability to detect the spurious spu-rious bills when they shall be presented for redemption but if the scoundrels have failed in some particular and the crooked notes can be distinguished individuals will suffer as the government does not hold I itself responsible for the misdeeds and I swindling operations of its agents and employees em-ployees I |
