The daily Argus., 1875-06-28
The Stolen Money.

In spite of the confidence by Gen. Spin
ner and other officials of the treasury, no
trace has been discovered of the $47, 500
recently stolen in broad daylight, during
business hours, and with six clerks pres
ent, from the cashiers room of the Treas
urer of the United States. IF such things
had not occurred before, the theft might
be regarded as most remarkable.
But the experience has been too fire.
quent to cause much surprise. The bold
ness in this instance is the only striking
feature about it. Impunity has given en-
couragement to the patriots who handle
the peoples money and help themselves
without stint, when their private supplies
happen to run low. They reason that if
members of the cabinet can grow rich in
Office by joining Rings, sharing in contracts
they control, and speculating upon official
information, subordinates ought TO be al
lowed like privileges, since there is no NOR
al difference in the two modes Of stealing.
There is no method of identifying the
ninety-f five $500 bills, for, strange as il
may seem, although the issue of this large
for detection, and hence there is no check
to stop the circulation of the money. Tha
fact was we'll known to the impecunious of
fceholder who selected his package from
a mass of others lying on the table, pock
eted it, walked out to lunch, and came
back prepared to resign if necessary, or t.
go on supporting the constitution at sever
al thousand dollars year.
Thn az ho VNroTNara1 for g
great deal of this sort of enterprise be
tween this time and the 4th of March, 1877
when the lease of Grantism will expire
The incumbents know it is their last chance
and they mean to improve it by carrying
OF all they can.
Mr.. New. the successor of Gen. Spinner
is expected to reach Washington thi.
week, and then the counting of the notes
and bonds will begin at once, and continue
until completed. This is very seriou:
matter, and ought not to be trihed with in
any way. Injurious reports have beer
afoat for several years, affecting the con.
dition Of the treasury, and they ought tC
be silenced once for all. There is now ar
opportunity to make a thorough and ex.
haustive investigation, by counting the pub
lie money openly under proper restrictions
and In such way as to end all suspicion
of any deficiency, if none exists or allow
ing the whole truth to be known, if there
has been robbery on an extended scale.
There are various modes of making the
count. The usual plan of accepting pack
ages marked as containing certain sums a,
all right, will fail to satisfy the public OF
this occasion. The contents of each bun
die must not only be verified, but declared
to be free from counterfeifs II ia mn 60
cret that the bonds and notes of the Unit
ed States have been largely counterfeited
and some Of them so successfully as to de
fy the skill of experts. To what exten
they may have been received at the treas
ury in good faith, or been concealed amonI
the genuine issues by rogues in Office oper
ating for outsiders, is not known. But il
there has been such collusion, or if coun
terfeits have slipped in by accident, there
is no longer reason for concealment
The retiring treasurer owes it to his rep
utation, and the incoming treasurer owe.
it to the protection of his bondsmen anC
his own security, that the present coun
should be perfect to a cent, A week Of
two of additional time is Of no consideration
when compared with the satisfaction tha
must follow such a course. An incom
plete count will only augment the distTus
which already exists,
Mr.. Bristow cannot be an Indifferent
spectator to this important business. Fl,
is concerned for the credit of the depart
ment and for his own good name, tina
when change takes place, it shall not b,
said that the treasury was rotten when b,
left it. and that rascality had been covered
up with his connivance. \. Sun.