The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-02-26
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

w AShA1NUAOEt AD' Ss3 L SO' ~ AO'O'
Scandal is never idle here. There is al
ways more material for her to work with
than she can possibly use. One of the la
test pieces relates to the 81, 800 that the
Treasury officials have been trying so long
to discover. 1t was paid into that Depart
ment by the Banks to pay for the extra
work imposed by their careless method of
putting up money. The assessment was
made by Mr.. New, who succeeded Spinner
as u. S. Treasurer, and the 81, 800 has new
er been accounted for. Now these are the
surmises and this is the scandal Mr..
New had a newhew who was messenger
in the Treasury and niece also an en-
ployee there. The nephew's chief business
was to carry money to the desks of count
ers and return it TO the place of deposit
Sums of money mysteriously disappeared.
A young lady turned in her account and
money one night to the remittance desk
The next day it was moved by the messen-
ger in question, after which it was found
$1,000 short. The young lady was dismiss
ed summarily. $4,000 were missing but
day or two before the nephew, who was
known as frequenter of gambling houses
and much addicted to chance games, was
dismissed, the events coming so near to-
gether as to suggest cause and effect.
Soon after this every 5000 lady clerk of
the Redemption Division, excepting Mr..
News niece. were indirectly taxed $3.50.
1t was accomplished by forcing each one,
by means of vague hints of discharge in
case of refusal, to make application for
seven days leave of absence aOithom pay.
$500 were thus secured but not accounted
for, and rumor has it that it was either
used to cover some of the nephew's irregu-
larities or to pay the excess of appointees
from Mr.. News State. The facts here CIV
en- are not mere hearsays--they are facts
and can be corroborated to the satisfaction
of any having interest to make inquiries
concerning them.
The picture "Signing the Proclamation
of Emancipation, painted in the White
House by Mr.. Frank Carpenter, purchased
from him for $4,000 by Mrs. Elizabeth
Thompson, of New York, and presented
by her on Tuesday of last week to the Uni
ted States Government, has been the sub
ject of much comment here for the past ten
days. A steel engraving of the same was
presented, by Carpenter himself, to How
ard University last Thursday, and the cer-
emonies were as impressive in their way as
those at the Capitol. Howard University
is our famous colored college and is the
place of all others for this picture to hang.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hayes lent their presence to
the other attractions of the occasion and
Fred. Douglass made the principal speech.
Douglass speaks of his race very sensibly
In the course of the remarks referred to,
he said, the greatest faults of the black
people were their self-indulgence, love of
ease and improvidence, aud that they must
learn to spend their earnings judiciously
before they will prosper. President Hayes
also made a short speech, from which
give AN extract:
"That Emancipation has conferred in
| finite blessings on our country, on both
races, and on the world, very few question
This estimate of the act (of emancipation
and of its results will not be changed by
the good conduct or the bad conduct of
either race. But it is said that the great
ness of the blessing conferred on the COL
ored race, depends on their conduct. What
they most need is what Burns calls "the
glorious privilege of being independent. T"
What this requires is the willingness to Ia
Dor and the prudence and self-denial to
save the fruits of labor. My young colored
friends, let this, then, be among your good
resolutions. i will work and will save,
TO the end that ! may become independ
ent.' OLIVE.