The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-05-31
Purchasing Positions.

The Washington correspondent Of
the Boston Herald, SAYS: i Procuring
Government positions for pay, or, to
speak more accurately, / should say the
pretense of procuring them,'' said a
gentleman of long official experience to
a Star reporter, '.fs confidence opera
ton that will continue to be practiced
as long as there are fools to be fieeced
out of their money. ''.A- ~ ra5i7as
Is fare these brokers ever really able
to command positions?'
3-."' No. was the reply. There may
be, and perhaps are, eases in which
tanned from those having the power to
make appointments through : corrupt
bargains, possibly for the payment of a
fixed sum of money, but such transac-
tons have been between the corrupt
official and some trusty crony, the lat
ter being the blind. But these men who
advertise to procure situations under
the Government, and who profess to. do
it for pay, are 4sharpers-fegular conf
dence men. sz-f-.e. { s--sr F,s g--g-z-,rs
. How do they work their sehemes?"
Well, in different ways. They are
usually shrewd scamps, who use every
Opportunity and take advantage of eY-
cry trick. One. plan is to inform the ap-
pficant that a cash outlay will be neces-
sary. and require an advance. from the
victim of, say S25. He is put of. from
time to time and fieeced as long as he
will stand it, being told that the place
has been secured, but that another $25
or 500 is necessaryto pay for it. Finally
the victim, out of patiences refuses to
pay any more, and then he is told that,
as he will lotSeomplys with the necesl
sary conditions, it is his own fault that
he fails. If he threatens to expose the
sharper, the latter coolly advises him
that lhes in offering to buy aplace is as
deep IN the mud as he (the sharper)
lsElin the n1ire, and that's the end
of it. i know. OF. one case i'm which
a young man from a Western State
was here seeking Government eana
ployment. One of the, Senators from
his State was working industriousIy
for him, and had been promised a posi-
ton. The young man, However, got
ont of patience and advertised that he
would pay for a place. One of the
smart brokers answered the ADVERTISED
ment. and the western young, man
called on him. After a short conversa-
ionthe termslwere agreed upon, and
the broker assured the gentleman, that
he would get him a place. Then he
askedshis visitor if he had anv1 refers
enees anybody who knew him, and
who would vouch for his Character, etc.
20 YES, aEreplied the2yonng man, very.
thopghtlessly; t..Senator, IL is my
friend, and has been promised a position
for me" naming tlieDepartment Chief
promise. Next day the. broker waited.
upon the Senator and expressed great
interest in the young man. He was
anxious to see -hiln placed, and was sat
istied he could be of,seryicein obtaining
him a position if the Senator would but
permit him {the broker) TO aid I'M the
undertaking. The. Senator, who, by
the way, was one of the most honest
and oreduleus easysgoing men I ever
saw, gladly accented the proffered aid,
and IN a Short time the broker was in
possession efsall the facts sconcerning
the case. He obtained a note from the
Senator, addressed to the Department
Chief, in relation to the inatteng and
thusyworked himself right into it. He
was informed that the Department had
notalost sight aof the ease, and that he
might say to the Senator that a vacancy
was to occurin afew days The broker
then carried to the young man the mes
sage which called him. to the Depart
ment to- receive his appointment and
claimed to have procured the position
for him. For eight months that confids
ing youth paid the broker twenty-five
dollars per month. only to learn after
ward that the man had o no mere iRs
fiuence in getting. him work than the
man IN the MOON The Young man IS
still here9ina thes Geyernlient 8enploFs
and he is. q most worthy gentleman;
hence do not give his name. T We no
aeahtsh he's astypey many eases.2 You
may set down any man who offers to
procure Government places for pay az
afrauds aafaszssLas baziasb ad1 szsS
So aIazs2o Bound to Win. ia aau yna
- .s-s-assssz-zS-=z
- SIri' he hppaO. aS he found him ar