Evening star., 1923-01-29
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

will be counted. The commissioners
are puzzled. sos.
x +
Who steals my purse steals trash
But he who robs me of nv good no &C
Takes that which not enrichea bir
But makes me poor indeed. ,
The false accusations against
twenty-eight employees OF the bureau,
OF engraving and printing under
which all were summarily dismissed
under cloud. nearly year ago. have
now been found untrue. The dis
graced employees are to be offered re
instatement in their civil service
rights. and given some kind of en-
ployment in government service
though not in their old positions. and
probably at reduced salaries. They
had done nothing whatever deserving
| censure: they were unjustly accused
or suspected to have robbed the gov
ernment. They have suffered loss Of
reputation, loss of wages, and one Of the
victims now lies in his grave because
or his shame at the false accusation
J All are now exonerated: all are TO be
told by the government that terribls
mistake was made, for viii ch the gov
eminent is sorry. That is all. Re
/ publics are not only ungrateful but
| terribly cruel. if that ends the case.
If private firm should make false
accusation against it's old and faith
/ full cashier and bookkeeper. and sum
! marily discharge them in such a way
| as TO cast a cloud over their rcputa
| tions, it would have to watch itS
step" very warily if it avoided a sui'
for heavy damages for slander.
| The government made no charge
/ in words. but acts speak louder thai
! words. Employees who are in place
| of great confidence, where they han
die vast sums of money or securities
and are suddenly dismissed ar
charged, by unacceptable inference
with serious crime. The absence e
words or formal accusations woulU
never prevent a jury, in a court Of
| Justice, from a verdict 10 the effec
that the unjust discharge was tants
mount to slander, unless proved 20
have been based upon a reasonable
| ground for suspicion. The victims
are morally entitled to adequate
! reparation for the damages they have
| suffered. Mere reinstatement and in
piled apology is not reparation.
| who was really responsible for the
| gossip, the whispered slander, the
! bungling esinferences, can never be
| discovered without a close investiga-
1 ton, ana. IN simple Justice, SUCH al
| investigation should be instituted by
/ Congress.
| We of the present generation view
/ with horror the period of witchcraft
| in New England, when the mere
pointing of finger in malice, and
i the unsupported cry Witch" was
sufficient to tear victims from the
| protection Of family and lifelong
! friends and send them to the stake.
That was no more cruel and baseless
| than the torturing of the twenty
eight faithful employees of the gov
| ernment. Who were the accusers
who misled the President? What is
| going to be done about it?
The commissioner of immigration,
Mr. w W. Husband. has a plan for
adjusting the immigration problem
! which suggests the explanation of the
merchant who said he was losing SO
on every garment he sold, but that
! he could afford to sell at the cut
price because of his great volume
of business. Mr.. Husband points TO
the fact that while our immigration
restriction law gives northern Europe
| d quota of 19S.167, and only - per
cent Of that quota was filled by inn
| migrants, therefore, the way to in
crease the desirable immigration
from northern Europe is TO increase
| the quota allowable to 352,666. He
has not explained how that will in
duce additional immigrants from
northern Europe to come over. There
was already a leeway Of So per cent
of the present quota, for only about
So. 900 came, when we offered en-
trance to 198.167 Will the opening
of the gate to still more increase the
arrivals beyond the $4,000? If so,
why?
! Mr.. Husband proposes to base the
quotas on the 1890 census, instead of
! the 1900 census. of nationalities then
! in America. and permit per cent of
the number here of each nationality.
That would increase the quota for
northern Europe to 352,666, but reduce
! the quota from southern Europe from
the present 155,509 to 1885. South
ern Europe wants to come, and used
all it's quota, with 100000 disappoint-
| ed by being shut out. The north
erners refuse common labor employ
ment-which is crying for more hands
| while the southerners are ready TO
do the rough work. The Secretary OF
| labor. Mr.. Davis, reports that there
are more jobs now than laborers, and
| demand for more laborerS will in
crease as spring opens.