Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-12-26
0UEENswARE.
THE NEXT CENSUS.

THE NEXT CENSUS.
The Republicans about Washing
ton who feel that they are the Ameri-
can people are very uneasy lest some
Democrats should be appointed super
visors and the South be permitted to
have an honest count. A special to the
Philadelphia Bulletin is specimen as
follows.
Some of the Western politicians
have been greatly disturbed over the
report put in circulation last week,
that the President had indicated
purpose to appoint the Supervisors of
the Census one-half from each of the
political parties. This interfered very
much with the plans of some of the
Republican delegations from the West,
who had agreed upon the persons to
be supported for their respective
States. Happily for the peace and
quiet of the Republican household,
the report did not prove to be true,
and the President disowned the re-
spOnsibility for the statement There
are some reasons why this plan is very
desirable. For instance, in the South
ern States, where the Republi
cans have no representative in
Congress. the Democrats are claiming
all the census appointments, and it
looks as though they would get them
AS matter of cheek, and to prevent
any frauds in the enumeration of the
people living in the South, it would be
a desirable thing to have few Repub-
lican supervisors appointed. The
South will endeavor to keep up its
population to the highest attainable
point when the census is taken, in
order to maintain large representa-
tion in congress when a new apportion-
ment is made, and it will be no sur
prise to many people if fraud is resort
ed to in the new census.
If the Southern delegation are al
lowed to name the men who shall
supervise the taking Of the census, it
will be an easy matter to select men
who will not be over scrupulous in
appointing the subordinates to do the
work. This is a matter which should
receive close attention.
The work of taking the census
should be done honestly, square
ly and promptly, without any
reference to the effect it will have on
parties or sections. What the country
wants is an accurate return made up by
honest, competent men, who shall for
get for the time being, so far as their
duty is concerned, whether they are
Democrats or Republicans. The pres
sent census law provides that the Su-
pervisors shall be nominated by the
President and confirmed by the senate.
AS the senate is Democratic it is fair
to presume that the Supervisors will
not all be chosen from one party by
the President. 1t would hardly be
expected that he would choose all
Democrrts, but as the senate acts
upon the nominations and can de.
feat any attempt to give this
business political or partizan shape,
it is to be hoped that only persons of
known integrity will be appointed or
confirmed, The last census, taken by
Federal marshals at a time when polit-
ical excitement and sectional feeling
ran high, was not satisfactory to the
South. The'marshals were generally
strangers to the people among whom
they had settled to hold Office and run
the Republican party, and had no other
object in view. We have a right to
expect better treatment this time. At
the last presidential election a large
majority of the popular vote was
cast for the Democratic nominee.
The President has recognized
the situation so far as to consult with
the members Of congress in regard to
their wishes. Tennessee is repre-
sented by nine Democrats in the
House Of Representatives to one Re-
publican and in the Senate by two
Democrats, senators Harris and Bailey.
These gentlemen have it in their
power to secure the appointment Of
supervisors who represent the inter
ests Of the state,and whose very names
would be a guarantee that the law
would be obeyed to the letter and
that no advantages would be taken OF
Of us for the benefit of other
sections. And we have merely
to say to our Representatives
at Washington that this can be done
without going outside of the party
which elected them to their seats
When the President nominates q
dozen Democratic supervisors to take
the census in a Republican state like
Pennsylvania for instance, it will be
time Democratic senators and repre-
sentatiyes from Tennessee to think
about Offering to make a divide il
this state
A VERY important act was passed