National Republican., 1880-09-09
PARTISAN or NoN-pARrIsANq

PARTISAN Or NoN-PARTISAN?
General WALKER is reported as saying
that the maTsbals and assistant marshals
who took the census of 1870 were political
"appointees, many of them colored men,
"and there is too much reason to suppose
that some Of them turned over the work
TO mean whites of more clerical ability
"and went shares on the pay" implying
that it is possible the census of 1850 in the
south is correct and that of 1870 was incor-
rect, owing to Ignorance of the murshals
and deputy marshals who made the emu
meration of 1870. We hope this New
Haven interview was not correctly reported
in this particular, because if the report is
correct it shows gross ignorance on the part
of the superintendent of the census OF 1870,
General WALKER himself We are of
opinion that in the year 1870 there was not
single colored marshal or assistant marshal
employed in the work of enumeration in the
southern states, and we are positively ccr.
tain that atifthere wasa colored man employed
in enumerating in the south in 1870, he
was in every way competent to perform the
work. did perform it personally, and that
his work compared favorably with the
best work done by the best class of the
white enumerators north or south. II
General WALKER made the reported state
ment, it shows that he was grossly ignor-
ant of the character and personnel Of the
-, ;,, A,l
hence it is just to infer that he is ignorant
of the character and personnel of the emu
merators in that section in 1880.
The supervisors nominated the enumer-
ators in 1880; General WALKER confirmed
them without any personal knowledge Of
thoir character and qualification other than
letter of application that might nave
been written for the applicant by friend.
In 1870 the United States marshals nom
mated the enumerators, and the United
States district judges confirmed them be-
fore they were commissioned; but the
judges knew the men personally, and knew
their qualifications. The marshals and as.
sistant marshals were political appontees
says General WALKER. What does he
mean by that? Does he mean to say that
the supervisors and enumerators Of 1SsC
were not political appointees? If he does
he is the most innocent specimen of IN
official we ever heard Of If we know any
thing about the appointments of super
yisors at all, tits this, that they were, every
one of them, not only POLITICAL but partisan
appointments If he ever recommended, OF
knew of the appointment of supervisor
he ought to know that the politics of the
nominee was inquired into by the senate
and that that body required the nomina
ton Of certain number of democrats foI
supervisors.
General WALKER claims that the census
bureau and its outside officers constitute {
non-partisan body, yet it is a fact that III
organization is the only instance on record
in which political opinion and party biai
were openly required to be catered TO il
the appointment of officials. Talk abou
political appointees Was there ever st
unblushing an instance of political, o.
rather partisan, appointments as that o
the supervisors of the census of 1880
General WALKER says in his instructions
to enumerators Of May /, 1850, that emu
"merators shall be selected solely with
Preference to their fitness, and without re-
"gard to their political or party allilia-
"tions." [Page 81 Selected by supervisors
whose political and party affiliations wert
considered q qualification or disqualiiica-
tion by the senate There may have beer
some beardless youths who nigh
have been deceived by this pro
vision of the law-some very younl
goody-goody civil service reformers, but W,
did not suppose that General WALKER wa
so green as TO suppose that the supervisor
and enumerators OF the census of 1880 wer
not tou man not only political but partisan
appontees, The democratic supervisors
appointed because they were democrats
recommended republicans and democrat
indiscliminately to General WALKER 70
appointment as enumerators of course
If they did, it is the first time democra
was ever known to 90 back on his party
but they didn't do any such thing Ther
were some so-called republican supervisor
who were so bipartisan MS TO recommcn
none but democrats for enumerators, be
cause they were confirmed for that purpos'
IT will not do to say that republicans coul
notbo found whowere qualified. Thespel
ing Of names of states, counties and town
exhibited in the returns of the democrati
enumerators Of the south is, we hear,
constant source Of amusement for tho clerk
in General WALKERS Office, The work d
enumeration in those states is it is alleged
proof that the census of 1850 was turne'
over to the "meau whites" Of the soutl
who had no clerical ability-men who wer
proficient at one thing only - namely
double counting for political fraud an,
double pay With regard to the supposed