The Portland daily press., 1880-09-03
Census Frauds.
Suspicious South Carolina Figures.

The Washington Republican, whose editor.
Mr.. Thompson, was long resident of South
carolina, but was compelled to leave the State
ON account of his Republcanism, publishes an
article which logically shows that the South
Carolina census is fraudulent, unless it is to be
conceded that one million people-the popula-
tion as now returned in round numbers-can
live in less number of houses and use small
er number of horses, hogs, cattle and sheep
than are required by 100000 people. Accord
ing to the published census returns South
Carolina has increased her population since
1870, 81 ,21S, being an increase since 1870 of
about AZ per cent. In the same time, 10 CORE
spond with the increase in population, thers
should have been an increase in the value of
her real and personal property. Instead of
this being so, if we may trust the official re-
port, there has been decrease in wealth al
most as remarkable as the reported increase in
population. From comparison Of the report
OF the Auditor of South Carolina for 1870 with
he Comptroller Generals report for 1880 it ap-
pears that notwithstanding the pretended in.
4 crease of population, there has been decrease
\ in the value of land to the amount of 1923 076,-
S92, decrease in the number Of buildings of
261O, and decrease in their value Of 81 ,76S,-
37S, being total decrease in the value Of real
estate not in towns and cities of S30,845 90.
The taxable value of real estate in cities and
towns has declined. according to the same re-
port, from S34 Az, ,S74 in 1869 to S25 5SS 271 in
1879, a decrease of S9,S5S, ,6O3 The total de-
crease in value of all the real estate in ten
years is, therefore, 40,703,S ,S73. 1t will be
seen from these figures that the 996,824 inhab-
itants of 1879 live in 2610 fewer houses than
the 7O5,60S inhabitants of 1869. The fact is
also apparent that these houses are worth ST.
76S, 1873 less than were the greater number re-
turned in 1879. 1t is thus evident that, while
very great attention has bee7 paid to the pro-
duction of population, there has been no time
to build houses or keep them in repair. In the
same time the taxable value Of all personal
property in the State is reduced from S63 1O8-
72O in 1869 to 36,574 858 in 1879, a loss in ten
years of $26531 1862 Yet the North is asked to
believe that the census returns are honest and
that South Carolina has increased in popula-
tion AZ per cent. during that same period
The last complaint at the Census Office is
that great many of the clerks are incompe-
tent. This is due to the fact that the Superin-
tendent of the Census was overwhelmed BY
Democratic congressman who insisted that
their favorites should be put in Office There
are great many ex-Confederates in the Gem
sus Office, placed there upon the recommends
tion OF Democratic Congressman. 1t is not
known that threats were made that the appro-
priation should not be given unless Democrats
received the places, but it is certain that the
Democratic members of the Census Commit
teee of the two houses have q considerable
number of their favorits in the employ of the
bureau. Ex-Confederates, of course, have
not been placed upon the important work Of
investigating South Carolina frauds General
Walker, it is said, contemplates removing .
number of inefficient clerks within q short
time he is reported to have said that nothing
upon which official action could be taken with
respect to frauds had yet been discovered.
Whatever General Walkers public utterance
may be, it is certain that those in the bureau
who know most about the returns are satisfied
that upon their face many of the South Caro-
lima returns indicate fraud.