Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-09-01
The Southern Census Frauds.
Chicago TTibun,

Chicago Tribune.
1t frequently happens that fraud defeats
it's own purpose by making itself too ap.
parent. There Is prospect that this will
be the outcome of the manifest falsifics
ton Of the census in certain of the South
ern States. The South Carolina falsif1ers
have certainly over-reached themselves.
When the Charleston Is. CO. Neaos and
Courier announced from data which had
been furnished 1t by enumerators that the
population of the state would show an in
crease OF 30 per cent, the statement at
once aroused universal suspicion of fraud
This was increased when similar reports
came from North Carolina and the two
Virginias. 1t then began to dawn upon
the country that there had been precon-
certed arrangement in the South to make
an official exag geration of the population
IN order to secure political advantage
in Congressional representation. The
only reply that came from the Census
Bureau to this suspicion, when expressed,
was that the official enumeration had not
been actually aggregated, and that it was
not proper TO take cognizance of un-
authoriz ID estimates.
1t is now reported, however, that the
actual aggregation of the census in South
Carolina will show an increase during the
past ten years of 43 per cent! Such a
. showing, IN contrast with the increase in
; the most prosperous Western States, in
the face of the contradictory statements
as to business, revenue, education, ETC.,
and in spite of the well-known fact that
foreign emlgrants to this country avoid
the South in the main, will be altogether
too severe strain upon the credulity of
the country, and will almost certainly
lead to q recount under new supervisors
and enumerators. All the conditions of
this alleged increase in South Carolina
betray its falsity. In an average increase
of 43 per cent throughout the State the
two counties which contain the leading
and growing cities-Charleston and Co
lumbia-report an increase respectively
of only Is and per cent. A backwoods
county, which in 1870 had less inhabi-
tants than it had forty years before, now
reports an increase of 80 per cent The
explanation is that the frauds were not
feasible in the commercial and intelligent
communities where Republicans still have
some standing, and that the frauds in
other sections had to be carried beyond
all reason in order to make out the de.
sired increase in the State as a
whole. While South Carolina reports
ou AOooC VI pOPulntiOu huQOuulluR W
43 per cent. within the past ten years, the
government reports an actual decrease of
OF per cent. In the internal revenue re-
ceipts within the same period; yet the
States of Michigan and Minnesota show
an average increase Of internal receipts of
more than 40 per cent. during the same
time, while claiming only about one.half
as much increase in population. In the
distribution of mail matter there has been
an increase Of only "a per cent. during
the decade, while the Western States,
with their real increase in population of
only oDe half of the assumed increase in
South Carolina, have added twice as much
to the postal revenues. Other facts equally
significant stamp the South Carolina cen.
sus as fraud, and the same Is true of
other Southern States where an exagger.
ated increase in population is reported.
The Administration must deal with
these frauds promptly and summary.
Fortunately 1t has the authority to order
a new count. Any other course, under
the circumstances, will be a gross politi-
cal outrage upon the Northern States
The South already enjoys an unconstiu.
tional proportion of representation in
Congress, because it has practically dis.
franchised large numbers Of its citizens,
who are thus deprived of representation.
This injustice must not be increased by
condoning census frauds as we'll. The
proper remedy should be applied at once,
for delay and trif ing will only serve to
give the frauds stronger hold upon the
records.