Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-09-09
Political News.
HUNGRY SOUTHERN CLAIMANTS.

WASHINGTON, Aug 80
An officer OF the Southern Claims Com
mission, which has expired by limitation,
has recently made discovery which
seems very clearly 10 indicate that the ex
Coniederstes are preparing the wsy to
have all the claims that were rejected by
that Commission paid, II ever the Demo.
Gratis shall obtain possession OF the gov.
eminent The discovery WAS made in
this way: When the Commission tx
PRED, the officials transferred to the
Treasury Department al the papers in
cases that had been paid, and they are
part OF the Treasury archives, but the re.
lected claims, with the testimony, adverse
reports and evidence showing them fraud
ulent, or that they were presented BY dis.
loyal persons, were all transferred to the
House War Claims Committee. In nearly
every case there were papers which were
suiiic lent TO reject the claims The ex.of
fetal OF the committee in question, who
MADE good many OF these Investigations
by means of which the claims were re-
jected, recently had occasion to examine
the flee OF number of the cases In the
War Claims Committee, when he discov.
cred that the vital documents proving the
invalidity of the claims have disappeared
from the files. II may be that the parties
in interest are making il a business with
improper help TO thus prepare the way
for the ultimate passage OF rejected
claims.
SOUTH CAROLINA CENSUS FRAUDS.
The work of examining the returns of
the census enumerators, with 8 view of
discovering whether there is any official
evidence Of fraud, is rapidly progressing,
and there is every reason to believe that
Gen. Walker, Superintendent of the Cen
sus, will obtain evidence in HE own office
which will make il certain that frauds of
the most extensive kinds have been com.
mitted. Some curious proofs of manifest
fraud have recently been discovered there.
The census returns are msde upon sheets
Of Uniform size, each sheet being designed
to hold certain number of names, These
returns, IN all places where the census has
been honestly taken, are, of course some
what soiled. The entries in them have
been made as the eDumerators have gone
from house To house, and the writing is
irregular A great many of the sheets re.
turned by South Carolina enumerators,
however, fairly show the entries In many
instances have been W .itten at a single
sitting. They are uniform. The writing
Is at the same angle, and there are 9th r
signs by which experts can readily tel
that the document WAS prepared at one
time. In one of these lists there are some
thing over 700 names, and OF these all ex.
cept tour are returned as natives OF South
Carolina. This OF itself is pfeposterous.
The experience of the census officials
shows that the names Of 700 persons taken
seriatim would show very much greater
percentage OF nativity outside the State.
1t happens that one f the South Carolina
enumerators failed to fill out two of his
sheets, except the columns containing the
names OF the persons and their nstvity -
a circumstance of itself, taken with the
other indications OF the papers, fairly
proving fraud. This is u specimen of
some OF the discoveries that are being
made.
A Republican clergyman, writing from
South Carolina, says: 81 nope something
will be done TO correct the census returns,
| have been constantly travelling in this
State for The past fifteen years. More PEG.
pie are moving out of our State than in.
All the increase must be from natural
causes within ourselves. There is not the
least doubt about this stuffing ! hope II
may by some means be tested. 1t was q
mistake that the Democrats were allowed
TO do the work here. They cannot he
trusted where their own political interests
are concerned Their WORKS in this sec
ticn for the last twenty years testify
against them.