The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-10-10

The Census Investigation.
GENERAL wALKER's REPORT ON the SOUTH


CAROLINA ENUMERATION.
WAsuIxarox, October 9.-Secretary
Schmx this afternoon made public the re.
port OF Superintendent Walker, OF the
Census Bureau, on the alleged census
frauds in South Carolina. Alter reviewing
the statements made by the press, alleging
frauds, and the action OF the Census Bureau
In investigating the same, General walker
says: "The extraordinary gains reported
Ia certain OF the counties In South
Carolina and the State rs whole
over the census Of 1870 demanded, there.
fore, a careful investigation. IL was Boto-
rious that South Carolina bad not profitted
materially during the ten years since
1870 by immigration either from foreign
countries or from other States oil the Union.
With slight advantage from immigration
il was not possible that an old state could
have gained in population In the interval
since 1870 to the degree which Is shown by
the comparison OF the two censuses. Ii
follows, as conclusion oil the highest ail-
thorfty. either that the census OF 1870 was
grossly defective in regard to the whole Of
the State or some considerable parts thereof,
or else that the census Of 1880 was fraudu-
lent. The census OF 1870 might have been
defective in high degree without fraudu-
lent intention, through the Incompetence or
negligence Of the enumerators employed.
But the census OF 1880 could not have ex-
aggeraied the population Of The State with.
out absolute fraud, ipasmuch as the census
law requires The name Of every person re-
ported to be written Ut length on the sche-
dulles with score Of particulars as regards
axe, sex, nativity, occupation, DC so that
~ ftlaufff,nasa ..dHifian tyhateNpr IN the
schedule must be OF the nature OF a con.
scious and purposed crime"
General Walker, after giving reasons why,
In his judgment, the census OF 1870 was IN
correct, says:
There was, moreover, lacking IN 1871
throughout the general region one very I'M
poriant subject Of enumeraiion-ylz., pub
lie interest in the result and general intelll-
gence likely 10 be shown by the canvass.
The interest generally manifested through
out The United States in the ninth census
was far below that which has been shown
the present year: but nowhere did the In
terest in the work OF the census fall so low
as in the States referred to, in which politi-
cal activity under the Constitution OF the
United States had scarcely revived.
"No specific allegation OF fraud in the emu
nitldblOu vi COulu tdiulluh h"o WV cN~''
made TO this Office. The entire reason for
impeaching the integrity Of the recent GEN.
sus was formed in the reported gain OF
population between 1870 and 1880.
"The result OF the investigation places be-
yond possible question by any falr-minas
man the entire fault upon the census OF
1870. know OF no reason, therefore, why
any further charge should be made against
the enumeration recently brought to a con-
.clusiOn by the commissioned and sworn
officer OF the Government in South Caro-.
lima. The presumption which existed
against that work has been completely
overlhrown, and a strong counter presump-
ton has been created by the yeriticatlon
upon the ground OF the schedules OF in
babitants in the case OF eighteen enumera-
ton districts successfully taken for special
investigation on account Of their exception
ally questionable character"