The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-09-09
THE CAROLINA CENSUS.
President Hayes Sees that its Accuracy
Cannot he Very we'll Questioned.


a short time ago President Hayes was
convinced, and it was so stated in these
dispatches, that it would be necessary to
have the census of South Carolina taken
over again. Prominent Federal officials
in the State represented to him that
frauds of the most fragrant character had
been openly perpetrated and the emu.
merators had been misled. 1t is report
ed that just before bis departure for Ohio
he discussed the subject with Gen.
Walker, superintendent of the census,
who assured him if the usual tests ap.
piled to verify the correctness of the cen
sns of population revealed the slightest
suspicion of fraud he would promptly
acruaint him of the fact wherever he
might be. In the meantime Secretary
Schurz Of whose department the census
bureau is branch, would have returned
to Washington and he would be able to
judge correctly of the demand for re.
Enumeration. After Gen. Walkers visit
to the Executive Mansion q Republican
cx.member of Congress from South Caro-
lima, who has the confidence ofthe Presi-
dent, called to urge new census in the
State. The President frankly told him
that he did not believe there was the
slightest foundation now for the alleged
frauds, and, taking the vote for President
in South Carolina in 1876 as basis Of
calculation, being three years and seven
moths before the enumeration began,
South Carolina ought to have in 1880
nearly, If not quite, million inhab-
tants. The ex-congressman departed
bewildered at the Presidents statement
and it is said began to realize that there
were too many corroborative facts sus-
tanning the accuracy or the censns re-
turns to be disputed at this late day.
The total vote of South Carolina in 1876,
was 1876, of which Mr.. Hayes received
81 $40 and Mr.. Tilden 90,9O6. The pro-
portion of the voting population is one
to every five inhabitants, an average that
holds good throughout the country, and
by which the population of any State
can be correctly estimated when the full
vote of that State is known to have been
cast. According to this rule South Caro-
lima at the close of the centennial, even
assuming that every vote in the State
was cast, must have had population of
9l5,000, and since then the increase
claimed in three years and seven months
is only $4,000. The Congressional vote
that year, when three of the five members
elected were Republicans, exceeded the
Presidential vote, the aggregate being
nearly 10000, representing population
of 10000. The Congressional vote of
South Carolina polled in 1878, when not
two thirds of the Republican vote of
previous years was cast, was nearly l75,-
900. This view Of the census seems to
have escaped the notice of the critics,
but not of the President, who, as above
said, at one time thought it might be nec-
essary for the credit Of the Census Bu-
reau to have the State of South Carolina
recanvassed. but who now plainly sees
that the accuracy of the present returns
cannot be very we'll questioned without
charging that the Presidential vote of
1876 was manufactured for party purpo-
ses, and that the suspicious would be
stronger against the Republican than the
Democratic party.
Washington Special to the Baltimore Sun.
There has been much in the way of
foolish insiuuations that the census
enumerators were returning exaggerated
totals Of the population in certain Sec
lions of the South. Of course it is pref
ty we'll understood among all people Of
intelligence that these insinuations are
made for the furtherance of partisan
and authorized investigation
has invariably discovered that there was
no ground for the sinister allegations. /
To the contrary there is good reason for
the belief that owing to the vast extent
of territory in the South, which is tbinly
settled and comparatively inaccessible, the
returns of the population have in some
cases been under the mark. The Demo
cratic State Committee of Florida have
called the attention of the supervisor Of
that State to allegations, supported on good
evidence, that the population of Marion
County has been returned at nearly 5000
less that it ought to have been. The
supervisor has forwarded the documents
10 the census bureau, and he has been
to make all proper inquiry.