National Republican., 1880-10-11
No ApnIOGY.

Ihe Charleston NcHS and Courier calls
on us to apologize for our attack upon the
figures of the South Carolina census of
1850 We have no apology 10 offer. lie
must have been very blind editor WHO
did not suspect fraud in those figures aud
lie must have been deficient in his duty TO
the country and his section did lie ftil to
denouuce it and call for correction. Every
presumption was against the acceptance Of
the reported results If Vermont had
shown an increase of 70 per cent since 1870
every newspaper in the country would have
expressed astOnishment, and would have
demanded au investigation. General
WALKER says in his report that the figures
were as suspicious 10 him us 10 u.s. The
Columbia Is. c. Regisier admitted that
upon the face of them fraud was evident
unless the explanation which has been
made was made No specific allegation of
fraud was needed 10 induce the official
action of General WALKER He says:
The extraordinary gains reported in certain
Of the counties in South Carolina aud the
state as whole over tho census of 1870 de-
| minded, therefore, careful investigation.
1t was notorious that South Carolina had not
proGted materially during the ten years since
| 1870 ny immigration either from foreign coun-
tries or from other states of The union.
With n 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 cOmpari.
sun of the two coususes. 1t follows as u con-
clusion of the highest authority either that
the census of 1870 was grossly defective in re.
gard 10 the whole Of the state or some cousid-
| cradle parts thereof or else that the census of
1850 was fraudulent The census of 1870
might have been defective in q high degree
| without fraudulent intention through the in-
competence or negligence of tho cnumerators
employed. But tho census of 1880 could not
have exaggerated the population of the state
without absolute fraud inasmuch as the ecu.
sus lawsrequires the name of every person re.
ported to be written at length on the sched-
ules with IL score Of particulars as regards
age, sex, nativity, occupation, etc., so that any
| lillegitimate addition whatever TO the schedule
must be of the nature Of u conscious and pur.
posed crime.
Now, mp to the publication Of the South
Carolina returns no charge of incomplete
ness had been made against the census
of 1870. There was no special reason 10
suspect 1t. General WALKER was superin-
tendent of that work rs he Ia of the pres
ent one. Although he had declared the
methods Of the law of 1850 antiquated
aud It's machinery defective, he had paid u
compliment 10 the mashals as having EN-
ployed intelligent and energetic men as
enumerators He did not except the south
crn marshals as he does now. 1t was,
therefore, right and natural to accept
the figures of 1879 as a standard by which
the growth of every state in the union
should he measured. If General WALKEg's
theory Of it's incompleteness in South Caro-
lima is correct then it should he dismissed
ir all discussions hereafter as regards any
state.
But we suppose the real grievance which
demands apology in the opinion of the
Nems aud Courier is that fraud was sus-
pccted aud charged without examination
That this was SO is the misfortune of South
Carolina aud the fault of her political
rulers. It is trne that nine out of ten in
the north suspected fraud in 1880 rather
than incompeteness in 1870. We admit
for ourselves that 10 suspect fraud
ia South Caroliun figures, where any
possible political interest is involved
is with us the first impulse. South
Carolina has made her own character. Hei
political rulers have exulted in the audac'
ity, extent and success of the frauds by
which they obtained aud hold power. The
NGrs and Courier liz now trying to convince
its readers that such methods cannot be re-
lied upon to bring success always. II Il
not having very much success So con6
dent are the democrats Of the interior tha
"the count elects" that they have become
inert and do not so generally respond to th,
rallies Of the cauvassng candidates as o
yore. The meetings at York, Union, Chester
Chesterfield, Lexington, etc, prove this, Ant
roundly have the people been rated therefor
by the Charleston organ.
The state has made character and ne
one can be justly charged with malignaucy
in thinking and speaking Of it MS it is. i
shows 10 signs Of mendIng its methods
Senator HAMPTON has pledged ID TO HAN
COCK by the greatest majority in the union
He knows that upon q freely cast ballot
aud fairly counted vote the GARFIELD
electors would have a majority of not less
than $4,000 Nevertheless he knows that
he can redeem his promise, and he knows by
what methods. The tissue ballots by which
every box in thirty-one counties of the
state was stuffed have become byword in
politics from one end Of the country to the
other. These frauds were perpetrated by
her "purest and best" No protest has eyel
been uttered against them by the demo,
cratic press or people of the slate, On tho
contrary, they exult in them.
With such q character established it re-
quires no special animosity to suspect
South Carolina census officials and then