National Republican., 1880-08-12
THE rRAUpULENr CENSUS.

postage pmd
THE FRAUDULENT CENSUS.
When the question of appointing census
supervisors was being considered we were
careful to advise those who had the ap-
pointing power that in order to secure
truthful report of the population in the
south more than ordinary care would be
necessary in selecting supervisors and
enumerators for that section. We pointed
out the extreme probability nay, the al
most absolute certainty, that the census
would share in the debauchery to which
elections have been reduced in the southern
states.
Our warning was not heeded. The pres-
dent finds himself once more victim to
the plausible southern politician. 1t ap-
peared to him unreasonable to suppose
that honest southern men could not and
would not be obtained for the service. He
and the amiable superintendent of the cen
sus were both reluctant to believe that con-
spiracy, such as we feared could be success
fully carried outover such large extent of
country and including so many agents.
The figures we published yesterday and
those given to-day will probably awaken
the country, if not the president and Geu-
eral WALKER, TO the fact that fraud of
gigantic proportions has been successfully
perpetrated
1t would have been a surprise to us had
things been different. The southern lead
ers have long had two conscences-one for
personal transactions, the other for all that
relates to politics. They have accustomed
themselves TO seek the maintenance of
power by the exercise of tyranny as un-
scrupulous and arbitrary as has ever been
welded by despots or olgOrchios. The
jesutical doctrine that the end sanctifes
the means has long ago been adopted by
them, and TO them the taking of new
census appeared only rs an opportunity to
prolong and increase their political power
by practices familiar to them when applied
to the ballot-hox.
When the north becomes familiar with
the facts in regard to this fraudulent census
there will he indignation and denunciation
we suppose, rs there was at first in regard TO
the tissue ballots and the general suppress
sion of the republican votes by forcible and
fraudulent methods, but it is to be feared
that action will be wanting. 1t is true that
the president now could remove every one
of the present southern supervisors for
cause, and order new enumeration. This
is his duty, but such an exhibition of
vigorous treatment of southern difficulty
is not to be expected. The north will thus
in all probability allow the south to fl its
own political representation by packing the
census, just as it has allowed it to fix its own
political status by stufling the ballot-box
The fundamental defect of the situation
is the condonement by the nation of politi-
cal crimes in the south. There is no gov
ernment by the people there. The motions
are gone through with, but the ballot is q
farce and a mockery. Fraud and force
bear down opposition, aud the result is
registered with hardly an effort to conceal
the methods by which it was attained.
What is to come of all this? The stuff
ing of the ballot-bOxes, the rule of force,
the Justification of the census cannot always
be submitted to by the north. There will
be resistance or retaliation which will be
simply Mexicanization of the country and
its ultimate destruction. The safe way is
to begin now and render this last fraud
abortive. If the president will not act at
once and with yigor there is no other
hope than that the north will elect a
congress which will do the work. The
house representatives, can refuse to make
an apportionment until correct census
has been taken in the south. 10 secure n
correction of this wrong rests now with the
voters of the north. Let them see to it that
amajority Of republicans are returned to
the house Of representatives this fall and
the corrective will be applied If the
voters fail to do their duty in such crisis
they deserve to lose their rightful politi-
cal powers, and they certainly will lose
them.