Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-11-15
FIGURES THAT LIE.
Financial Condition of Southern
ltk States Wiifaliy AIisrep.
resented.

Mr.. Robert 2. Porter, formerly
special census agent in charge of the
compilation of wealth, debt aud tax
baticn, and lately statistician for the
tariff commission, prepared for the
North American Review in the spring
OF last year an article purporting to
give the exact financial condition OF
several Of the Southern States. The
figures therein given were regarded as
authentic, and the article, appearing
at the time of Mahone's entry into the
Senate, was frequently quoted in that
body by Republicans du.ing the
heated review of the financial condition
of the South, provoked by Mahoae's
expository speech. 1t is now charged,
with an array of circumstances
tending 10 fasten partisan motives
upon Mr.. Porter. that the figures we're
not only inaccurate and unjust to the
South, but that when the fact of their
inaccuracy was brought to MIR. Por
ter's attention he refused TO accept
the corrected figures, but ordered
that the official bulletins be made to
conform to his pronunciamento.
The charges are brought by the
critic in an article which says, with
reference to the corrected figures,
that when inaccuracies in the North
American article were discovered one
clerk called the attention of his chief
to the fact that the debt of Tennessee
was one fifth less computed from the
official sources than appeared in this
magazine article.
We'll" said Mr.. Porter, that
doesn't matter; the official figures
must conform to the figures in the
article"
But" exclaimed the clerk with
establishment, our report won't be
accurate then"
Never mind" said Mr.. Porter, 81
will take ARE Of that. | want those
figures just as they appeared in the
North American Review. If you
don't do it, | will do it myself"
1t was done, and when the ad
vance bulletins we're sent out from
tie bureau 'or the popular informa
ton, protests came pouring in from
fown, county and State officials of
nearly every Southern State to the
effect that the financial status was in
correctly given by the bureau. 1t is
understood hat Senator Harris, OF
Tennessee, was one of the protes-
tants against the alleged con
ditions of his State financially,
but the good work of census making
vent on as bravely as ever. The pro
test found contemptuous sepulchre in
the waste basket of the bureau. Not
only we're the Southern States mis-
represented in this special department,
but the Pacific coast States and Ter
ritories were made to suffer equally
cruel wrongs. The departmental cir
culsrs which were thrown broadcast
over the country for information did
not come in promptly from that Sec
ton, so their financial condition was
left largely to Mr.. Porter's fertile
imagination.
The Critic recalls also what has be-
fore been published that Mr.. Porter's
able work on the resources of the
West was compiled from data pre-
pared specially for that purpose by
twenty or thirty census clerks
during regular Office hours, and
that when prepared the work was sent
to London for publication, instead Of
being given out in this country. An
other charge brought against Mr..
Porter's division is that Bradstreet's
Commercial Agency figured %conspicu-
ously 10 the work, Mr.. Porter being, it
is alleged, in the employ of the firm
at the time at a salary of 5000 per
annum. One advantage of this con
n%ection was that some 400, 900 of the
firms advertisements were enclosed
with government circulars sent
throughout the country for statistical
information. This must have saved
the firm at least $4,000 in postage
stamps, besides being oDe Of the finest
advertising lodges ever consummated.
Further disclosures in this line are
promised, serious enough, it is pre-
dicted, to warrant Congressional in
vestigation at the coming session.
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