Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-19
FIGURES THATLlE.
FINANCIAL CONDITION OF SOUTHERN STATES
MILLEULY MIsREPSESENTED.


wILLFULY MIsREPREsENTED.
WASHINGTON, October 1S.-Mr Robert P.
Porter, formerly special census agent in
charge OF the compilation of wealth, debt
and taxation, and lately statistician for the
Tariff Commission, prepared for the North
ADaeT1cdn ReUieW in the spring of last year an
article purportiug to give the exact financial
condition OF several of the Southern States.
The figures therein given were regarded
authentic, and the article, appearing at the
time of Mahone's entry into the Senate, was
frequently quoted in that body by Rapubl-
cans during the heated review of the fnan-
cial condition of the South, provoked by
Mahoue's expository speech. 1t is nov
charged, with an array of circumstances
tending 10 fasten partisan motives upon MIR.
Porter, that the figures were not only mac
curate and unjust TO the South, but that
when the fact OF their inaccurscy was
brought TO Mr.. Porter's attention be refused
to accept the corrected figures, but ordered
thst the official bulletins be made to conform
TO his pronuBciamento.
The charges are brought by the Critic in
an article which says, with reference 10 the
corrected figures, that when Inaccuracies in
the North american article were discovered
Que clerk called the attention of his chief to
the fact that the debt of Tennessee was one
fifth lees as computed from the official
sources than appeared in this magazine ar
tice.
"Well,p Mr.. Porter, shat doesn't mat
ter; The official figures must conform TO the
figures in the article"
But" exclaimed the clerk with sslouish-
ment, "our report won't be accurate, then"
"Never Imiud,o said Mr.. Porter, 81 will
take care of that. l want those figures jus;
as they appeared in the North american
Reriew. II you don't do il, l will do it
MYSELF
+ 1t was done, and when the advance bulle-
tins were sent out from the bureau for the
popular information protests came pouring
in from town, county, and State officials OF
nearly every Southern Slaie to the effect that
the financial status was incorrectly gwen by
the bureau. Ii is understood that Senator
Harris, OF Tennessee, was one of the protest.
ants against the alleged condition of his
State financially, bus The good work OF
census-m sking went on as bravely as ever.
The protest found conlempiuous sepulcher
in the waste-basket of the bureau. Not only
were the Southern States misreprese nted In
this special department, but the Pacific coast
States and Territories were made 10 suff-r
equslly cruel wrongs. The departmental
circulars which were thrown broadcast over
the country for information did not come Ia
promptly from that section, so their financial
condition was left largely 10 Mr.. Porter's
fertile imagination.
The Critic recalls also what has before
been published-that Mr.. Porter's able work
on the re- ources OF the West wss compiled
from data prepared specially for that pnr-
pose by twenty or thirty census clerks during
regular Office hours, and that when prepared
the work was sent 20 London for publication,
instead of being given out in this country
Another charge brought against Mr.. PorteT's
division is that Bradstreet's Commercial
Agency figured conspicuously in the work,
Mr.. Porter being. it is alleged, in the employ
OF the firm at the time at salary oil S5OOO
per annum. Ore advantage of this eonnec-
ton wss that fome 100000 of the firms sd-
refreshments were iuclosed with government
circulars cent throughout the country for
statistical information. This must have
saved the firm at least $4,000 in post age
stamps, besides being ooe OF the finest adver-
Using lodges ever cousummaied. Further
disclosures in this line are promised, serious
enough, il is predicted, TO warrant a cou-
gressional investigation at the coming session.