, 1889-05-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular co7r-sFondent)



! Whatever criticism my b. p Sc! r..
on Mr.. Portcr's appointment is suprr:n
teuient of the eleventh census. there
can bo no lack of statistical ability al
legged against him. Neither is there ayy
foundation fog the frequent Democratic
complaint that being pr nou1ced pro,
tectionist in principle he Will make up
his report With a view TO its circulation
as high tariff campaign document.
Even were a superintendent of the census
so disposed, It woald be cut of his power
to give political, much less partisan
coloriug, to compendium Of tie T.
ulat.ou, manufactures. and various other
industries o. the country without n
gross perversion OF figures that would
imply Il criminal dercl:ction 20 Gnty-
The superintendent in following di-
rections prescribed for lin has really no
alternative but to confiae himself to
cold frcts, without iI.tcriecting editorial
diaquisltious and interpretations as to
What thcy signify, or in what way they
tA4tJ 'N AsNN Az SalAg t'iADilu uA tSbSi
sioEal districts. The results of the
census are TO be taken for what they
adjudged On their own merits
The Democrats. therefore iced give
themselves 10 Gneasiness for fear that
Mr.. Porte-'s conception Of his duties rise
no higher than to prepare a campaign
textbook for the elections Of 1891 or
1896.
Thomas Settle. of ReidsviIle, n. g.,
is in the city. He is a son of the late
Judge Settle, and seems to have iaber-
tied his fathers legal ability, for. though
only few years above majority, he is
solicitor of the eighth judicial district.
in which he lives, ana as n prosecuting
officer has shown marked ability. He
is candidate for United States district
attorney.
Il do not know what action the ad
ministration proposes TO take in the ap-
pointment OF district attorneys 10 the
Soath ,""-said he, 'But when the numer-
GUS election frauds are brought up, aud
the Democratic attorneys fail to prose-
cute, it would seem that their places
would need TO be filed by Republicans
"In North Carolina the Republican
party has been growing rapidly in the |
white counties, in which our priHci- |
pal strength now lies. Ii We can secure |
the conviction Of those who commit |
crimes against the ballot We can carry |
the state. Such convictions ere diff
cult to secure, for no sooner is an at
tempt made to secnTe testimony than |
the prejudices, OF the people among
whom We would work close their mouths
and every bit of testimony has to be |
pried out like rock from ledge.
every possible scheme has been used |
by the Democrats to prevent fair cleo
ton. One favorite plan is to select |
lists of Republican voters to be chal-
lenged, and they arc told 10 step aside |
until those whose ballots are undisputed |
shall have voted. Then the polls are
closed bofore the challenged voters CAP
get 10 their votes. At one polling |
place nearly 200 Republicans were thus
aefrauded of their rights, when 1 know
that not a shadow of doubt as 70 the le-
gality Of their votes could be raised"
As Secretary Rusk eat at bis desk
Monday afternoon his gaze fell upon
The workmen engaged in moving the
irss crop of grass on the grounds of the
agricultural departmo at. Something in
their movements did not satisfy his eye,
and turning TO Ohiei Clerk Rockwood,
be said. "Pd like to go out there and give
those fellows points"
you'd better turn that over to me,"
Major lockwood. Il car NOW
all around you"
"Nos mUch," replied the secretary. "as
he boys say, you amt built that way"
Yesterday morning as they rode up
the hvenue to the department building |
the sight of the mowers alongside |
brought them to Mondays banter, and |
with one accord the secretary and the |
chief clerk leaped from the carriage to
the lawn, and grabbed each scythe |
from the astonished laborers and began
to swing them in the most approved
style. The tall form of the secretary
moved rapidly along a wide swAtb,
amidst the piaudits of an admiring
crowd attracted by the unusual specta-
Gle, while Major lockwood more mod
estly held his own in the contest. But
he didu't make good his boast OF now
ing all around the secretary. In fact,
the latter demonstrated bis staying pow
ers by going to the department. after
finishing his stint and cutting off few
heads with the official guillotine. while
the maipr failed to show up at bis desk
at all during the day. Il was explained
that he hal gone to Mount Vernon.
r.