New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-14
DEFENDING THE CENSUS.
SUPERINTENDENT PORTERS CONVINCING
ANSWER TO MIR. FoULKES
.OPENLErTER'


aoPENLErTER.'
CENSUS OFFICE APPOINTMENTS GOVERNED ry
MERIT AND NOT BY "roLITIcs'-sus
TANNING THE JUNE ESUMERA.
TIoN IN THIS CITY.
,Dr rEItaRApH 70 THE rspuxE1
washington. Nov. 13-washington correspondents
Of . number Of Democratic newspapers "eio iu -. ~
last night by william d. Foulke with COPIES y. a
open letter. to superintendent Porter ot "'o
Bureau. Mr. Foulke, who seems " po " 49,,
selfconstitutcd guardian Of the purity OF inc pp0
service sets out In this case with an asSui"pV'' "
regard to the appointment OF census ehui.0'e 'os
which Is incorrect. II 1t were true ho"eNo'' ~ w.
Justify Mr. Foulke In declaring thai every ee"s". ~
the limited States from the first one TAKEN III Low
nar ,h Aam,nstrstion of George Washington, TO tie
us taken IN 1850 under the direction Ut
Francis A. Walkcr--as well as the presene ocnsus
was a partisan census" and unworthy W oi'u'' oo
catse the clerks and enumeraor IN no case "cr suo
fected to a Civil service examination anu "Ppo"'o
nnon tho recommendation OF q Civil service Commis'
- Inae., the census appointments for the taking
81 anv census Of the United S,ates-at least prior 10
1ssO-wcre open to more severe CRITICISM iroih W.
Foulkes point Of view than We're The appointments '.
the present census. Herewith Is gwen supe'henue.
portcrs reply to Mr.. foukeS ielter' anu iarh'nuo'
people generally Will 'ee"iu ~ y" Nv" '
but convincing: ,o
,.tey of November L. 10 the effect that svug, an
nnnrtnnity TO defend the census Al FRANK Lesno
Vpp,t Newsnapern is not true because The artcle
in ouesren was Wr.tion at the very eaihesV soi'''
~ ~ lie Editor OF that paper. ,.no,v
fne second assumption equally incorrect nae s,
that recommended 70 the President That the .en n
0c san Of Republican Congressman and Other IN
1nenrsl parry mcii. section OF the act 9i aa,on 70
lssS IT. the duty Ss Fs was done
ont lie country in accordance win inc Id" 80 ns
ppsmp wa ARMY Of we Institution
enumerators, l., an examination. su'h so ,s - The
Country it was difficult secure persons r WINS INN the
work Tor a compensation Of less than 90 P' davs An
i su - a this immense army seyce
Examination would have been a iarce, i ~ q little
Sesn pUSs'D When you refer to my $1,000 sub
ordjnatespi see reason why my a' sdvii service
,aes sSopd any more cloud the work win ss
plcions than the fact that General s a. $50 in
my me same manner as they were made ior 'e
AS on AK me ~ should believe In the accuracy o.
pemocrstic enumeration made the same way, o sd
my answer is unbcsitatngly that . crr nnaucisd by
Dcmocratic Administration in the same manner anu
in the same spirit as the Al'h '0"s"'
To your question: "Do You in fact bensye n vo ~o
accuracy of the police enumeration Iao1 -, Ill, that A
taken under Democratic dres. i,u q, New os is one
t,g % and census of the entire United States tah
the act Of March nv ls isws on the Ncwo
noee census believe the spirit and intent Of ua
enumeration was as !, ts s Sustained by many @ thai
SaSe rracSea me from reliable The nds
the a,s o bound 20 & csst
regulations. have never mane any t,s noIjee enm
ersiin9 4 have merely claimed, and that can be
proved that thousands Of people were else
The police of New York who had bsen enuiel icu oi
uhore In lime. and this is natural consequence u
sSns large city ss . Nsw Ysh At
time far FemOyea n FROM snu 1r The census 10 be Il
value should be taken a. nea ana enumerang wers
ot 10 h,ame for this For the same reason refer
to the additions in October as he a%S st Of
Omissions Of '1ne MANA ANY ca ssv names Of individual
were taken by the police against ther nsyc never
sddoas must ays neen Of an omission Of 100000
names by the June count mt IN. s,,.nt when asked re
F yis s sat
p .ne @ Pr little yalue in the face of the exact
lie lie Veeps and secondly because have nD1s
peatedE treaeed TINS pnase u s'0 mewspapers who
have cc%e to me- inior%atsSo elbows s,,.t in.
s stsr so SsSsas for q the 's additional
% Ts s1 %s osss ss'
lson by death Te ncsS br p ont in report made
to tot the Eussh House commons BY sSm@se dg
pointed to inquire nto cera EnsnI In this report
cfnuuc ~ facts
experts snow tne ~a M It'll si.tstics Vet II should
from tie esthales v'ss" 81, 1 IN England is
be borne IN nina tlat ne a.try fable in this
probably ~ conpte 40 =. az ua1d n, have pop
report SHOWS thst n,as e' ner cent above what the
ulafion OF 10 10 ana gNen - p that five
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS csunase WU n s~r me,ropolita,,
comics Az 1a eleven REGISTRATION districts. have
santaTy areas s su nonnlstion much smaller than
nr,d -. indicated IN sone eases reaching 25 per cent
woui ue ~. a esti,a.e al the REGISTRAR Gen
Hess tht SN SOL, S,c,sns~ c;es were shown I'm this
eIai; III iaSt ., eavhe No ,onnIatioS
mctnoo OF estnsR ~. tors wera selected
You ASK TOW hmUm ,, ana tbn renly is that in the
with the greatest care anu NS A., .,na civl
city of New YORK they were suolce,en ~ 10 49, who
service examination ~ ,ns rappa writer's were refused
were not fairly accurate anu fa,piu rere In
employ ment IN otner CUES VIZ RI;nant and ascar
struced to personally tesl ea ibb,,,tv Tor Tho yyol
tain II the men had the necessary anii ioi ~
These instructions were carried 0dS All the apn
this and check on the superNsVrs' az urrs npp
cations which had to be written m uie nah Inv ~
the applicants. were careuiiy enamiheu o ed nv
Of both political parties In The census oihce anu YIN
SUPERINTENDENT I'm every case refused 10 connTm ap
pointmens of those who did not seem quanea lor 1'
work When yon take into consideration me I'm I'm,
porary character Of this employment and the Iae1 una