Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-26
A NEW DEAL FOR BOTH.
A Recount Of the Population Of st. Paul
and Minneapolis.

"A Recount OF the population OF st. Paul
and Minneapolis.
Secretary Noble today ordered . recount OF
the population in both Minneapolis and St
Paul. This important action was based upon
the following letter received from Superintend-
emit Porter:
For the past two weeks this Office has been
engaged in an examination Of the returns Of
the recent census i'll Minneapolis and St Paul,
MINI. Before the count in the first named
city vas completed the attention Of the Census
Office was called TO alleged frauds in which it
was claimed that Q systematic effort
was being made 10 pad the census Of
Minneapolis. Mr.. Boudinot, trusted employee
OF this Office was Of once sent TO investigate the
matter and was also instructed to investigate
certain charges made in the newspapers OF
Minneapolis seriously rejecting upon the emu
meration then in course of completion in St
Paul. You are undoubtedly familiar with what
has followed. The contest between these two
rival cities in relation TO population
has assumed . magnitude and q bit
terness that will unquestionably leave
faint on the count of both cities, even il the
Census Once was not in possession of absolute
proof that serious fraud has been perpetrated
by tne enumerators in both Minneapolis and ST
Paul TO greater or less degree. Two weeks
ago, for the purpose Of ascertaining what
basis exists for the charges and counter
charges affecting the interest Of
the work Of enumeration, an investigation
was instituted which has been conducted with
great care and ability by Mr.. Henry Gannett,
geographer of the census. This Investigation
consisted mainly in an examination Of the
schedules returned by the supervisors
and a comparison Of their contents with
the insurance aliases Of these cities. The re-
suits Of Mr.. Boudnots investigation. including
the reports made by him from Minneapolis
from time to time, were placed in Mr.. Can
netts hands, also numerous afidavits affecting
the work in St. Paul.
THE CONCLUSIONS REACHED
from the evidence already in the possession Of
the Census Office, without taking into consider
alton the fact that criminal prosecutions are
now pending in the case Of Minneapolis, was
that nothing short Of a recount Of the entire
population of both Of these cities, conducted
directly by special agents Of this Office, will
satisfy the people of the state Of Minnesota, for
ii involves the whole state.
The evidence before me may be summarized
as follows:
In all probability there existed in Mime
apoiis a widespread organized conspiracy for
spiracy was only partially carried through,
owing to its early discovery. To
what extent, however, the schedules
are fraudulent can be at present
only matter of conjecture. These fraudulent
schedules take all manner Of forms. Families
have been swollen to enormous size by the ad-
dition Of children and boarders, the capacities
Of existing houses have been taxed far beyond
their limits by the addition Of families,
and houses with their contents have
been invented by hundreds. In addition
to these palpable frauds transients and meaiers
have been enumerated at the hotels and board
ing houses, and employees have been enumer-
ated at their shops as well as at their
houses in large numbers. In ST. Paul
there has been discovered no evidence
OF an organized conspiracy, but numerous
cases Of illegal additions to the schedules have
been found. These additions are similar in
character to those discovered in the Mime
apolis schedule, but are not by any meas as
widespread or as extensive.
RECOUNT NECESSARY
In view Of this condition of things il seems
impossible to be assured Of q correct census OF
these two cities without making a recount
throughout, and therefore recommend that a
recount be made. The objection urged by some
that St Paul should not be recounted simply
because frauds have been discovered in Minne-
apolis is not sound.
1t is true that the frauds are not SO wide
spread IN st. Paul as in Minneapolis, but this
may In part be due to the fact that this Office
has not made such extensive Investigations
into the returns from St. Paul as have been
mace into tnose from minneapolis. As u
matter Of fact, however, the postal card returns
from St Paul in great many districts are of
a more suspicious character than those from
Minneapolis. l am satisfied that the decision
to recount both cities, il the honorable Secre-
tary of the Interior should approve it, will
give general satisfaction to the vast majority of
the people Of both Minneapolis and st. Paul,
who would decidedly object to bear the stigma
for the next decade which follows padded
census. If the frauds in st. Paul have not
been as extensive and are confined to a few
districts. this will be demonstrated in the re-
count, and the city will certainly not suffer
In recommending this recount as has
already been said it seems advisable, both in
the interest of this Office and for the pro-
lection OF the supervisors OF these districts,
for no proof whatever has been presented
that Mr.. Smith and Mr.. Davenport were parties
to these frauds that this recount be made I'M
der q supervision Of men detailed from this
office. 1t is also recommended that it be CON-
menced at as early a date as possible aud
completed as rapidly as consistent with abso-
Lutte accuracy"
THE WORK TO BEGIN SOON.
The work of the recount will be begun as
soon as practicable. Superintendent Porter
has designated MIR. James Ii. wardle the as
sistant chief clerk Of the Office, to have charge
of the recount in St Paul and Fred
erick W. Kruse Of Olean, n. Y, IN
Minneapolis. The latter will be assisted by Mr..
Peter T. Wood. a special agent of the Census
Office. Ii Is expected that the work will be
completed in one week.
A BRUTAL HIGHWAYMAN.