St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-21
PoRTER's CENSUS WORK,

The census is not a topic so novel and
fresh, particularly in some cities, as to
provoke undue excitement in its consid
Grafton by the unbalanced. But the dis
satisfaction with the work of Mr.. POR-
TER grows as the magnitude of its in
completeness becomes more palpable.
The subject VIII come up for review in
congress this winter in the considera-
ton of the appOrtiOnment measure, and
investigation of some things in its his
tory be demanded, even if it is not in
sisted that an eutiTe new enumeration
is not essential. Some of the states are
indicating a purpose TO take the census
In them by local agencies for state uses,
if congress does not take action. The
attempted defense of his work by
Supt. PORTER is not satisfactory
even to his political friends. The ratio
of increase of population fell off in the
decade from 30.0S to 24.57. By these
figures the increase of population was
but 727. 345 greater in the past ten years
than in the period from 1870 to 1880.
This is in the face of the addition of
5.246,6l3 by immigration, number
never eQualed in any decade previous.
These aliens increase more rapidly than
the native populatlon, and must have
contributed more than 100000 to the
growth of the period. This gives more
than half the accession of population in
the past ten years as due to people not
in the country at the beginning of
the time. This is manifestly alb
surd. 1t supposes most re-
markable death rate or still
more improbable reduction of the birth
ratio. Mr.. PORTER would relieve the
difficulty by an attempt to impeach the
reliability Of the census of 1870. He
insists that this was grossly defective,
particularly in the South. and should
have added million and half more.
That is convenient way of making an
average to aid him, but facts are not
found for its support. The New York
Sun examines the work reported by Mr..
PORTER and his claims in detail. and
reaches conclusions that are certainly
interesting. They go far to support
the charge that the census was manipu-
lated by the management to partisan
ends, and that PORTER was a ready
and plant tool, If not the di-
recting agency, in the scheme. The
Sun finds that the shortage is con-
fined almost entirely to Democratic
states and districts. The amounted
100000 are in states that would have
Increased Democratic representation
had they been enumerated. In the states
it classes as Republican the ratio of in
crease in the decade ending i'm 1880 was
30.0S, and in the one just ended but the
thrilling reduction 10 29.4S is found. This
IS just about what would be expected.
In the Democratic states in the same
time, however, the Sun finds that the
ratio OF increase has fallen from 3O.OS
to 1864. 1t is further found that the
natural growth, that Is. the excess
of births over deaths, for the dec.
ade ending in 1880 was S,S9O,117,
and for the following ten years,
with one-third larger population. was
but 6,590,670. 1t hardly adds to the alb
SurdIty of such statement to show
that the decrease is confined to Demo-
cratic states. The observation of every
intelligent person would have been ar
rested by such phenomenal and alarm
ing decrease in the natural growth of
communities. Still more remote from
noted facts would be the relative dis
paragemcnt of Democratic states in this
matter. The mere statement that the
birth rate in Democratic distrists IS
one-thrd less than in Republican COM
munitieS is all that is needed, if fully
warranted by his figures, to estab-
lish the litter worthlessncss of the
PORTER Census as a faithful OK
position of national growth. If