The Charlotte Democrat., 1890-06-27
Senator Yance,s Letter.

WASHINGTON, June 18.-Frldsy when
| S0perintendeH. Porter's slur on Asheyille
appeared 10 the Star your correspondent
called on Senator Vance with the article.
Senator Vance said that he read the srti
Gle then for the first time and be had re-
ceiyed no such letter. He took the pains
to look over the mail laid on bis desk .
| few inmates previous to the call. There
was NO snch letter in it. The Post OF this
morning contains the following:
Census Superintendent Porter several
days ago received the following complaint
from o supervisor in North Carolina:
OFFICE OF SUPERVISOR OF CENSUS FoR
FIFTH DIsTRIcr OF N. c., June 9.
Hon. Robert P. Porter, Superintendent OF
Census, Washington, D. c.:
Dear Sir: My enunsrators 10 this city
are having some trouble by the people
evading them. They often send Q servsnt
to the door saying, there 10 NO one here 10
give in the census. The enumerators
have called in some instances three times,
receiving same treatment each time. Gao
anything be done for them? Some days
they do not make more than $3.50
per day. .-s--....
Please answer this by mail and not by
wire. Yours very truly. .-e
| HENRY HARDwIcKE.
| Mr. Porter, evidertly regarding the
situation at Asheville as somewhat seri.
ous, made formal requests of Senator
Vance aud Congressman Ewart of North
Carolina, to use their influence with the
people in an effort to induce them to an
swer questions promptly.
| Senator Vance has replied as follows to
Superintendent Porter:
| UNITED STATES SENATE,
Washington, d. G June Is, 1890.
Hon. Robert P. Porter, Superintendent Of
the Census:
| Dear Sir IL received your favor of the
10Th instant this morning, having frst
read it in the Evening Star OF yesterday,
aud the Post of to-day. l sm somewhat
at loss to know Why it was first pub
lished in the newspapers before being re-
| ceived by me or even mailed.
confess my surprise ct the importance
which you attribute to Supervisor Hard.
wicks's letter, if indeed he wrote it, which
I am inclined to doubt, a. am informed
by Representative Ewart that be was not
at home on the day of its date. regiet
also the readiness which you svince to
believe evil OF the people of Asheville, N.
c., on the mere report of enumerators
whose chief complaint sesms to be that
they are not making "more than so
per day" These enumsrators do not
state in how many instances the people
have evaded them, nor do they profess to
know whether the excuses made by the
servan. at the door were genuine or pre-
tended. They evidently are of the opin-
ion that 1t 10 the duty of every house
holder 10 Asheyille to sit patiently in his
house trom day to day in the expectation
that the enumerator may possibly call in
order that he may make more than So so
per day. protest against making the
"people of Asheville" responsible for the
unknown few who send q servant to the
door saying: "There is no one here who
can give in the census" Ifthere ere such
cases they should be dealt with individ,
ually, and the lsw-abidipg "people Of
Ashsville" should not suffer in their repu-
tation for the misdoings of o few. I AN
sure your own sense of justice will sug-
gest the improprietY of holding the 'citi-
zens of Asheyille" responsible for an
anonymous circular that is neither signed
by q responsible name nor shown to have
been distributed with anybody's appro-
baton. have not heard anything from
the citizens of Asheville aud have no 10.
form alton on the subject save that which
10 contained in your letter and Enclosures,
but am quite sure that the whole matter
is exaggerated and that you will find no
more difficulty in taking the census there
} than in any other city.
1t your eOumeratOrs know how to be-
have themselves they will meet with
90 trouble 10 the discharge Of their
duties.
can not conclude this letter without
adVerting TO Q statement in the coDclu
sion of yours that everything had been
done which was 10 your power to have
, competent men appointed as supervisors
and snumerators. Permit me to say that
you might have consulted and advised
with those who are intimately acquainted
with the country and the people and who
were members of political party differ
ent from your own.
have received information, both BY
private letter and the public prints, that
10 quite number of instances in North
Carolina enumerstors who bad been ap.
pointed aud were at work had been re.
moved for no reason except that they
were Democrats, aud Republicans, some.
times colored men, were put in their
places.
This, you will admit, is calculated to
irritate the people, and impress them with
the idea that the census is not to be a fair
one. OF course, this ID an incorrect idea
bat where so much has been done to ex
cite peoples displeasure it should serve to
make you charitable toward an occasional
display of resentment.
0f NOnrao if aMtiafiod that fharo ia m u
real trouble 10 obtaining q proper census
of Asheville, such influence as l may
have with those people shall be freely ex
erted to assist your officers.
i Very respectfully you're,
T. B. VANCE
| ~&Sa UTsGo Nnrrho~o