New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-22
A CURIOUS COMPLAINT.
SENATOR GEORGE on THE CENSUS.
WHY SHOULD MISSISSIPPI OFFER CRITICISM
IF ELECTIONS ARE FAIR, POPULATION
NATURALIZATION, Sn,rr r.IcItpEs ZOE
MIoSI ooIIII ANo TO
tBY IELEGRAPH To THE TRIBCNE.l

iBY TELEGRAPH To THE TEIBCSE.l
Washington, July Ex-senator George, OF NisSs-
sppi, Is whom the late A. Ward, IN his more
satircal moments, might have called " an amoosh
cussn-none but satirlst could do 1t. In some COM
mcnts on the recent Census senator George recently
said that he was unwilling TO credit the report that
the population Of Mississippi had not increased. On
tbe contrary there had been an enormous immigration
Of negroes into the State especially into that portion
known as tho delta. The fact was paihiuly Uue.
lie had heard of complaints as 10 the taNlhs Oh
the Census In his State, except from the CITY Vi
Meridian, where IL alleged that many residents
Of the place had been overlooked. He understood that
the Census Office would Investigate tle Complaints.
Mississippi's population had assuredly ner' ssed
largely"
OF course; to be sure; certainly IL Is " palhluIy
true that there has been an enormous Immigration
of negroes into the state" and Mlssissppls popu-a
ton has assurcdly increased very largely say .
senator George. Probably the Senator VIII not Ic
gard II as a libel TO print what he has frequently
avowed to be the fact that the first really pure hocsV
elections in his State after the were held under
the shotgun pan,S which first adopted ana
carried ont under his auspices when he was chairman
of the Democratic Executive state Committee III le'o
and 1876. General George has strongly contehueH
that under the impetus OF the "Reform lhiu"Ve" oS
him and his party, elections In Mississippi pccahc
fair expression of the will of the people. mus III
IN thc last preceding Census, counted III the re
turns Of the vote for President; in 1880 only one
man I'm 30 Of the population was counter III u'e
returns Of the vote for President That IS 10 say te
proportion OF voters to population had decreased more
than ST per cent in four years TINS alone "oulu
indicate degree OF "purlncatiOn' Which, apparently
should have satisfied the most eAacuhg anu c""'U'
astic apostle Of ballot reform
Senator George and every other Democrat In Mis'iS
snpi declare with much emphasis and an injured
air whenever anything IS said or lntlmated 10 INC
contrary that elections In Mississippi are a iar' lc'
and honest ai they are in Michigan or Masaachn'e''
~ a,,. other STATE Now Senator George believes
mat he believes IT, Let st be admitted that the
assertion is true This then follows: In l5so accord
,r IN te Census taken in June Of that year. the pop
Ition Of Mississippi was I,131 j97; the Presidential"
vote In November, 1850, was 1l1,O10' RATIO 10 %
IN 1ass bc total vote was 5G7. which at the same
ratio Indicated a population OF l'lO0Al3' OF uc
crease Of 22l54 IN population. II Is apparent
,hcco6,rf that the enormous Immigration OF
rcrroe, Of which Senator George speaks must
have dcpIctcd the colorcd population OF some
~ the other southern States. And Yet -
nGcult 70 believe that Mississippi between November
q 1s-- and June 30, 1890 received an @c'e''lon "'
90 1874 colorcd persons from other states ~ II TIA
that south Carolina seems to have I"'' m"'o '''"'
one-half Of her population between l77' ana l7''
- he statement that her elections were fair be- trne-
yo,eu,bcr g. lsss. Of course cveI senator "."'-'
Will rot pretend to Sag that there has been any III
accession Of foreign persons to the population oil ia"
state In 1870 the number Of fori,n-b"f" p.''"'.
i'm the State was about 1000, which, ~ l-7" h''
dv,juded 10 about 900. WHY tie fact th't u'''
has been IAN cnormou, immigration OF negroes mo
fine state should be painfully true IL II be tr"'-e"
tor Gcorgc has not explained. Can It DC u"' ~
,.ars that legal voters who nrc co!ored men VIII SOHO
Zinc obtain thclr legrI rights under IN 'oh-'iu'o"
md I,,.l But that is aide. The poph'toh oil '''
state Of Mississippi ha, Lot only not increased un' ma
diminished In the last ten year. or clio inc votes q"
lr-, uuuilirr Of LEGAL votr, have been suppFe'''"
either at the polls Iu the election returns 9r''
tor Ce,rl, may choose that horn Of The dilemma "H''
rom. 70 bc the easier and more agreeable t. MN
If may assist him. perhaps TO $40" III Us ','i'.'
! IN I'm. decrease Of the Republican VOC an" III W.
r,sc ~ Democratic ma. orics' 80 TIC STATE some
~ I'm, results a. 10 cuuutcs. lie lives ID 'I' '"'
- Carroll. In which, he well knows '''
| Eepubllcans would have majority oi sew
cral hundred votes II men wcH allowed 10
vote and have h.ir votes honestly c'un'e'
In $50 the returned vote # Carroll C''ny for Gar
rld va. 4G7 in l-7s the returned vo" Tor Harrison
wa, CO. and the returned majority against mm Wa
| po, one need not pin his faith to census figures To
believe that there may be ground for criticism in the