St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-19
A TEAPOT TEMPEST.

Wisdom is seldom born of ill-tempeI,
nor is the clamOr of an excited pOpulace
a proper substitute for argument. Hence
we take it that after a few days our
Minneapolis friends will be in a better
frame of M n to talk over the sensa-
tional incidents connected with the
arrest of some of their census enumer-
atOrs. We are satisfied when the storm
of passion has passed, and they have in
quired into the matter, the Thought
full men of our sister city will be con-
WINGED that there has been unnecessary
excitement over this affair, and that
some things that have been said and
done might as well have been omitted.
1t will be seen from the inter
views published in this mornings
GLOBE there is division OF pop
ular sentiment in st. Paul as to
the judiciouSness of the proceedings
that have been instituted, and very
general expression of regret that any
thing should have occurred to reaWaken
the old-time hostility between the peo-
pie of these two cities. There is every
reason why amity and harmony should
prevail, and none why there should be
pickering or bitterness. There are
some who express the belief that mis-
take was made in not allowing the
United States to attend to its own af-
fairs, without the gratuitouS Interior
ence of outsiders. The census bureau
is responsible for the taking of an hon
Ill, ai+ NJ
try. While there has been great deal
of inefficiency manifested, it has come
to light that the census bureau has been
shadowing the enumerators in various
cities with detectives in order to dis
cover irregularities or attempts atfraud-
ulent work that might be perpetrated.
This was all proper enough; and. if the
governments detective agency discov-
cred anything going wrong. then it was
clearly the duty OF the government to
take immediate steps to inflict punish
ment upon the wrongdoers. And it is
equally the right of private citizen to
ferret out crime. No fair-minded citi-
zen of any community will gainsay this
proposition.
However much popular opinion may
differ as to the propriety of the pro-
ceedings instituted against the Mime
apolis census takers, there is no occa-
sion to PREJUDICE their case, either for
or against the accused, in advance of a
judicial examination. 1t is now clearly
a question of law and evidence as to
their guilt or innocence. If they are
guilty, every honest man in Minneapolis,
as well as in st. Paul. will want to see
the full penalty of the law imposed. If
they are innocent, then au acquittal is
their dues and the punishment will react
upon those who may have falsely &C
cused them. So there can be nothing
lost by awaiting judicial action.
Falsifying census returns is an offense
against the laws of the United States.
and very grievous one. The law
abiding and law-respecting people of
Minneapolis are as much interested in
the enforcement of the laws and the
punishment of crime as any other peo-
pie. Hence we fail to see why there
should be undue excitement and clam
orous agitation while the case is pend
Ing before the courts. The evidence
produced on the trial will determine
whether the accused are guilty or not,
and that is all there is of it.