The Indianapolis journal., 1890-10-28
POLITICAL SCANDALS.
They Are Not Found in the Present Adminis-
tration-Sensation Stories ContradIcted.

Gen. Boynton. in Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
There is one striking feature about the
presentcampaign. That is the scarcity of
political scandals. Equally remarkable Is
the gauzy character of those to which the
public has been treated. There has been
no other Repu blican administration against
which so little has been alleged In it's Sec
ond year. Nor has there been any case in
which the charges have been followed by
proof. This is a matter in which Repub-
licans can justly take great pride. 1t is
also an element that they should not forget.
There have been two scandals sprung
upon the Nation which may be taken as
fair illustrations of the whole crop pro-
York World appeared with startling
story of the manipulation of the census re-
turns in the nterest of the Republicans. 1t
declared that frands had been committed
on great scale IN a certain house, and that
the clerk who conducted them bad exposed
the iniquity to the World. That journal
not only charged this, but it presented
proof. 1t was of a very convincing kind
that is to say, for the World. 1t laid before
its readers photograph of the house in
which it had declared that the census re-
turns had been wickedly doctored. 1t has
published several other scandals against
the administration, but this appears to
have been the worst, while at the same
indicated, was the most convincing of any.
To-day the Herald, tiagrantly infringing
upon this copyright of the World, proceeds
TO establish its charges that the census of
New York was fraudulent by publishing
not only the photographs of the clerks
charged with committing the crime. but of
the identical electric enumerator with
which the false count was recorded, of the
lady who operated the machine, of the
room in which it was done, of the appli-
cants TOR office who were present at the
time in an adjacent room, of several mes
sengers and other employees about the office.
and finally of the exterior of the census
building itself. And, in order that there
might be no error in this line of proof, all
of these pictures are well executed. What
could be more convincingf How can
many demand for November count
for New York when all the other cities
have been obliged to content themselves
with summer countf 1t was. doubtless.
the report that General Noble would, to-
morrow. deny the modest request of Tam
many which led the cruel Herald to pro-
duce its crushing array of pictorial proofs.
With an accurate photograph before the
public of the electric enumerator by which
the Herald declares the dark deed was
done, and, more than that, q photograph of
the lady who manipulated it at the time,
what can the poor Secretary doi Ii is true
that the lady has been taken with her back
to the spectator. But could Secretary of
the Interior, who Is himself an able lawyer.
SO far ignore the positive and most con-
vincing proof which the front view of the
electric enumerator affords, to- quibble
upon the identification of one of the cul-
prits merely because her back was taken in
the photograph instead of her facet
1t must be confessed that these are timely
and wholesome warnings To the admins
tration. While the World and Herald are
around with their camera it Will evidently
be well to conduct public affairs honestly.
If this Is not done. it is but reasonable to
expect that pictorial exposure will speedily
follow. Even now there is no telling at
what moment the Herald may complete it's
census exposures by adding Secretary
Noble, under whose department the census
has been taken, to the group of criminals
who have already been detected by the
camera. Indeed, if this new method Of
proof by photography is to be accepted. It
will depend wholly upon the Heralds
magnanimity whether or not the President
himself is spared. Beyond question he is
responsible for the acts of his Secretary.
If both General Harrison and General
Noble shall be detected by the Heralds
artist the Republicans can neither COM
plain nor shirk the full responsibility, since
they elected the one and be appointed the
other. Perhaps, however, the country
would sustain Republican demand that
both of these officials shall be taken from
the front. and not be convicted on the
strength of portrait which only presents
the backs of heads.