St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-28
WHAT TO DO.

The chamber of commerce will prob
ably take some action this morning rel
alive to the proposed census recount in
this city. The most that this body can
do will be in the way of making sug-
gestions, yet its suggestions will go
great ways in influencing the action OF
the city authorities and our citizens
generally in adopting definite line OF
action with regard to this trouble.
Hence, we appeal to the chamber to
pursue wise and conservative course,
one that will look to practical results
rather than the indulgence of any SEN
timent.
There is just cause for great indigna-
ton on the part of our citizens; yet we
say, frankly, nothing can be accom-
plished by holding indignation meet
ings. The occasion does not require an
exhibition of temper so much as it does
an exercise of cool and deliberate judg-
ment. There is business in hand. and
we must address ourselves to that par
ticular business in a way to achieve
practical results.
Getting mad doesn't do any good.
The madden we get, the better pleased
will be our friends up the river. If we
go to frothing at the mouth and stamp
ing around like Old Harry, and make
ourselves ridiculous in the eyes of the
outside world, MATT QUAY's man
PORTER viii point to our frantic con-
duct as justification for the extraordi-
nary course he has takenin this matter.
Let US behave like sensible men, who
are conscious of the great wrong that
has been done to our city, yet have the
dignity and the manliness to bear the
injustice without whining, and at the
same time set to work to relieve Our-
selves of PoRTER's infamous calumny.
There are two things that we must
realize. One is that it is not within our
power to prevent recount, however
unjust it may be. The second is that
the recount will be done under the SUI
pervision of an inefficient bureau.
which has shown that it possesses more
malignity than ability.
What are we to do under the circum
stances? There is only one thing to be
done, and that is by our attention to the
matter to see that the recount is fair
and full. How is this to be doue? The
recount is to be made by strangers, by
men who are unfamiliar with the city,
and they are to do it under instructions
to hurry up the work. Supt. PORTER has
given it out semi-officially that the re-
count will be made in week. Under
such circumstances the retaken census
must be of most superficial character.
1t will simply be Swimming over of
our population, taking what is in sight,
without either the time or the filclina-
ton to hunt up those who are not in
plain view. Supervisor SMITH, with
his local force, many eof them old
directory workers and all of them famil-
lar with their various fields of operation,
consumed nearly three weeks in taking
the former census; and yet he found
the time too short. Many names were
omitted from the census returns be-
cause the enumerators did not have
time to hunt them up. Now Supt. PoR-
TER is going to have this work done by
force of strangers in one-third of the
time that it took SMITH with his local
force to accomplish it..
PORTER is boss of the situation. and
he is evidently under influences that
are hostile to st. Paul. Still. we can
not prevent him from going aheadwith
his job. But we can devise a plan by
which to verify his work. This can be
done by pursuing the course suggested
in yesterdays GLOBE, Of having an in
dependent census taken under local SUI
pervision and taken simultaneously
with PoRTER's recount. In this way
we will know whether or not we are be-
ing defrauded.
We say without hesitation that we
have no confidence in ROBERT ?. PoR-
TER, or in his ability to make a fair re-
count. At the time of his appointment
to the office of census superintendent,
the GLOBE pointed out the folly of put
ting man of his ilk in such a respon-
sible position. Every word we said then
concerning his unfitness has been fully
confirmed by his administration of the
census bureau. We wouldn't trust him
as far as we could throw a bull by the
horns.
1t being condition, and not a theory
that confronts US. let US adjust ourselves
to the situation like sensible men.
Without regard to the suggestion we
have made, whatever is done by the
chamber of commerce this morning, let
1t be something of practical nature,
and let there be no crying over split
milk, or other baby performances.