Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-05-23
.ANoTHER RADICAL FRAUD.
They Won't Count Negroes-A Plot to
Understate the Population Of South
ern States by the Census.

ern States by the Census.
Whatever. else the mellowing and
tongue-loosening influences of the
Americus Club banquet may have been
on a recent Saturday, they were GER
tainly potent enough to set one story
going that will travel far and fast, and
be read, by politicians at least, with
the keenest interest, says a Pitrsburg
correspondent of the Philadelphia
Times. The Americus Club is en-
phatically Quay organization, but
numbers among its members not a
few adherents of Chris Magee, OF
whom Congressman Dalzell is the
chief. 1t was, as the story goes, with
one OF these faithful followers of Ma
gee, though some other persons were
present, that a well known factotum
of the chairman of the Republican
National Committee, became involved
in a lively argument sometime after
the close of the banquet proper.
In such company the conversation
naturally drifted upon Quay's leader
ship of the party, and then the Magee
man became indignant. He loudly
proclaimed that Quay had sacrificed
the organization for the sake OF one
victory; that the coming House of
Representatives would surely be over.
whelmingly Democi attic, and that, fore
seeing the signs of disaster, the chair
man was, according 10 common re-
port, getting ready to resign.
"Don't fool yourself" was the reply,
in half-angry, Multiplying Tone
That meeting of the Republican COM
mittee on May Z is called for far diff
ferent purposes than the acceptance Of
Quay's resignation.
at is called to take official action
upon plans which will be perfected by
Quay, and some of them under his d.
rection are already we'll under way
and promise to insure the permanent
control Of all branches of the Govern
ment to the Republican party"
He stopped a moment and then alb
ruptly asked his companion: "Who
is taking this census, anyway"
"Robert Porter and his assistants,
suppose" was the somewhat surprised
answer.
"Yes, and you can just bet that it
will be taken right" was the speedy
answer. "What do you suppose
Quay spent all those weeks in Florida
for-tarpon fishing? Well, hardly !!
Let me tell you" (and here his voice
became at once emphatic and myste-
riOus) "that q Southern negro will
have to be very conspicuous to be
counted in the census this year."
"What do you mean?"
"Just what say. The census
enumerator will discover very few
Southern negroes this year. The ne
groes will not kick, and nobody else
will be allowed to. You can see in a
moment the momentous result of
this. We expect to have the census
complete by June 20. Thanks to an
amendment to the laws on the sub
ject, proposed by the late Sunset Cox,
the certificate of Superintendent Por-
ter is all that Congress needs to take
action for a new appropriation.
"By our system of counting" con-
tinued the speaker, growing more and
more enthusiastic, eve expect the
Southern States to lose at least Is or
20 Representatives. If the negro is not
counted at the polls he shall not be in
the census. The Northwestern States
will gain in just about the proportion
that the Southern ones will lose.
Minnesota will get three or four Con-
gressmen more, and Kansas and Ne
braska perhaps half dozen each, not
to speak of the Dakotas and the rest
of them"
"But can such action be forced
through Congress at the eleventh hour,
against precedent" exclaimed his
listener in astonishment.
1t can, and easily, too. You see
this is not a hasty scheme. 1t was de-
cided upon as soon as it was found
that the Democrats would redistrict
Ohio. The McComas anti-gerryman-
dering bill will not be passed in this
connection. 1t does not cover the ex-
igencies of the case. There is need
for more radical action.
Everything that has been done in
Congress so far" continued the mar.
rator, "has been part of one great
plan. With Reed and his rules VIC
have the House in such shape that any
measure can be rushed through when
ever and in as short a time as may be
desirable. The Senate has still to be
fixed, and that is why Chandler in.
troduced his resolution for the new
rules a few days ago. Morton has
gone away and will not be back until
the battle is over. With Ingalls, in
the chair, and the improved rules in
force, the measure can be rushed
through if the Republicans are solid.
"And right there is the only stumb
ling block" exclaimed the young
spokesman. "There are few old
grannies in the Senate, like Edmunds
Blair and Evarts, who kick at every
thing which is not done according tc
precedent and tradition. But they
must be pulled into line; the saliva
tion OF the party demands it,"
ACCORDING to recent figures, the