Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-11-12
WAS NOT PARTISAN
Porter Defends the Work of His
Bureau.
NO POLITICS IN THE MATTER.

Criticism of the Claims of New York
Too slow with Their Compiaints-A
Reflection on the Police Enumeration
Vigorous Disclaimer of the lmputa-
tions OF GOV. Hni-som- Figures I'm
Proof OF the superintendent Claims.
NEW YORK, Nov. u.-Frank Leslie's Of
this week, just ont, prints long article
on the eleventh census from Superinten-
dent Porter, in which. among other
things. Mr.. Porter. replying to critics.
says: "A partisan census Is an impossible
iiy. The eleventh census is not the work
of one man, but will represent the united
labor OF 10. 0oO persons. To assault the
census. therefore, is ito impeach the hon
esty of vast army of intelligent and con-
scientious men and women. The assump-
ton that il would be possible TO depress
the returns in one section of the country
and ind Ite them in another. i based
alike upon ignorance OF census methods
and lack of knowledge as to the results
thus far published. The enumeration Of
the people, thoroughly and honestly con-
Quoted, was hedged and guarded by law
passed By the same party that nov 50 ma
liciously assals i and was supervised by
experts and special agents. nine-tenths OF
whom performed the same work ten years
ago, aud not one of whom was appointed
because of his political faith.
As to the Gotham ''Chow-Row."
"The census of New York was taken
June and The results made public in
july. No complaints of the enumeration
GI...f N
tempting. a. other cities have done, TO
point out omissions, the locil authorities,
ignoring the fact that the federal census
should be ~ of the first OF June. proceed
ed TO take a census of their own in Octo-
Der No one supposed that the two emu
meratIons would correspond. And no one
has thus far been able to ascertain wheth-
er the discrepancies, outside of those
which may readily be accounted for, are
due 20 the careless omissions OF June or
the intentional additions and Implications
OF October. the federal enumerators
were paid so much a name. They were
under oath TO enumerste the people 10
accordance with law
What the Police Were There For. &c
ITO omit names which should have
been enumerated, made enumerators liza
other hand, tie police were appointed for
the sole purpose OF fading in October
more population than the federal enum-
| orators in June. Five doubtful cases in
| each 100 would mean AN addition of a.,
0OO. and ten doubtful or improper enum-
! erations 10000. To abandon the federal
| count merely on the ground that the
mayor OF New York had written brief
| letter stating that an enumeration thus
| CONDUCTED bad b=en made and Offering no
/ proof, would have brought the census
| Office into ridicule
The Method In Other Cities.
I'm other cities the police merely asked
of householders il they had been enumer-
ated June l. The names of those who
claimed they were not enumerated were
| forwarded To the census Office and COM
| pared with the schedules. Had this
method been adopted in New Yo rk at the
| proper time the substantial accuracy of
! the federal census would have been estab-
| lished to the satisfaction of fair-minded
| citizens
| Defense Against Partisan Chargcs
| WAS IL partisan motives that prompt
! ed the superintendent to urge. in spite OF
| powerful protests, a recount in the two
largest cities in Republican Minnesota.
7
| in population of 1000 or 5000. or that
refused recount in spite of the treinen-
dous efforts made to discredit the census
| IN Republican Oregonl Those prejudiced
! partisans are to be pitied who can see pol.
| tiles in the fact that Texas increased ~ "a
| per cent during the decade. and Cali
fornia 80 "a; Arkansas 23 and Wiscon-
/ sin 1870; Florida ~ s. and Kansas A. 81:
I Georgia Is ~. and Ohio II Is; Kentucky
2.54. and New Hampshire 81; Missis-
sippi 10 "a, aud Maine KS: Maryland
lL2s, and Indiana 1865: South Carolina
| %, and Vermont n decrease of O. y; Vir-
| GINA g. OF. and Nevada a loss of - 81 Der
cent.
Concluding Reflections.
at these percentages indicate politics
to the minds OF the American people. then
the republic i. indeed in danger for ay-
erage inteliigen &c is at n low ebb. IL the
still more remarkable percentages of
| growth in the northwestern aud Pacific
states are To be attributed to census pad
ding for political purposes then our
growth and prosperity is a myth, aud all
| other evidences of advancement mislead-
ing"
Kenny on for the Capital Again.
Supervisor Kenny again went TO WASH
| ington City last night He carried with
him the resolution passed yesterday by
the board of aldermen requesting the
superintendent of the census bureau to
furnish the city authorities with the fed
erai enumeration of the Second ward. -.