Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-11-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular Correspondent.

[From our regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, d. c., Nov. 5, 1890.
Secretary Noble has shown that he is,
as far as rank partisanship can make
him so, a worthy successor to the late
Zachariah Chandler, who will probably
be known in history as the man who
made President by sending the cele-
brated telegram reading "Hayes is elect
ed by one majority. q. Chandler"
To-day was the day announced by the
Superintendent of the Census for issu-
ing the official bulletin of the popula-
ton of the United States, but when
Secretary Noble learned by telegraph
that Governor Hill, of New York, had
written him strong letter demanding
recount of New York city on the
ground of serious errors in the June
enumeration, and that Mayor Grant
had sent him a second letter asking the
same thing by special messenger, who
was also to bring absolute proof of er-
rors made in the original enumeration,
he ordered Superintendent Porter to is
sue the bulletin at once, in order that
he might have, as an excuse for refus-
ing the count asked for, the fact that
the official population had already been
given out. A more deliberate piece of
chicanery was never perpetrated by the
most unscrupulous politician. Satur-
day Governor Hill's letter was received
by mail at the interior department, and
Mayor Grants messenger delivered his
letter to Secretary Noble, but the afore-
said bulletin was issued Friday.
A careful study of this bulletin, which
gives the total population at 62, ,4S0, $40,
at least 100000 less than it ought to
be, will convince any unprejudiced man
that the charges long ago made against
this administration of manipulating the
census returns for the purpose of per-
petuating the power of the Republican
party, were we'll founded. That the
enumeration of the Democratic States,
particularly those in the South, is far
below their actual population, cannot
be doubted by anyone at all familiar
with their increase in population. For
instance, Alabama, the industrial de-
velopment of which has been phenom-
enal during the last ten years, is only
credited with an increase of 235, 1854 in
population. Tennessee, where the in
dustrial progress has been quite as
great, is only given gain of 221 ,264,
and West Virginia is only allowed
gain of 141 ,991. These will do for spec
linens of the manner in which the gi-
gantic fraud upon the intelligence of
the people has been carried out. The
falseness of this bulletin is carried up
on its face, when it gives the per cent
age of increase during the last ten years
as 24.57, against 30.08 during the ten
years between 1870 and 1880. Superin-
tendent Porter has a guilty conscience
which he shows by attempting to ex-
plain this falling back in the per cent
age of increase by charging it to errors
in taking the census of 1880 in the
Southern States. Mr.. Porter knows, as
does every other intelligent person, that
the per centage of increase in the popu-
lation of the United States was greater
during the past ten years than it was
between 1870 and 1880. and that knowl-
edge on the part of the people will
bring discredit on the entire work of
the eleventh census.
What makes the action of Secretary
Noble all the more despicable is the
fact that in order to get the semblance
of an excuse for refusing New York city
the recount to which it is clearly enti-
tied, he had this bulletin issued before
the returns, cooked up as they are, were
complete, and Superintendent Porter
was compelled to state in the bulletin
that it was subject to change from later
returns. There was no reason in the
world, except the one above mentioned
for issuing this bulletin before the COM
IL Ill IS
flee, and it is certain that if New York
city had not asked for recount it
would not have been issued before De-
cember.
The Governor of Idaho, who is Re-
publican, expresses his opinion of the
census in his annual report to Secretary
Noble, in strong language. He says:
II have information that leads to the
belief that thousands of our people were
not enumerated. Many of our mines
were not visited by the enumerators.
Several large districts occupied by men
engaged in prospecting for and devel-
oping mines were overlooked or neg.
lected. lam confident
that the population of Idaho, ifcorrect.
ly enumerated, would be as large as es-
| timated in my report for 1889-113, ,777.'
The census bulletin only gives Idaho
1920.
If fanyone still doubts that the joint
resolution passed by Congress approp-
rating $1,OO0,000 for the purchase OF
nickel for the navy was job of the reg
ulation sort, he must be blind indeed
and there is reason to believe that the
tests at Annapolis which led to the
Joint resolution were part of the job
At any rate Secretary Tracy by order
ing the making of new nickel stee
plates and new test of them, makes i
clear that he is not satisfied with the re
suit of the first test, although he die
not hesitate to ask Congress to approp
riate 81 900, 900 on the strength Of it.
s-e-e
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