New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-19
ONE POINT OVERLOOKED.

Tho committee which, under the direction OF
Mr.. Wright IIocomb. has been engaged in in
vc>tigating the census in this city has nearly
completed It's labOrS, and is about to 90 INTO re-
,ircmcnt for the purpose OF drawing up It's re-
port Looked AT with unprejudIced eyes, the
results Of its labor cannot trllthiully be termed
in the picturesque language of the Tammany
statesmen "a tloOmin' success Mr.. Wright
Iolcomb il is true, has waved wroth, has grown
red in the face, has shown no mercy i'll the uSo
of the raycl and has it * understood, developed
the bccpS Of his right arm to positively alarm
inc extent. Mr.. lolcomb started out with the
iIo, that his committee could do as 1t pleased
with the whole United states Government, and
he was in particular determined that the De
partmcnt of Justice and the lawyer chosen to
represent il should have no standing before the
committee In fact. if he could have had his
WAY. there i, no; the least doubt that Mr. llo-
c,mb would have dismissed the Department OF
Justice with costs.
Before it finally gives over the task OF taking
testimony we would beg to remind the committee
that there j. one point which has thus far been
strangely overlooked. For some months there
has been profound mystery connected with
the census and the police recount in brooklyn
Mr.. Holcomb and his committee are IN posi-
ton to throw what may be fceby described a.
q flood Of light upon il. Before it is too late
no and his colleagues ought 20 cross the perlous
,yotors Of the East River and boldly address
themselves 10 the matter We are about 10 I'M
fold Readers OF The TRlEUYE can hardly
have forgotten the gross inconsistency OF mayor
Cbapin. to which We have heretofore dlrcc'ch
I,,,,..
attention in his treatment Of the census IN june
and in October. For the benefit Of Alr. hghI
lIolcomb and his associates LEI lis b'leiy recall
il. shortly after the first announcement oil TIE
result of the Federal census in Brooklyn Mr..
Chlpin expressed himself a. entirely satisfied
herewith. This was on June -. In an inter-
,,.,,. which has never been questioned or re-
undated. and which. presumably, was prepared
under hi, own eve. he said No: ! do not
EXPECT T. attempt any supplemental census II
would have no conclusive quality ot any Soi''
have not felt tina; Brooklyn has any
GOOD cause fer complaint If its p pu!atlon is
returned n any figure in excess oi soo'oVo'
such 4 present population indicates growth
sine. 1850 of about 80 per cent. and that Is
i.~, enough for any city % gov when 1t Is rs
largo city Il. Brooklyn"
ct. III spite az thcNc >uo"~ "''"'' '''''"
Chapin Proceeded in October 10 oIder ponce
ccnsu,. which n himself had said would nave
no conclusive quality of any sort" Why No
body knows aS yet; al least the Brooklyn pubic
doe, not. for Mr. Chaplin has not taken 1t into
hi, confidence. Mr.. Chaplin disappointed eA-
ucctarion by maintaining silence on this sub
icct when he wrote his annual message. Is II
not. therefore. the obvious du,y Of Mr.. llolcomD
10 put the Mayor on the witne'S-sland ana en-
dcayor to clear up tho mystery OF his eNtao'-
binary change Of base between the last oil June
and the fI,t of Oc0be.' If 1t succeeds IN tnIN
the Committee on Census will not have lived III