Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-10-08

Census Superintendent Porter has
made anything but a successful attempt
to meet the report of the National Civil
Service Reform League upon the Elev-
enth Census. This elaborate report.
which is presented by committee con-
sisting of Republicans and Democrats,
gives most extraordinary description of
the manner in which the statistics of
1890 have been collated and prepared.
For the first time the public is afforded
a revelation of the partisan methods
applied by the Census Bureau and the
Administration to the important work
of making a census of the population,
Industries and social progress of the
country.
In the outstart the Superintendent of
the Census was selected because of a
certain unscrupulous facility in manipu-
lating statistics of commerce and labor
in the interest of tariff robbery. 1t was
thought that such person might prove
valuable instrument for "doctorinp"
statistics Of industry and population in
case Of need, or for performing anv
other partisan service that might be re-
quired of the head of the Census Bureau.
No sooner did Superintendent Porter
enter upon his office than he proceeded
to ignore utterly the principles of Civil
Service Reform in making his appoint
ments. Although the law of Congress
expressly authorized the Secretary of
the Interior to establish rules for the
selection of employees of the Census
Bureau in accordance with the principles
and practice of Civil Service Reform,
Secretary Noble made no effort to en-
tCrpp Ia In, -, lA
commission appealed to President Har-
rlson to rescue this Bureau from the
spollsmen and put it under the protec-
tl9h OF the civil Service rules. The
whole responsibility of appointment was
conferred upon superintendent Porter,
who, IN his turn, surrendered it without
reserve to Republican members of Con
gress as legitimate share of their spoils.
As result of this reckless and ire.
sponsibe partisan policy the work of
census enumeration in many parts of the
country was committed to ignorant and
INSCRIPTIONS party heelers and bummers
whose sole object was to obtain their
pay as speedily as possible, without re-
gard to the accuracy of their returns. A
few examples are taken at random from
the report Of the Civil Service Reform
I,N"SNS' - ANOW L VI Guy supervisor
Murray addressed circular to the ward
leaders to send in the names of such
persons as the Republican organizations
of the several districts wished for census
enumerators. In response to this appeal
the work OF census enumeration in New
York was devolved upon swarm of
worthless creatures, of whom some were
| eX-convicts or under the surveillance of
| the police. The result of their labors is
known TO the country. In West Virginia
the selection of census enumerators was
made exclusively through the Republi-
can County Committees. In Indian.
apolls the enumerators We're reouired
IN iiagrant violation of the law, to make
a complete list of qualified voters as part
OF Their census work. Supervisor Douglas
IN Buffalo made it the first duty of every
census enumerator in his district to work
for the election of B. II. Williams. the
Republican candidate for Congress.
Slovenly as has been the collection q.
J census statistics, the tabulation of the re
turns by the system of lightning calcula
ton in the Bureau at Washington is still
worse. The upshot is that the census q
1890 will be utterly worthless as an off
, cial exhibit of the population, industrie
} and growth Of the country. An investi
: cation of this whole scandalous busines
} by the next Congress has become absc
| lutely necessary. tits related that Super
intendent Porter has been quite libera