New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-12
pICE MIST EXPLAIN.

M, Secretary of State at Albany is still
sont under The TRIBUNE's allegation that ne
cont m the Legislature deliberately lalSc
and fraudulent report OF the contents OF thc
or,,roration- rolls returned to him by the state
o.,,,,roro,ors last February Possibly Mr. Ricc
docs not appreciate the gravity OF the cnarso'
possihly he has become so used TO poiiticai las
caIity. as well on his. own part as on 'ha' %
those around him in the state Capi'oi' '""'
thinks that a charge OF altering CENSUS ,ci'
and Of forcing equality of sets OF iSureS WIN"
cannot bv honest arithmetic be maze u as'00
-nossibly he thinks the doing OF these 'hiiiS'
fnr rho nurpose and with the effect OF s'eal'ns
soats in the Legislature for his party n''''o'
g s,,ou accourt Mr. Rice is of full age.
We arc told that he is an educated layer lic
has beon a Prosecuting Attorney, Oo''ii''
.Judcc. a Member of Assembly, and hlgh 0'"'o
officer These facts stand against the 'heorS
that Mr. Rice docs not know that ne Is charGco
with crave misdcmeanors and yet he seems
to have nothing to say
Cort,;nIv il cannot be complained that we
In vo failed TO be explicit in our charges. Nhch
Mr.. Porter took census OF the lhnao''ali'' vi
this and other States much was sald by Demo-
cratic newspapers concerning the alleged III
accuracy. Under Tammany Inspiration MI
Porter was even accused of fraud but NOBODY
dared to say in what respect he mad colhhii'teu
wrong. and nobody offered proof OF the slight-
est wrong doing. TIE TRIBUNE IS not III inc
habit of charging what 1t cannot SUSTAIN hor
of cmnloying innuendO and suggestion III
cowardly attempt to supply WahC Vi prooi'
We have given a particular account VI ,"e
particular respects in which the Enumeration
Bureau, under Frank Rice, has comihl''cu
wholesale. despicable frauds we nave re-
counted these frauds with dehntive clearness'
Tbcv are four in number. The first is that the
ORIGINAL returns OF the local enumerators
throughout the State were 50 altered as To make
i anncar that an enormous number OF persons,
probably as many as 100000 were returned
bv the enumcrators As citizens, whereas Ill
fact. they were returned as aliens. The great
majority Of these changes were made III inc
rolls from Ncw-Yorli City, brooklyn, Queens
County and Erie County, and by means OF them
several members Of tho Legislature were stolen
in behalf of these Democratic communities
from the country Republican districts.
The second charge is that on April 81, 1872
the day on which Mr.. Rice made his report to
the Legislature, the population OF the city OF
Nroollyn as asccItaincd by the cOmputcrs In
the Enumeration Bureau was Increased afpi-
trarily by oG,530. OF course an explanation
of this strange increase may be possible, but no
explanation that explains has a yet been maze
The third charge is that many OF the alien IN
mates of charitable and penal institutions were
unwarrantaby counted A. citizens, and the
fourth is that on the night OF April 20 the
officer in charge of the Enumeration Bureau
realizing that by honest methods of yerfcation
he could not complete the work of the bureau
so that a report of the enumeration might be
made TO the Legislature at its closing session
the next day, caused a great number OF cards
bearing the record OF the population OF dis
tricts and city wards in many counties to be
falsitied so as to make the necessary sets OF
figures agree.
In one sense, we are bound to admit, it may
not be worth Mr.. Rices while to offer denial
or explanation Of these charges II they are
false or mistaken the records will show 1t, and
he has the records A very brief examination
Of them will prove either that we have charged
the truth or that we owe Mr. Rice complete
apology. But he does not show the records or
saw a word. II his reason for maintaining 50
strange Il silence is that his infamous part IN
the theft of the Legislature has left him with
no reputation that is worth defending, we shall
he willing to cOnccde that the reason is good !;
lint in that event Mr. Rice ought TO resign
II he will neither resign nor explain he ought
10 be put out Already the public is amply
justified in assuming that he is guilty of every
| thing alleged against him and in taking judg-
mcnt by default. If he thinks the people OF
| this state are going to submit quietly to the
outragcs they have received at his hands and
| 10 continue to allow him to take monthly
| salary out Of their treasury he may find that
| he is mistaken. The law is said 10 move slow
| ~, but it has a LONG reach