Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-01
FROM THE NATIONS CAPITAL,
Some More Facts About Mr..
Porters' Faulty Census.
A Lively Scene in Which Judge
Oates Took Part.
The Senate Spending Public Money Pro-
digaliy = Disgraceful Facts Dis
closed by the Census Bu-
reau Investigation.

Especial correspondence to the HERALD.l
WASHINGTON, July 22.-The Demo-
cratic house has done enough to show
its purposes in lightning taxes and pre-
venting an indiscriminate wasting of
the peoples money. 1t has made a
good record in both respects, while the
Republican senate has been directly the
oppaG1B.
Wxhout one exception every bill to
tighten taxes passed by the house has
been shelved by the senate committees,
aud every appropriation bill as passed
by the house has been increased by the
senate. The record is made, too. 1t is
the same fight so grandly won in 1890,
and it will have the same result.
Although the investigation of the
census bureau had probed deep enough
to show that the census of 1890 is large
ly defective, owing to the manner in
which it was taken, the house commit
tee wisely resolved to refrain from
making a full report at this time, as
there were other and more important
branches of the investigation not yet
ventilated, owing to want of time.
From the testimony SO far taken, it
seems to be true beyond question that
10 many localities-mostly Democratic
the taking of the census was given over
to Republican party hacks, who. either
from inefhciency or other cause, failed
to make proper enumerations. Several
Republican congressman controlled the
appointments OF the enumerators in
their respective districts, and named
serviceable Republican henchmen to do,
or rather not to do, the work In New
York city, the great Democratic strong
hold, the appointment of census-takers
was given over to the Republican county
committee, who in turn farmed the
work out to the local ward Republican
committees. The result is we'll known
1t has deprived New York of at least
two members of the next congress and
of two electoral votes.
As to the appointments in the Wash
ington offices, it appears that the at
tempt to put them under civil service
rules was readily evaded by the joint
conference OF Superintendent Porter,
Secretary of the Interior Noble and that
eminent protesting civil service reform
er, President Harrison, and persons in
very unfit for the work were appointed
as matter of favor to congressman and
other influential politicians. AS con-
sequence, the work was very badly
done, many useless persons were car
ried on the rolls who did little, if any,
work, while there were gross cases of
favoritism and OF disgraceful conduct,
such as might have been expected.
The net result of this system, so inau-
gurated by Superintendent Porter, with
the acquiescence of the President, has
been an inaccurate census and largely
increased expenditure over the esti-
mates made. Already congrese has
been called upon for more than mil
lion dollars in excess of the amount re-
quired to have done the work, and
there is no telling as yet how much
more money will be squandered.
1t is the old, old story, with which
our readers are somewhat familiar. A
great public undertaking upon which
popular representation in congress and
the electoral college, is based, has been
prostituted by Republican administra-
tion to partisan purposes. hundreds of
thousands of dollars have been expended
to pay idle and worthless camp follow
era, and the work has been shamefully
done. 1t is but another specimen OF
Republican disregard of right and
justice, with the usual accompaniment
of extravagant expenditures of the peo-
ple's money.
There was a lively scene Saturday
morning in the hall of the house of rep
resentatives, just before it assembled,
and John Devlin OF the executive COM
mittee of the Knights of Labor came
near getting a knock down blow from
Col onel Oates, one armed veteran OF
the confederate army and chairman OF
the special committee investigating the
III ,mestead trouble and the Pinkerton
IS stem.
When the Pinkertons appeared before
the investigating committee Friday
m ,rning, they found there Messrs.
Hayes, Devlin and Wright OF the
X aights of Labor, who do not represent
the strikers, but had prepared
number of questions they desired to
have asked. The proceeding were opened
by request that these questions should
be put the witnesses, and after consul
tation, the committee decided, although
such course was rather out of the usual
line OF conducting an investigation, to
put these questions to the Pinkertons,
and that the committee would then ask
such questions as any member might
think necessary.
The committee were just then noti-
fed that they were desired in the house
to vote on the deficiency bill. They ac-
cordingly took recess and handed the
questions to the Pinkerton's, who, with
their attorney, took the written cues
tions of the Knights of Labor and pre-
pared written answers. Mr.. Devlin on
Saturday morning, before the assem-
bling of the house, approached Mr..
Oates and asked for copy of the testi-
mony. He was told that he could get
an order to see the stenographer's notes
or he could get printed copy Tuesday,
Mr.. Devlin then said that be thought
the action of the committee Friday was
most extraordinary and criticized the
committee for allowing the Pinkertons
to see the written questions and read
them before they were asked by the
committee.
His manner as well as his words Of
Tended Judge Oates, who told him that
the committee had treated him and his
associates with extraordinary considers
ton, having given their questions pre-
cedence over those of the committee.
aud that his criticism was improper and
impertinent. More words followed, and
Judge Oates finally told Devlin emphati-
cally that he might 60 to hell. Devlin
then charged that the committee had
taken recess at the instance of the
IL 4.