The times., 1898-01-08
rhe Census Conspiracy.

The Republican party. favored by cir
cumstances for three decades, has
been able to promote. organize. manip
ulate and falsify an equal number OF
national censuses. On this point 1t
only is necessary to refer to the latest.
To liken a thing or an individual to
what is known as the Porter Cen
sus'' is equivalent to saying that the
thing or man referred TO bears a sta
tistical resemblance to itself or to
Ananias, and is considered an offensive
comparison. 1t is more than evident
that the Republican party mugs the
fond delusion that it is TO have the
privilege and opportunity to construct
the great census of 1900, upon strictly
partisan lines, and to introduce into
its evolution such partisan sound bust
ness methods as would result in pro-
ducing a presentation mendaciouS as
to fact, but highly creditable to the
trust, monopoly, gold and bond inter-
ests now represented in the Admins
tration of the country.
Before attempting to discuss the
question at large. we should give Mr..
Porter, the Harrison agent in the con-
ception of the Eleventh Census. credit
for what he did. He has written let
ter defending his methods, without, of
course. unfolding the purposes which
underlaid them: but that was to be eX-
pected. We desire to state that there
were features of Mr.. Porter's work
which demand national admiration
ha a n gG
his predecessors was, to present to
the world individual seamstresses as
manufacturing plants and to add to
the grand sum of national factories
the peanut roasters, under Italian aus
pices, on the corners of streets in ali
our cities. In this way what he has
added to the sum OF human statistical
knowledge never can be known.
On general principles, partisan CEN
suses should be an impossibility. A
partisan census never can be an honest
one. In the very nature of things it
viii be, as always it has been. de-
signed and organized TO prove tbs
financial, fiscal and economic policies
of the party in power at the time. The
year 1900, marking the close OF a CEN
tuIy of great American achievement
and history, also will bring us to the
point of publishing census that should
worthily and truthfulIy exhibit our
actual position in every respect perti-
nent TO scientific statistical statement
OF our resources, capabilities and ad-
vancement. Such a census should not,
like the latest previous one, be devoted
TO such objects as to steal a member of
Congress and an electoral vote from
the State Of New York, but should be
aimed at the truth Governmental
agencies, with a few honorable excep-
tions. do not often make center shots
in such ways. but always there is
room for improvement and reform
In respect of the census of 1900 we
feel compelled, and all decent American
citizens, without regard to party, viii
be with US, to insist upon reform and
accuracy. Nitally necessary at any
time, the particular census OF 1900
should be convincing, scientific and
without any possible relation, or the
suspicion of any, to the material good
of any individual. syndicate, corpora.
ton, element or party. The advent OF
a new century viii be a good time to
divorce the statistical agencies of the
Government from subserviency to par
ty purposes or exigencies; and the
thing must be done.
We make this assertion with con.
fidence; because we know that the
Democratic party, both in the Senate
and the House, is strong enough to
prevent the passage of a partisan CEN
sus bill. 1t is the bounden duty of each
senator and member to fight such a
thing to the death -