The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-30
CHARGES OF CORRUPTION
Census Reports Said to Be Repub-
lican Campaign Literature.
Allegations That Returns Concern
ing Industrial Conditions Are
Edited With IN View to Showing
Tint Mckinley Prosperity IL over
spreading the Whole Country.

the Census Office has been turned into a
factory for the production of campaign
literature. A Times reporter was told by
| politician that evidence of this is ac-
cunulating in such overwhelming quantity
and such unimpeachable character as will
| fairly startle the business world"
1t is said that as a fair, impartial, and
non-partisan report OF the population and
| industries OF the United States, the
Twelfth Census will be absolutely untrust-
worthy and misleading.
a recent caller at Democratic headquar-
| tiers said Such a corrupt census has
never before been taken in this country,
and the work of the partisan managers Of
the bureau. especially in the great cities
and industrial centres of the North and
| East, has been SO bold and 1agrant that
| all who have come into contact with the
| bureaus agents are well aware OF the
corruption and Justification of reports and
! the doctoring of statistics which is going
on.
The chief complaints do not arise from
Incorrect returns OF the population, though
IN this particular there is plenty Of ground
for investigation. The failure or neglect
to enumerate 4 few hundred thousand cit
izens in this country is not a matter of
real, vital Importance to the country at
| large, or to the business and commercial
interests, which are chiefly interested in
an accurate census. 1t is a matter of local
and municipal pride everywhere to get out
full enumeration of the population but
the Importance of this branch OF the Cen
sus is Insignificant in comparison with the
great work Of securing an absolutely fair.
accurate, and Ion-partisan report of the
industrial and labor conditions Of the
country. And it is precisely in this branch
OF the work that the managers Of the
Twelfth Census are corrupting the records.
Inc business man, the manufacturer the
importer and exporter. the statistician, the
soeiologist, the student OF public affairs,
and, by no means least of all, the poll
ucian and public man, pin their faith to
The United States Census Reports. When
this report is deliberately corrupted 10y
scheming partisan managers in order to
show fal4 condition of prosperity and
bolster up Patty policy and class legisla-
tion, the result cannot be otherwise than
disastrous. Yet this is the condition Of
affairs in the Census Bureau today, ana
the character OF the work renders it no
more reliable ste1istically than 3 doctored /
campaign document
In the great cities and mining and
industrial centres of the North and East /
the men appointed as special agents of |
the Census for the work OF taking the +
Industrial and labor statistics, are almost /
without exception, partisans of the Re- |
publican census machine, and in every |
case they are the victims of the corrupt I
policy OF that machine. The Republican |
Administration has decided that the /
INr--nr -. II.
Of prosperity of the Mckinley brand. and |
the real facts of the situation are never
allowed to hamper the editors of the
Census in making up their reports. In
the first place. the work of reporting the
textile works of the country, oae of the I
largest branches of the manufacturing in
dustry, and one which responds most
promptly and surely to artificial legisla-
tive restrictions and special privileges,
has been taken out OF the hands OF the
regular agents and given into the charge
OF men who are alleged to be experts,
but whose chief qualifications for the
work are the ability to make black look
like white in a statistical report, and
prosperity out OF whOle cloth.
II will be their duty to show that the tex
tile industries OF the country are enjoying
the highest degree OF prosperity-and they
viii obey orders in the face Of diametri
caliy opposite conditions.
THE regular agents of the Census could
not be trusted to handle this delicate mat
ter satisfactorily; and without authority .
CT law or precedent, this work has been
given TO extra men who enjoy an increased
and viii protract the time
Of finishing the work several months be-
yond the period in which 1t could be done
by the regular men.
1T is charged that agents who bring in
reports which fail to show q satisfactory
degree of prosperity, are instructed to re-
turn these reports to the manufacturer and
request him to revise II so as TO make
more favorable showing Thous ands OF
whom the Mckinley prosperity has not
Jet reached, will recall incidents OF
this kind in connection with this Census,
and will remember that their reports II
their own business have been returned 10
them a second and even third time for
revision, in an attempt to force them to re
port q degree of prosperity which they
have never enjoyed. Agents who bring
reports which do not show a satisfactory
degree of prosperity are told that no such
reports are wanted and II they cannot 60
better. their places will be filled with men
who can. It is charged that reports which
cannot be made satisfactory b. the man
Ifacturer are revised by experts. so that
q good percentage Of profits will be shown
Every report brought In by a special
agent is carefully inspected in the local
census Office and corrected If it is not Up
% the standard of property prescribed by
the Washington authorities. The reports
are not sent to Washington for tabulation
until they have passed the local inspectors
and have been made satisfactory. But in
spite Of this rigid inspection many OF the
reports fail to satisfy the requirements of
the Bureau at Washington, and are re-
urnei to the local agent for further COR (
-ection
May census agents have vainly resort-
ID to the practice of securing affldavits
rom manufacturers testifying 10 the ac u t
'acy of reports which have not shown suf-
lcient prosperity to satisfy the rule Of the :
Bureau. But even this course avaIls no h
ng. Cold facts are not wanted in this Gem
us if they interfere with the pre-arranged I
cheme of the Republican machine; and II
he agent persists in this course he is :
roppad from the rolls and more compla- ,
ert man appointed. '
Many other charges OF corruption in | C
very branch Of the work are made and I
apparently substantiated by the strongest
vidence. In all the divisions dealing with i
he conditions Of labor, industries fnan- c
es, agriculture. and loans and mortgages d
ne same degree of corruption is said IN
revail. And yet Congress will be asked To
anction the payment Of more than s1O
60 coo for this monstrous faisehood in \
rder that the Mckinley Administration
lay point with pride TO its own peculiar
rand of prosperity and class legislation
o that the trusts may be yindfcated and h
,epublican campaign orators may be sum ! 1