Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-24
PADDING RETURNS
The Fraudulent Census Lists in
Maryland.
EVIL OF PARTISAN APPOINTMENTS
Report of Civil Service Investi-
eating Committee.
CONCLUSIONS SUBMITTED

CONCLUSIONS SUBMITTED
The investigating committee Of the Ma
tional Civil Service Reform League has
presented to the council of the league
report on the recent census irregularities
in southern Maryland. These frauds" the
Committee says its report, consisted
mainly in the Justification of returns. made
for political purposes by enumerators who
had been appointed for political reasons.
They were Of particularly fragrant ma
ture and are Of such character as to
raise grave questions as to the reliability
of the system that has been followed IN
other parts Of the country. They therefore
have very much more than local inter-
est" The committee, it is said. will prob
ably make recommendations to the next
Congress with regard to the methods of
appointment of supervisors and enumera-
tors
Ten years ago. the report recites. "a
committee of the league presented re-
port showing the lamentable results of a
partisan census. IN the increased extrava-
gance of the bureau itself, the demoral1za-
ton of the force employed, the worthless
ness of census taken. and the lack of
public confidence IN it's accuracy and i'm
Partially.
1T Is now the duty of your committee to
report striking example of recurrence
of some of the evils which then existed.
under the present similar system of pat
ronage appointments and partisan control.
The present director of the census, Mr..
w r. Merriam, is a man of undoubted ca
pacfty and energy, who has succeeded in
avoiding many OF the evils which infected
the administration of the census bureau
under his predecessor. 1t is fair to him
m sta hat he iS In FpSDpct DnrSOnallN
responsible for the corrupt practices detailed
In this report. but that he has shown
commendable eagerness in urging the pros
ecution of offenders and securing the pun
ishment of the guilty.
Political Appointments.
But the essential vice of the system still
remains The law provides that the emu
meration of inhabitants shall be made by
enumerators selected by the supervisors of
the various census districts, and these su-
pervisors themselves are appointed by the
President, without any requirement of COM
petitive examination or promotion, or any
method of securing non-partlSan appoint
menrs. The result is that these supervisors
are appointed. and the euumerators under
them are selected, almost entirely, from
the party in power toften through it's local
organiza tom, a few exceptions amounting
to about one-sixth of the whole number.
being made in the south in districts where
pervisors from that party. These appoint
ments being political, 1t followed inevitably
that they were made by the President upon
the recommendation of congressman. and 1t
was also inevitable that the appointees
should use the power given to them for
the benefit not merely of the republican
party. but sometimes. also, of the particular
congressman who secured their appoint
Tuent.
Motive for Padding the Returns.
Dealing directly with the matter of the
irregularities in Maryland, the report con-
tnueS:
The enumeration made in the con-
gressional district represented by Sydney
E. Mudd a republican representative from
Maryland, furnishes conspicuous instance
of this. Mr.. Mudd secured the appointment
of William T. 8. Rollins as supervisor for
the third Maryland district, which includes
the counties of St. Mary's. Charles Cal
vert, Anne Arundel, and others. all within
Mr.. Mudd's congressional district.
The constitution of Maryland provides
that any county containing population of
less than 1S.o~ shall have two members in
the house of delegates. If the county con
tains population between 5000 and 5000
1t is to have three members. If between 49,
$50 and 10000. four members; if between
10000 and $1,000, five members. The ap-
pointment Is to be made upon the basis of
the federal census unless a state census is
taken. From these provisions of the con-
stitution, it was manifestly to the interest
not only of the republican party, but Of
Mr.. Mudd PERSONAL---VERY. leader of that
party In his district-to have the repraseri-
tation of all the counties which were re-
liably or probably republican as large as
possible If he could secure additional re-
publican members of the house of delegates
from the several counties in his district he
would acquire additional influence in the
Maryland legislature. both In the republic
can caucus and in the final vote whereby
a tod afal Oh No
to succeed Senator Wellington, at the COM
ing election. next fall.
"Th~ three counties. ST. Mary's, Charles
and anne Arundel offered an opportunity
for a gain In the number of delegates The
first two are republican counties and in
Anne Arundel there Is a reasonable proba-
biiity of republican success. In St Mary's
county the census of 1880 showed popu-
iation of 1884 the census of 1899 a pop-
ulation of 15.S19. 1t was assumed that the
census OF 1890 was defective, owing to the
fact that the enumera tors We're required
TO make inquiries upon such a large num-
Der Of subjects that in the rural districts
their work did not pay. and it was to some
extent neglected. There was therefore The
suggestion Of probability that the popula-
ton of ST. Mary's county was not much
under 5000 In Charles county the CEN
sus of 1880 showed population Of 49, 4s;
the census Of 1890 population Of Is 10l
For similar reasons 1t seemed likely that
the population of Charles county was very
the census OF 1880 showed a population OF
2s.526; the census of 1880 a population of
HOB 1t was possible that Anne Arundel
county might come very near the 10000
limit.
Increase in Population.
Accordingly 1t so happened that after
the population in these counties was an
nounced, about the middle of last Deem
Der. IT was found that the enumeration In
st. Mary's county showed ISL inhabit-
ants. In Charles county 1876 inhabitants
and In Anne Arundel county 4O,O1S. There
was thus gain Of one member in the rem
resentation of each of the three counties
in the house of delegates.
suspicion was naturally aroused esne
cially by the fact that In other counties
In the district of Mr.. Mudd such as Cal
vert county, which contained a population
OF 3.SDO and was thus hopelessly within
the 5000 limit there was no great growth
in the population.
st. Mary's County Frauds.
Inc report reviews at considerable length
the charges OF fraud leading up to the In
vestisation of the returns of the census
enumerators. and the arrest and fp6,ct