The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-01-30
The statistical Department., aeds Its
CommIssioner. ~, s3

the House, processes to "regard the SER
vices of Mr.. WHEEIooK of such great val
ne to the State +" as Commissioner of
Statistics, that he "should consider his en-
tire REIMBURSEMENT of his office as a pub
lie loss.'' N %>
Gov. RAMSEY may think so. Inasmuch
as he gives the opinion in gubernatorial
capacity, we are bound to believe he does.
But, we venture to say, that not another
intelligent man in the State thinks with
him. The volumes already published by
Mr.. WHEELooK, when considered as helps
to immigration, are the ridicule of all prac-
teal men. AS mere compilations of curl
Gus, unimportant statistics, prepared as
the basis of, OR to illustrate, puerile, in
consequential theories, they are well
enough the reader is man of ample
leisure, and has dictionaries, encyclopedia
as, and libraries enough within reach to
refer to, and aid him in translating the
text, not into sense, but into plain, COM
prehensible language. But, if he is not a
man of leisure, and is deprived of such
aids, he might as well attempt to master
Greek at first lesson. l.
The object of this Bureau of Statistics,
and of the, yearly publications issuing
from it, is to set forth the qualities and
advantages of Minnesota, as State to
live in; and the class sought to be infu
enced by such publications is the produc-
ing class-mechanical and agricultural.
We presume the members Of the two
Houses rightfully consider themselves as
up to the average intelligence of their con-
stituents, or of the common, practical,
working people anywhere, out of the State
as well as in it. Now, before they vote
on any proposition to continue this Bu-
reau of Statistics, and especially to re-
tain the services of the present Com
missioner, we want them to take the
two volumes published to their rooms,
and look into them. Let them peruse, if
they have patience, the speculative por-
| tons of these books-which they will find
to occupy two-thirds of each-and if they
| can understand what Mr.. WnEELoCK is
writing about, or rather, what tangible
ideas he wants to convey upon the sub
jects about which he processes to write, we
will admit that they may be justified in
continuing the Department, with the pres
emit Commissioner at its head.
AS we said, the whole design of this
! Statistical Bureau is to aid immigration,
and thus the development Of Minnesota.
Its publications are addressed, or should
| be, to the common-sense, practical, labor
ing masses of other communities. These
masses to be reached, and favorably infiu-
| enced, must be addressed in 4 common
sense, practical way. They know nothing,
and care nothing, of the speculative theo-
ries of professional statisticians. They want
the plain, substantial facts about the coun-
try, told in plain, practical language. To
all such, it would be as sensible to send q
volume of Sanscrt as volume of
WHEELooK's speculations.
Imagine Woodworking downEast
farmer looking into WHEELoCK's book for
the purpose of learning about Minnesota,
and whether it will do to pull up stakes
and come out here to live. The first bit
of valuable information he receives, is,
that "Minnesota is the omphalos Of the
new, as Jerusalem was Of the old world. ~
He may imagine that ''omphalos" is n ''big
thing" but unless he has got Greek
dictionary at his side, he'll never know
the fact to certainty. Another
bit of valuable information which the
down-East farmer will find, is, that
"Minnesota is equidistant from the two
poles of the watsr axis of the cont
nent )" that it "sums up upon itself the
radii of all the concentric circles of pro-
duction and commercial movement, upon
land and ocean," and that tits, therefore,
"the predestined throne Of this great Amer
can Empire" 1t is easy to conjecture
what the plain, down-East farmers com
ments would be on this sort of stuff. He
would say ,-ifhe was not church-member,
in regular standing, OF if he was, and
there was nobody by" Minnesota may
be good enough State, for all l know,
or can find out but if this book is spe-
cimen, the people are set of most high
falutin DIN fools!' And, with that .judg-
ment on Minnesota and it's inhabitants,
the old down-East farmer, with character
istic economy, would lay WHEELocKs bool,
by for use, leaf by leaf as shaving pa,
per, if not for baser purposes. And the
Judgment of all practical, substantial men,
would endorse the down-East farmers
opinion, and disposition, Of Mr.. WHEE-
! LOCK s. statistical publicatiOns. which de-