Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1866-12-21

until new payment has been made.
EXALTED IMpuDENcE.-In noticing criti-
cism of his Directory, Rev w. w. Atwater pub
fishes the following
81 see by a controversy in the papers, that
Walton claims that his Register has a correct table
of Vermont population, and that in the Directory
published 10y futile, Gay Il Co., which bears my
name, the table is incorrect in IS towns. The
public ought to know which table is the true one
The facts are these: When the State Marshal had
completed the census of VI for 1860, he furnished
officially. and expressly for the Vermont Drecto-
ny, full table, prepared with great care embra-
eng the population OF every town and gore in the
State. This table was copied into the Directory
from bis very plain figures, under my close
and strict examination Of every figure, and the
original figures preserved. The same table (omit-
ting gores) has been printed in the Directory till
the present year, In the edition for 1867. the
printer drew some figures from the tables, thus at
fecting six towns, viz: Bradford. Brantree,
Brookfeld Milton Shebun and Wocott A
figure should be placed at the beginning of the
figures for each Of the drst five OF these and 1 at
the beginning for Wocott BY supplying these
figures or referring to the Directory OF 1866. |
therefore regard this as the only correct table OF
VT population now in common use. And as this
was received from the only oDicidl source, and in
the most direct manner possible without going
through the hands of several clerks and printers in
Washington where Walton claims to have received
his, | conclude that any other table varying from
this in lS towns must in many towns, be in
correct. The reader must Judge which of these
tables has the Is errors and which is the reliable
one
Here, them is a confession Of an error Of Gl0C
in six towns by his own test Pretty large errors
we think Then it is also confessed that the pop
ulation of cores and unorganized towns is omitted
which of course affects the population of every
county having cores orunorganized towns. These
errors and omissions would change the apportion
ment of State Senators in more than one county
and of course materially reduce the population o.
the State.
But these are not all. The Rev. gentleman hal
not been very sharp in hunting out his sins o
omission aud commission. We have before VI
two editions of Atwater for 1867, and in both the
population of Pawlet is printed $40, whereas it il
| 1883; and Pittsford is printed S42, whereas it i
! 1889 Here, therefore, are errors OF more thar
| 5000, exclusive Of cores and unorganized towns
/ Now for the amusing impotence Of claiming tina
the first footings of the Marshal give the true cen
sus, and the only official census, made by tn,
] superintendent AZ W OshluBtout 10 luc lalst uhc
Il seems not to have occurred to Mr.. Atwate
that the census is taken by many persons ant
with multfarious details, even as to population
such as color, sex, and age that there Nigh
have been many errors in the original lootings o
the deputy marshas, and that these would be sim
ply copied by the Marshal in any return of foot
ings only, such the totals by towns. Such, in
deed, was the fact, and when the papers wer
sent to Washington the errors were detected b
proving the footings by the Details process
we venture TO say, which the Marshal never ha
attempted when he gave the population by towns
The footings thus proved, constitute the onl
official aud legal census, by which, for instance;
troops were apportoned TO States in the late wal
representation in Congress apporioned, direc
tax apportioned, and every other thing dependen
upon the census Even if numerically incorrect
it is legally correct and binding and therefore tn
only census fit or useful to be printed But un
doubtedly the official and legal census is the mos
accurate and reliable one. This census Walto
gave, and Atwater confesses that he did not Civ
it, Compared with this official census, the popr
lation Of one hundred and eighteen topns in ii
oater is erroneous.