Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-04-08
THE COMING NATIONAL CENSUS,


the taking of the regular decenuial
census Of the whole country. Before
the work is entered upon, full care
should be taken to avoid the many and
great errors and defects which marked
that Of 1860. To accomplish this,
those errors aud defects should be
known, aud they may readily be dis
covered by placing the volumes Of 1860
in the hands Of any able stHtistician.
The special committee of the House Of
Representative on the census Of 1870
has made a good move in the right
direction by its issue of II call for
information and suggestions from all
parts of the country, rs to the best
method Of taking this census, for there
are many persons who, from their
intimate knowledge Of statistical sci
ence, are fully competent to furnish
suggestions that will lead to the de-
visement Of a satisfactory plan. None
but n thorough and experienced sta
tistician should be intrusted with the
superintendent Of the work. He
should be a mau Of sufficiently CON-
prehensive mind to take in the whole
general aud detailed wants of the case.
The taking of the census in II country
like this, with its forty millions Of in
habitauts, is q hugo undertaking, but it
can be done, and well done, too So,
too, the amount Of matter collected
during the work, is Incredibly great,
and is quite enough to stagger n mind
uuaccustomed to handling large bodies
Of statistical material-but there are
minds in this country that could take
all this matter. vast AS it is, and
arrange it Systematically and effectively,
in divisions and subdivisions, through
out every branch of the work, and make
II complete census. The volumes for
1860 contain a vast amount OF informa-
ton, the result Of long, industrious,
patient labor, and they are Of much
value but for all that, the statistical
student is forced to confess that he has
before him in those pages nothing but
II mass Of figures, and he must make
comparisons and deductions for him.
self. This sho aid not be the case, and
it would not be if eminent ability, such
as can be brought to the task under
proper Inducements, would take the
matter in charge. The whole range
of statistics has u value, and yields an
influence that is beginning to be better
and better understood by the people Of
this nation, and vital statistics, espe-
cially, are becoming appreciated with
reference to their bearing upon the
general welfare, to n degree that GER
tainly ought to inspire and effect thor
ough action and completely satisfas-
tory results az to their collection. This
should he the case as 10 local commune
tics in State, county, city and village.
How much more so should it be as to
the entire nation All these statistics
form in n variety Of ways the guide OF
the statesman, the philanthropist and
the general student in all departments
Of knowledge TO which they legitimately
belong. They become the very basis
of speculative and practical political
in all intelligent countries,
and deservedly so, fer of what value
in the determination Of those questions
Of human government which demand
positive results, can mere abstract
philosophical theories be, when it lies
within our power to attain solid, indis-
putable facts? Those governments
ycnrs ago treated statistical
with contemptuous indifference
Russia WAS ono Of them-havc
of late times become deeply impressed
with its great Importance, and when
Nicholas haushtily refused to send q
representative to the initiatory ststisti-
cal Congress at Brussels, years ngo,
upon the ground that his empire had
nothing to learn from Europe in this
he did not foresee that
Alexander would at this day do all
in his power to ecure as per-
feet census Of the nation ruled by him
his means could achieve. What we
need here above all things else, is
is II more national conception and ap-
areciation of the true value Of statistics
than we at present have. When we
attain these, then there will be facili-
ties developed and maintained for their
collection which we do not now possess.
Since our last census was taken we
have passed through II fierce, extensive
and exhaustive war. We want to know
the effects of the c~ontiict upon popula-
ton, land, wealth, cultivation and gen.
eral trade. We wan somthing besides
mere dry statistical columns and state.
we want Intelligent, correct
comparisons and deductions. This
census will have an interes, aud impor-
attaching to no other n already
made, and this fact should be kept in
and acted upon by those who are
delegated to perform the work. 1t is
not this country alone which locks for
ward with much expectation for the
Europe awaits them with an
the motives for which a be
understood. |