Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-09-18
Winding Up the tensus.

Five years and $5,000,O00 have
gone, writes 8 correspondent of The
New York Sun, ard not one half of
the tenth census is yet printed. And
it is doubtful if more than two thirds
of that work ever will see the light,
Twelve quarto volumes of an average
of one thousand pages each and pro-
fusely illustrated with maps have now
been published. These relates to popu-
lation, manufactures, agriculture and
meat productions, transportation, cot
ton (two volumes), valuation, taxation
and public indebtedness, newspapers,
periodicals, and seal fisheries, forestry
(wItn large atlas), petroleum and
building stones, and the first volume
of mortality statistics. 1t is believed
that before the census Office expires
by limitation, on the Sd of next March.
in addition to the volumes named,
five more can be published, relating
to mortality, social statistics of cities
Qn two volumes), water power, and
are fully realized, seven large volumes
the defective and delinquent classes,
education and churches, the fisheries,
mechanics, insurance, social statistics
of mining and miscellaneous.
The teAth census dragged from the
start. 1t WIS crudely conceived
and wastefully conducted. Gen.
Walker, who alone could have brought
the work forward with any measure
of success. left it in the lurch, and wllh-
out his guiding hand it rocked and
pitched and drifted like a rudderless
ship in the trough of the sea. From
time to time sent up rockets of distress
to passing congresses, and received
shat aid was needed to keep it afoat,
but it was seen long ago to be hope
lessly shipwrecked, and now it will
soon be abandoned and reported as
derelict
The idea was to make positively the
biggest thing out in ceRsuses. 1t was
the centennial epoch, and everything
was on sublime scale. Hence the
centennial census was to be not mere
ly an enumeration of the people on
which to base representation in con-
eress, but was to oe panorama of the
nation in all Its relations to nature and
society. We were to have hop poles
counted as accurately as children, and
the pushing power of brooks recorded
as fully as the military strength of the
population. The superintendent help
ed himself to the Horatian motto: Il
am a statistician, and nothing that
concerns human statistics is foreign to
my purpose 1t lay with congress to
decide whether there was any warrant
for compiling such comprehensive
directory of the United States, and
congress cordially iBdorsed the project
and gave Gsn. Walker all the money
he asked for to carry ii out More
over, it gave the money in lump
sum and no questions asked. Gen.
Walker practically had carte blanche,
with the understanding that he was
to go ahead and beat the world.
/ Bat fatal error of judgment ruined
the enterprise at the outset. To enable
him to cover the wide range of inc uiry
he proposed, the superintendent asked
the cooperation of leading specialists
all over the country. These men were
made special agents. and much the
same arbitrary powers that the super.
inIendent had over the general under
taking was siven them IN their res
pective fields This policy ruined the
census The special agents were learn
ed aad famous men, but they were I'D.
experienced and ignorant In census
work, had only the vaguest notionso o1