The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-02
An Army Of Enumerators Will Be-
gin the Work of Asking
Questions To-day.
Superintendent Porter Expresses
Himself in Regard to Answer
ing Questions.
sances Of Themselves-List Of APP
pointees for This County.

will begin to-day. w. O. Speer, of Butte
is the census supervisor for Montana, an
he is fully prepared to make thorough
canvass of the state. His deputies will sool
be invading every mans house, and tn
questions they will ask will no doubt caus
considerable astonishment. The law re
quires the census to be taken every tel
years. The last one was in 1880, when Mon
tana had population, exclusive of Indians
Of $3.50. Hugh McQuaid. of Helena, wa
supervisor of the census that year. It i
thought the enumeration this year viii
show not less than 10000 inhabitants, ant
the statistics of cattle, horses and shee,
will be very interesting.
The cIiumerators for Lewis and Clark,
county are l.. W. Gosnell, N. G. Evans
John Fl. Taylor, T. T. Palmer, w. e. Harsh
Louis De Lostrey, W. E. Gleason, Of
Helena; T.. L. Lush, Marysville; Aug. w
moller, Rlmini; J. I. Glendenen, Gould: A.
born; Thos. G. Woods, Augusta.
The following dispatch was received from
Washington last night which indicates thai
the questions must be answered.:
Superintendent Porter of the census has
received kilograms from a number of an.
pervisors stating that they are thoroughly
prepared to enter upon the work of takinl
the census tomorrow morning, and that
everything is in readiness to push the worl
forward with accuracy and rapidity. Porter
minated very plainly this evening that &C
far as the "chronic diseases'' question il
concerned it is not the intention of the
officers to bring to punishment those who
are reluctant to make answer. But as tC
the mortgage" question his language was
not quite 30 cheering. He expressed him.
SELF very earnestly with regard to bringing
the law to bear upon those who wilfully re-
fused to answer Anv and al uuoetiov1 mt
to them by the enumerators. They will be
compelled to answer, he said, or to take the
consequences of their refusal.
Superintendent Porter has issued the fol-
lowing circular, addressed to supervisors of
the census:
"You will please instruct enumerators in
cases where persons refuse to answer the
questions on the population schedule re-
lating to physical and mental disabilities or
the questions relating to farms, homes and
MORTGAGES to enter in the proper column
the words refused to answer No further
steps will be necessary on the part of the
supervisor or enumerator, and all legal pro-
ceedings will be instituted by the WASHING
ton office through the department. Of
JUSTICE"
In response to the Philadelphia Record
correspondents inquiry as to- the meaning
OF such an unmista kable back-down
Coupled though it is with an implied
threat, Mr.. Porter said that he had not
backed down." that congress ordered the
questions asked: that he is simply carrying
out the orders of congress, and the penal
ties will be enforced by the department of
justice were questions are not answered,
Ialk1ng to another correspondent this
very day, however, Mr.. Porter said: "As
regards these matters no citizen need give
himself any uneasiness. Our enumerators
WILL not make nuisances of themselves.
Ihey will present the questions politely,
and If any person sees fit not to answer be
will not be pressed by the enumeration,
whose duty ends with the single asking. If
an answer is refused the enumerator will
simply note that fact on the return he sends
to headquarters.
"As it is possible that some persons would
not feel disposed to answer questions put by
one OF their nelRhbors, and take the risk of |
hood gossip, there will be sent, to all per-
sons who SO refuse, a circular from the bu
reau district, asking them to please submit
answers in writing, and in sealed envelope.
to the commissioner.
The questions about property are as
sharply defined by the terms OF the law
as anyone could ask to have them, Ger
mental disabilities are asked in every
country IN Europe, and are as old in this
country as the fifth census. No sane per
son pretends to deny the value of cen
sus ON general principals in our day: and
yet, less than century and half ago, they
raised the greatest outcry in England over
me very idea OF outraging the privacy of
But if, in spite of legal prosecutions and
avery other agency employed in the work
mere still remain a number of persons who
Will not furnish the information sonpbt2,,
We can go on without them. They will
1ot necessarily affect our percentages.n .