Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-06
Il is easy to quarrel with the census; it ID

usual to quarrel with the census. Then let us
all quarrel with the census of 1890. This is the
way, at least, that part of the public is put
ting II 20 itself In reply TO those Of his
critics who charge partisanship in the enumer-
alton Superintendent Porter makes an elab-
crate statement in the North American Rerie,c,
asserting the comparative accuracy and alb
solute political fairness of the eleventh census
Mr. Porters paper gives a succinct history of
the complaints and the manner in which the
census bureau met them, taking New York for
his leading case. He says that in q city like
New York q census taken. as the police census
was. in October, would naturally show an
increase over a census taken in June of
the same year. Thousands Of families, with
their domestic help, and thousands Of
the hotel population, would have re-
turned from their summer vacations.
The same may be said Of wage earners who
annually seek employment in that season in the
rural resorts Besides immigration Is heavy in
the months Of June. July, August and Septem-
Der. He does not omit from his statement as
affecting New York the hostility to the federal
enumeration of several Of the metropolitan
Journals. The police in their census were not
hampered BY dissgreable questions or handi-
capped by instructions, but had the support Of
the press in seeking all the names
possible On the matter of percent
ages of increase Mr.. Porter meets the
assumption that because the country increased
in population 59.51 per cent from 1860 10 1880.
therefore the country should have increased
ons-half as much. or 29.75 per cent, in the ten l
wears from 1850 to 1880, by asserting that very
elementary knowledge Of arithmetic only is
necessary to show that the percentage of a
country in ten years is not one-half the per-
centage of increase for twenty years, but some
thing very different. II, he proceeds to de-
clare. the comparison had been properly made
il would have been found that the actual in
crease for the last ten years. PAST per cent,
compares very favorably with the real per-
centage 6.03 per cent of increase for ten years
as based upon the increase of the country
from 1850 to 1850. Mr.. Porter argues the i'm
possibility of making q partisan census from
the manner in which the bureau is constituted
and from the fact that the law under |
which the census Of 1890 was taken was
practically the same as that under which |
Gen. Walker took the tenth census |
and that as far possible the organization Of
the office is the same il was ten years ago. |
To inyalidate the eleventh census, therefore !
is to attack the integrity of nearly every man |
who took part in the tenth census. To ques-
ton the fitness Of the appointments is to dis |
count the judgment Of the first census expert,
perhaps. in the world, Gen. Walker, |
who has pronounced them q whole almost |
perfect" Mr.. Porter gives some interesting /
tables showing that the disappointment in re- /
spect to the population of the southern states is
due to defective enumeration in 1870 and to |
the consequent abnormal apparent increase of |
1880, and not to defective enumeration in the /
present census. He also makes q statistical |
showing Of the percentage Of increases
of the various states, which indicates
that II he has planned to mould the |
census for partisan purposes he has bungled /
the job wofully. He thinks that for the most /
accurate results there should be greater SIM
plicity in the population schedule by q reduc-
ton Of the number Of questions and large
increase of the number of enumerators. He /
shows that If the English ratio Of enumerators
to area had been observed in our last census
there would have been 40O, 900 instead of $4,000 |
enumerators. He thinks that the number Of |
the latter should be at least 100000. These
suggestions are Of value.
II IL well understood that neither the liquor
dealers ss . class nor the prohibitionists favor
high license, the former generally desiring as
low . license as they can get, the latter OPP
posing all licenses whatever on principle. The
fact that the two extremes among the dis
putants over the liquor question unite against
a high license bill is not, however, conclusive
against its claims TO be q measure beneficial to |
the city. In no large American city IL the male |
majority sentiment favorable to direct pro-
hibition, and in none Of them could |
prohibitive law be enforced. Pro-
hibition would not prohibit in Washington,
the popular vote il 1t were taken would almost /
certainly sustain q license system, and in view
Of these facts Congress is not at all likely to /
pass prohibitive Law for the District until it |
has reached much higher moral development:
and demands this legislation. It is a truism
that the best law is not the best absolutely,
but the best which public sentiment can endure /
and viii enforce The free whisky and lawless
GROCERY rule under unenforced prohibition in
large cities are farther removed from the anti
liquor purpose and design than the rigid regu-
lation of the traffic under a high license sys-
tenn sustained and enforced by public senti-
ment- III We cannot now have practical pro-
hibition, and il a mere prohibitory statute
would not be beneficial to the city under pres
ent conditions the choice remaining il between
high and low license. The former offers certain
advantages 1t will reduce the number Of sa-
looms, and render the inspection and regulation
Of them more convenient, thorough and mex
pensive- 1t will give the licensed dealers /
stronger incentive to cooperate with the au-
thorities in checking the unlicensed traffic. It /
viii cause the liquor traffic to contribute
greater proportion toward the public expenses,
largely caused by it, for police, charities and |
reformatory institutions. The most effective l
liquor legislation for Washington today will be !!
that which cuts down the number Of saloons, |
provides wise restrictions concerning the hours |
within which and the persons with which the |
liquor traffic may be conducted; prohibits, un-
der heavy penalty, all unlicensed traffic, and
most important Of all, enables the authorities
20 act more effectively than heretofore in clos
ing unlicensed saloons and punishing illegal
dealers in liquor. Ability to apply and enforce
the restrictions and regulations provided by
law II Of even greater consequence than the
amount of the license. The numerous unpun-
isdsd violations Of the present law suggest the
point upon which the new statute needs TO be
especially strong, and indicate the present inn
praesicsbility Of any more radical measure Of
local prohibition than that which is involved in
so-called high-hcense measures.
Next Monday viii be District day in the