Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-25
PORTER AS PAUL PRY.
Universal Indignation at Some of the
Census lnterrogatiOns.
SOME CONSIDERED IMPERTINENT
By Local Lawyers, Who Are Quite Willing
to Make Test Case,
TO SEE IF SUCH QUESTIONS MUST GO

puoIlc Is brought face to face with the
knights Of the portfolio. The still air will
creep away in despair and King Clamor
reign supreme, fair weather or foul. On
that eventful day the curtain will be rung
up on the great drama, showing the census
enumerator cspering on the liberty Of the
American people. Morn will be ushered in
by ring at.tne doorbell, followed by a list
of fquestions fron the human interrogation
point that will tempt one to use wholesale
quantities of pathological sin, and when the
shades of evening have stilled the gay
worlds busy hum there will be many and
many an enraged, exasperated and irritated
private citizen, beside some very tired and
urnful census takers.
The bombshell which will touch off all
this explosion of wrath is contained in two
or three extremely disagreeable queries that
Superintendent Robert P. Porter has tackled
on the tail end of his list. The two which
are causing the most trouble are as follows:
A COUPLE OF SAMPLES.
Whether suffering from acute or chronic dis
ease, with the name of the disease and the
length of time afflicted with IT.
Whether defective in mind, sight hearing or
speech, or whether crippled. manned or de-
formed, with the name OF the defect.
In addition to these two questions, there
are some affecting private debts whose nat
ure will involve considerable difficulty.
A strong feeling exists in welI-intormed
circles that these questions are wholly un-
warranted, and rom the general tone and
character Of the remarks and opinions given
by leading Pittsburgers, there is 4 trst-class
prospect ior some highly interesting and
important complications to crystalline on |
Monday week.
81 cannot exactly understand the preiu- |
dice which some people have against few |
of the census questions" said Mr.. G. I. |
Oliver, who has charge of the United States !
census in this city, when asked in regard to |
the troubles expected to arise from the |
queries mentioned above. "The people |
should look at the matter in the |
light of plain, practical business transac-
ton, which does not endanger their reputa- |
tons IN the least, nor expose them to a |
breath OF suspicion. The public should |
Know that il is all conducted on strictly pri- |
vate principles, ana nothing whatever will |
he divulged. The enumerator is sworn to |
maintain absolute secrecy in connection |
with any and all information that is given /
him, and none need fear that anything will |
be disclosed which would operate TO their |
personal detriment
I'm regard to the objections which it is |
thought will be raised to answering certain
questions there is nothing to be said, except |
that 1t should be borne in mind by those who |
refuse to reply to all the queries that they
are liable to imprisonmentand fine OF $780, /
HE HAS THE POWER.
Congress has granted Superintendent /
Porter the power of asking all these ques-
tions, and consequently the enumerators
will be expectedto do their duty and seek
all the Information embraced within the list |
Of queries. 1t is true that we cannot get
strictly correct reports, because there will be
some who will evade the truth, but enough
will be given for the authorities at Wash
pgton TO strike tolerably fair averages and
lrrlve at proper conclusions"
Filled with this kind of information. a
DISPATCH representative approached Major
MontOoth in order to hear what the local
iubernatorial candidate thought of the
census questions, as seen from a LAWYERS
standpoint, and to learn some facts in re-
,ard to the legality of some of the queries |
sked. The six new questions that have .
'een added by Mr.. Porter are enough to |
make mans blood boil, &" said the Major.
They are decidedly interesting. Rome had
Ter Cesar, her Scipio, her Brutus: but Rome
u her proudest day never had a census
numerator going around 10 ask her citizens
whether they were suffering from acute or
hronlc disease. Greece had her Pericles,
Ter Demosthenes and her Socrates, but |
Ireece in her palmiest day never had census
akers 10 ind out whether her people were
detective in mind and body. Even proud
Albion herself cannot equal it. Queen
1IetorIa In all her majesty never had a
ensus enumerator ask her whether she was
tt1lcted with any disease to which frail flesh
heir.
a
''The people of the United States should
o on, and ii they don't lose their liberty, j
rs not the census mans fault. Why, the
7hole business is abominable
"Will you make a test case out of it if
ny clients come to you in regard to re-
lsing to answer some OF the queStions?" in
srrogated the scribe.
Most aSsuredly," answered the Major.
I'll carry the matter into the courts. and I
lere prove the utter absurdity and illegal
naracter of the last six questions"
Many other prominent Pittsburg legal
ghts were interviewed, and one and all uu-
esltaungly pronounce the questions touch
lg on private affairs as impudent, totally v
ncalled lor, unnecessary and an imperti- Il
ent prYlng into the family secrets OF the {
tlzens, In TACT, everyone of the dozens C
'oken to on the subject expressed the
Olnlon that Congress is permitting a clear
Traction of the constitutional rights of
-ivate citizens They all state thar test Ii
Ise can be made of it, to see whether Con-
ess has the power to compel citizens to
We Information respecting their private
fairs, and to make refusal to do that mis-
punishable by fine and imprison-
ent.
In conversation with leading physicians =
veral interesting facts were deyeloped. n
r. McCann thought that il is needless TO '"
k any questions referring to diseases. be-
use in the majority of cases the people
)uld really be unable to state with trutb
lness whether they were afflicted with apy
dily troubles or not, as in many Instances ',
disease may exist without the KNOWLEDGE +
a person who is not versed in medical u
re. "
A FALLOW FIELD. d
DR.. c. S. Scott remarked as follows: ''The
lst fertile field OF modern fiction lies fal-
3 in Pittsburg, awaiting the turning o. TT
2 piow in the hands of the census taker.
L those gentlemen who have the
slness o. enumerating the pop
tton, wealth and other data OF
: city attempt to get even a frac-
II O. truthful answers TO some OF the til
estlons they will ask, and they will un- ca
q The charms OF American fiction in all
beauty. It's no use to try it, because all
medical authorities have ample resource
statistics OF their own when they desire 49,,
crnauon on any point connected with -;
'F profession, and consequently it is
auless Tor the Government to 90 to all the
ne ana trouble OF hunting up the various
that flesh is heir to.
n umbug!' said Mr. W. W. Vensel. the IRA
change broker. 81 dou't see any sense iro
asking those last six questions. The man
Q colles 70 me Tor information on nv ,
vate business affairs will Mt =. = =