The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-05-31
SOME OBJECTIONABLE QUESTIONS.

should the accomplished editor of
the New York Sun ever be SO fortunate
as TO reach heaven, in all probability
his dissatisfaction would be so great
that he would soon be wishing that he
was i'm the other place. Mr.. Dana is
happy only when he is finding fault.
Ills idea of happiness is a state with
which the greatest possible amount of
fault can be found. But whatever
may be the hereafter awaiting him,
Brother Dana is getting considerable
enjoyment out of this life by crafty
ing his favorite passion upon every OPP
portunity that can be made TO present
itself. His most recent s~altatorial ey-
ercise was to jump upon the set of
questions which the census enumera-
tors are required to ask and the people
required to answer. Certain of these
questions he characterizes as an I'M
warranted and illegal intrusion into
the private affairs of the citizen. He
goes so far as TO advise people to refuse
to answer all such inquiries as these:
-. Whether suffering from acute or chronic
disease. with name of disease and length Of time
afflicted.
~. whether defective in mind sight. hearing,
or speech, or whether crippled, MANNED. or de-
formed. with name ~ defect.
-. Whether a prisoner, conNi't. homeless
child, ar Iaupcr.
~. l. the home you live in hired, or is IL
owned 10y the head ar by n member Of the family?
-. n owned 10y head or member Of family, N
the home free from mortgage incumbrance?
~. u the head ~ family Is Il farmer. IL the
farm which he cultiyates hired, or Is II owned by
him ~ 10y u member ~ his family?
According to Dana's idea, the first
three of the foregoing questions are
particularly Objectionable, and the 9TH
ers hardly less 50. II is the right, IL is
the duty, of every man TO protect fam
lily secrets of such "a nature from pub
licity, and M government, certainly no
democratic government, should attempt
To extort them from him under any cir
cumstances save and only when they
will subserye the interests of justice.
No man is willing To have such secrets
made n matter of record at Washing
ton. and the number who will follow
old Dana's advice by refusing to an
swer may be sufficient TO vitiate the
statistics which 1t is the design of the
census authorities To compile from the
answers. There is n suspicion abroad
that the census of 1880 is to be consid-
cradle of a humbug anyway. IL is I'M
taking too much.
Mr.. Porter, the superintendent of the
census, has taken occasion 10 reply to
the criticisms. The first three questions.
Nos. %, % and 81, are, he says, the
same as were asked in the preceding
%censuses, and similar questions form a
part OF the census inquiry In Germany,
France and England. They are con.
sidered To be of the highest possible
Importance To medical science. The
answers make il possible TO guage the
strength of the country and determine
the portion of dead material. Besides.
Mr.. Porter maintains, the information
thus procured is strictly confidential. a
heavy penalty being attached 10 the
oiiense Of disclosing any of the facts
obtained from individuals. AS To the
questions of a financial nature. Mr..
Porter says he is merely executing the
law which requires these questions TO