The sun., 1890-05-30

mean when he seeks to give the public the
impression that In the odious and sbomins
BILE quest which he has Just now practically
abandoned, under pressure OF public sentl
ment too strong for him to Withstand he
was merely obeying the law and proposing
TO do what has been done by every census
since that OF 1902
Why, even the present Census act Of 1889.
preposterous and unconstitutional as II Is,
does not specifically require the census OF
physical diseases in the cases OF living men
and women which Mr.. PORTER and that
precious monomsniac, DR.. JOHN S. Bill
JINGs had in view when they inserted this
question In the schedule:
"22 2--whether suffering from acute or chronic dis
ease. with name Of disease and length OF time
afflicted"
In his defence OF this abominable inquisi-
tion Mr.. PORTER pleads that "scientlsts de-
mand this information" and then he goes
on to say
"Greatsr than all considerations however the law
1t to be obtained. IhRvo discretion. Un'
der my oath Of office obliged to out both tho
letter and the spirit OF the law Those who seek tho
cheap notorety that from nppant objections to
most anything that IL proposed must nrst turn their
abilities TO the direction Of repeating that TO which they
object"
And again, In the same interview:
"The law governing tho taxing OF the Eleventh Cen.
aus leaves mo absolutely without any discretion on
these points II any blunder there be- the blame must
attach to the law and It's trainers"
This Is simply audacious. The truth Is
that instead Of leaving Mr. PORTER no dis
cretion, the unconstitutional law left him too
much discretion; and It was In the exercise of
that dangerous discretion that his foolish
zeal for statistics led him into the present
trouble. The act under which Mr.. PORTER
is operating provides as follows:
Tho schedules of inquiries at tho Eleventh Census
shall be the same contained in section FOG OF the
Revised Statutes tho old law OF 1851 as amended by
section II Of tho act of March 1879 h tueh changes
Of The subject matter ensnddttonk and notifications al
may be approved bV the Secretary oJhe Interior; It being
the intent Of this section TO give to said Secretary M
dJcrenon oper he schedules or such tnQuirteS.'"
In this matter the discretion OF the Secre-
tary Of tho Interior means the discretion OF
the Superintendent Of the Census. II was
In the exercise OF the power to change the
subject matter, and to amend or modify the
old schedules, with unlimited discretion as
10 the lines OF investigation to be pursued,
that Mr.. ROBERT p. PORTER undertook to
1blige DR.. BILLINGS and serve the pretended |
interests OF medical science by instituting a |
new, brutal, and unheardof inquisition into |
he diagnostic characteristics and stage Of |
progress OF the disease with which every
lick man or sick woman In the United States
s suffering He proposed to extract this
by threatening to arrest and
,unsh the man or woman who refused to
liscose the secret and perhaps the shame
ul malady known to no other person on
arth save the family physician. And now,
q withdrawing hastily from an indefensible
osition. the Superintendent OF the Census
characterizes those who have
riven him from that position as seekers
fter the cheap notoriety that comes from
ippant objections to most anything that Is
Mr.. PORTER refers with admiration to the
uccess with which inquisitorial censuses
ave been conducted, not only in Great
ritain, but also in France, (which is cred
ed, as he remarks, with being the great
't civilized country on the face OF the
lobe" We understand that the Census Su-
Is an American citizen OF Brit
h birth. Evidently he was not caught
Dung enough to grasp certain principles OF
ersonal liberty which are quite clear and
cry dear to most Americans. There have
cen various occasions since the tea party in
oston Harbor when British methods have
)me into direct conflict with American ideas