The sun., 1890-06-10

The case Of ABRAM S. RICE of New Jersey
illustrates one of the dangers OF an inquisi-
| torial census. Mr.. RICE was a veteran OF
the civil war and an invalid. He was not
among the wise citizens who decline to dis
cuss with the enumerator the character,
duration, stage Of progress, and the prog
noss OF the chronic disease from which they
are suffering. On the contrary, he went
into particulars about his dropsy in reply 10
the enumerators searching questions, and
In consequence became very despondent.
Thirty minutes after the enumerator had
departed, bearing the record Of MIR. RIcEs
malady, the invalid went to his bedroom
and shot himself through the heart.
This promptly fatal consequence OF the
census inquisition will surprise no tntelli-
gent physician and no psychologist. Acting
from what he ignoranty and erroneously
supposed to be his duty as good citizen,
and upon the demand OF an agent OF the
Government he had fought TO preserve, Mr..
RICE communicated to the enumerator all
that he knew, and probably all that he
feared, concerning the disease with which he
was afflicted. Almost every invalid's mind,
when turned upon the persons physical con-
di,ion. is the scene Of conflict between ex-
aggerated apprehensions and vague hopes.
1t is the policy OF all competent medical men
to uuell the former as far as possible, and
to strengthen and support the latter. Ii MIR.
RICE had been discussing his disease with
his family physician. the only authority
competent to hear his statements and to
pronounce an opinion upon them, the result
OF the interview would have been encourage
ment to the patient, more cheerful view on
his part of the probabilities Of the case. and
consequently longer lease OF life for the
old soldier.
Just the opposite Is what happened. 1t
was not the enumerator's function to cheer
I'D Mr. RICE when the latter's mind became
morbid on the subject OF his chance OF
prolonged existence. 1t was not the enumera-
tors place to laugh away the invalid's
gloomy report concerning his dropsy, over
stated, perhaps, with the invalid's pathetic
desire for outside encouragement and sup
port against his own worst fears. MIR. RICE
did not hear the "Pshaw old man; you're
little blue to-day. I'll see you again when
l come around In 1900." which his soul
craved, and which might have saved his life.
Pressed closely with questions about his
dropsy. he saw the replies go down on paper,
acquiring thereby new and terrible signifi-
cance as an official record of hopeless case
q death sentence written in the folios OF the
United States Government.
What followed is not difficult to conjec-
ture. The departure Of the enumerator left
the sick old man alone with his disease, and
the disease stared him in the face with
blacker aspect than 1t had ever before as
sumed. The last lingering hope had changed
to dreadful certainty when the record was
made. RICE felt that his doom was written
In official Ink. His case would now pass
from census officer to census officer, and
perhaps he pictured the high authorities on
vital statistics shaking their heads over the
entry and saying: Here's poor old fel-
low In New Jersey that hasn't long to live"
or. "Dropsy? He's goner. sure" The
longer his mind pondered the situation the
more respondent he became. Imagination
dragged him very soon to the edge OF hope
lessness, and the loaded shotgun up stairs
seemed merciful thing and the kindest
friend RIoE had on earth.
All OF this is perfectly natural, and 1t led
straight to suicide. 1t was not the opera
ton of healthy mind; 1t Is not the normal
the life or death OF sick bodies. The first
impulse may be slight indeed but the end
is not less sure and awful. When the emu
merator wrote down Mr.. RICE's replies to
the questions which DR.. BILLINGS and Mr..
PORTER devised In the alleged interest OF
medical statistics, the enumerator wrote
RIcEs death sentence. And when MIR.
ROBERT p. PORTER and DR.. JOHN S. Bill
LINGs formulated these questions, and put
them forth under cover OF an unconstitu-
tional law making 1t a misdemeanor to re-
fuse to answer them. they decreed the
death OF this old soldier and OF who knows
how many other ignorant and well-meaning
men and women like him n
We have dwelt upon tho probabilities In
RICE's case because they represent exactly
the possibilities in the case OF thousands OF
other citizens to-day In every part OF the
land reached by the census. The news that
the physical condition inquiries on the
schedule were not to be enforced has not
travelled so far and has not been 30 sedu-
lously disseminated by the census officers
themselves, as the general proposition that
| a refusal to answer the enumerator's ques-
| tions could be punished by arrest and fine
or imprisonment. The cowardly and eva
sive course OF the Census Offlce at the
time Of its withdrawal from an indeiensibe
| position left many citizens In doubt as to
whether they could refuse to answer any Of
the questions without danger OF arrest
and prosecution.
The damage that was done by the original
order has not been wholly repaired. Tho
results are beginning to be manifest. Ono
human life L. worth incalculably more than