Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-05-28
in circular to physicians in which it

in q circular TO physicians in which 1t
says:
II is quite certain that the enumeratorS'
returns will only give imperfect lniorina-
ton Many persons Will DE uhWlH-
ing 10 admit that a member OF lainily Is
insane on feeble minded, or deaf mute,
even m such is the case, and the reports as
10 the kinds Of sickness affecting persons
Will also be very unsatisfactory as derived
from enumeratOrs' returns
And right here is where the govern
ment proposes to perpetrate the great
est outrage OF all upon the private rights
and privileges Of the people. To rene
DIV this IL proposes TO require physicians
TO give mp the secrets they have learned
in their practice This circular TO ply
sicians continues:
Will YOU please. therefore, I'LL out these
I lists for the persons Of your acquaintance
or in whose families you practice, giving
] the names. &c. Of those YOU know 10 be
| insane feeble minded or idiotic, blind, deaf
and dumb, sick, crippled, manned, or de
| formed. and return these schedules IN en-
closed envelope, which does not require
postage 10 is essential To have
I the name the sex. the color and
I the approximate age, place OF residence
also the name of the householder OF whose
I family the person Is a member IN order 10
identify the name ON the enumerators hsts-
\ If YOU can give the street and NUMBER TINS
will make il a very simple matter 10 iden-
/ tifv. The special Information
called for in each Of these schedules which
pertains more especially 10 the province oil
/ the medical man is the one which l am
specially DESTROYS Of having your state
ment: that is for the insane, the form OF
insanity: for the blind. the nature OF the
disease which caused the blindness wheth-
er infantile opthalmia. cataract glaucoIna,
lamaurosis. etc; for the defOrmed, the ma
ture of the defOrmity, the part, or lihO
affected: those suffering from sickness or
l from the effects Of injury, the nature Of the
/ disease, or injury.
Was ever a greater outrage on the
rights and privileges of free citizens
proposed?
n YOU refuse TO give this Information
TO the enumcrator the government pro-
poses 10 get it from your physician. The
government. Of course. tells the phySi-
clan that the information furnished by
him will be considered and treated as
strictly confidential" and that mo
names will De- publiShed"-an aStoniSh-
ing concession 90 the peoples rights,
considering everything. The private
knowledge and secrets which the ply
stefan learns i'm the course of his prac-
tice. are almost as sacred as the secrets
.of the confessional are TO the priest, and
he has no greater right to diyulge them
To- the public officials than he has to di-
ivulge them 10 private citizen. 1t is
am infamous outrage ON the privacy
of the home and the rights of Ameri-
can frccmen that is proposed and it
is worthy only Of the Russian govern
Iment. IL has caused an outburSt of
righteous Indignation all over the United
states. and yet, this protest of free men
defending their sacred rights of citizen
ship is called by the IntclligcRccr par
tisan scheme TO manufacture political
capital" and il is surprised that some
Republican papers further il. II the
majority of the Republican press was
not bound body and soul to indorSe
Everything this administration may do
il would De as unanimous in denouncing
the proposed outrage as is the Demo
cratic and independent press Of the
country.
We do not know if the law permits
this outrage, but if it does, Congress
cannot change il too soon and We APP
peal TO our Representatives to Use every
cndcayor TO have il changed. The
rights of the citizens are threatened and
there is Vet time for Congress to avert
national shame. The New York san
OF Monday publishes long list of pro-
tests from representative journals
Democratic, Republican and indepen-
dent and referring to il says and truly:
The protest against the unconstitutional
aud abominable invasion OF private rights,
as planned by the Census Bureau, has
nothing whatever % DO with partiSanShip.
IL proceeds directly from that true Amer
lean spirit of freedom. independence and
self-respect which is the glory Of our ma
TONS history, and which asserts itself
every time that the rights of the citizen
are threatened.
One week remains before the date set
for the beginning of the unconstitutional
nQuisitiOn To-day, we suppose, the
matter will come before the House
Committee ON the Eleventh Census,
under MIR McAdoO'S resolution of
inquiry. That committee should act
promptly. and report without an hours I'M
nessaIy delay. 10 is a question of the
highest privileges. for il involves the sane
titv of every home in the Union, as guar
teed expressly in the Fourth Amendment
Of the United States Constitution, which
provides that 1.-THE right of the people TO be
secure in their persons, houses, papers and
effects against unreasonable searches dnd
sellers shall not be violated
There is still time enough left for the
Fifty-frst Congress 10 rectify the tremen-
dOus blunder committed by the Fifteth
Congress when IL passed bill making II
beforehand an indictable and punishable
misdemeanOr for any citizen 10 refuse TO
answer such questions as the Secretary OF
the Interior meaning the Superintendent
I OF the Census, might afterward in his dis
erection see iii to formulate and PROFOUND.
There is abundant time 10 stop this almost
incredible outrage and TO restrict the en-
thusiasts of the Census Bureau 10 constitu-
tional limits of inquiry.
THE only Complexion Powder in the
world that is without vulgarity, without