Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-06-05
HE~CENSUS.
Forty-three Thousand Enumer-
ators Commence Their Work.
SUPERINTENDENT PORTER on The LAW
The Chronic Disease Answer Not Imperative
-WiIful Refusal to Answer Questions
Render Persons Liable to
Penalty.

WASHINGTON, June 2.-The machinery
for taking the census for 1890 was put in
operation to-day all over the United
States, and as it will be pushed as ex-
peditiously as possible superintendent
Porter. expects early returns to his Of
fee, so that the work of tabulating can
be entered upon and completed within
a reasonable period All the prelim-
mary matters have been arranged,
blanks prepared and enumerators in
structed as to their duties, and all that
remains to be done is to collect the data
which it has been decided shall become
part of the census. 1t requires 4S, 900
men as enumerators to gather the requi-
site information and each of these is
either employed in definite locality
or upon some special topic. This, how
ever, does not include the additional
thousands of clerks employed in collect
ing and tabulating the returns that will
come back from all over the country as
the result of the labors of the enumer-
ators, so it can be seen at glance what
a corps of men it requires and the i'm
mense sum of money which must be ex-
Mr.. Porter has accepted and confirmed
the supervisors selection of enumer-
ators except in a few instances where
the fitness of the appointees was ques-
toned, and it being shown that they
were incompetent others were substi-
tuted. In the South in some places OBJ
lection was made to the appointment of
colored men, but the supervisors being
held responsible for their men he con-
cluded to trust to their discretion and
declined to interfere upon that ground.
1t is known, however, that appoint
ments of this kind are few and even in
the case of a colored supervisor nearly
all of the enumerators designated by
him are white.
1t is not anticipated that much trouble
will be experienced in obtaining an
swers to the questions that are pro-
pounded, but where refusals are met
with they will be at once reported and
steps taken to enforce the law. The
Superintendent is not given any dis
cretion in the matter, but it is made
obligatory upon him to report each and
every person who fails to comply with
the requirements of the law to the
proper persons, who will institute
vigorous prosecution against the viola
tors of it, and they become liable to a
fine of 500. 1t is thought that some
trouble will be experienced in securing
answers to the inquiries regarding mort
cages as well as those concerning spe-
cial information in relation to disease
about which physicians have recently
given opinions. No exceptions will be
made in propounding the questions of
harsh measures resorted to in enforcing
the law, but where it becomes plain
that the provisions of the law are inten-
tionally being violated, then the par
ties so offending will be called upon to
take the consequences.
Mr.. Porter intimated very plainly last
evening that so far as the Chronic
diseases" questions were concerned t
was not the intention of the Office to en-
deavor to bring to punishment those who
were reluctant to mako answer, but as
to the mortgage" question he spoke not
quite so cheeringly for those who had
determined not to answer this part of
the schedule, though the probability is
strong that nothing will be done
with recalcitrants on this matter.
He expressed himself very earn
estly, however, with regard to bring
ing the law to bear on those who should
willfully refuse to answer any and all
questions put to them by the enumer-
ators. They would be compelled to
answer, he said, or to take the conse-
quences of their refusal He thought
there was possibility that members of
the criminal classes might take ad-
vantage of the fight made against the
diseases and mortgage questions to re-
fuse any information whatever to the
enumerators and he stated that this
would not be tolerated under any cir
cumstances.