The sun., 1891-07-13
mpGIYG CENSUS RETURNS.
,r,o STATISTICS MANUFACTURED
nbs TO ORDER.

he ,rsn do It-aot Tired OF writipe
T"., Power"-Items or Expense.
.,,oros. July 12-since King David OF
Nnius.ned TO the promptings OF Satan and
ShheAaN,bs Sh.a ,bs wrath OF God by numbering the
bsune, israel from Dan to Boersheba, prob
hcss ..nsus has brought with 1t such con-
Ny rill follow Superintendent Porter's
p. .. Instead OF three days pes'ilenee On
n.,d as is recorded In the Hebrew enron
wA ~. American people ara not apt 10 reap
w s',uIl harvest Of this ccnsus Tor AZ least !"
sssa.. s.,o,s census Is believed. By people who
Ine tnov. 10 be rotten and fraudulent
Hs" " "a bottom. The casual drorping.out
hon 'OS Oa, roople at one stroke from tho ropu-
af"V,v ".vnmeration OF New York city. and oil
b0n r,jstales. md worse, regarding New
po'.. hut incidents to the general record
imA plunders OF equal moment are likely
dsiso', ,rthed In almost every line OF the
,n,ui,v. and 1t Is safe to predict that
tnsus ts.,. nndertaking will be thoroughly dis
M M.1. W. and rejected by the country mt large.
dedn.s de,'..r,b census promises to be the great
lheo'a,d I'd heaviest handicap OF the Harrt-
su Administl alion. v.s,.
n.stIa
pes'Ou ,,,,c money from tho morbid and IA
Sm' ,,cb for yaueless statistics. sought
iM's' @,h inouisl,orial methods not In har-
s.,, with the genius OF a Tree peopIe. 'ne
Ivn '.",,rr will have to endure hereafter all the
N..i,old iucouveniences and numberless em-
naa...sments that must necessarily follow mis-
..,srsnt, OF fact and erroneous items OF in
a..,Ion furnished concerning almost every
-. w. o,nub ic and private business. 10 stamp
is~ W. .,.n.t Of official rol ability on collected
Wv a'..""n,s Of even doubtful veractty would be
ssV" ,".II, Questionable, hut to put that stamp
0e:Ss .hsolu,e ;a,. ehoods is simply downright
'pou Va, ,ant /, Iust what the United States
..,nsnt enu.. will do when Superintendent Por-
Oo,'.. ...n.ns repo,ts are issued by its authority
M ms Mm,h.,;oyernncnt presses. Alleged facts
aVa ,a'ssho dis, o-tensible Information
w.' ", !. ,ho ,ankest mlsinforma;ion. and pro-
su,.i,,nstwor,hy su1A data which are In reality
N.s,m,nts OF the Imagination. are among
va, WV aenls thnt will 20 to make up those
,o,heoning reports.
'" ~. s,rd scarcely hnvo boon otherwise. under
~. .,,uuslau.es, for the scope OF tho
Wv ',',.,,h eensus has been made to embrace
.',,, ',.,., ,rpu,hng In sight. and many things
.i" .sb, No census so elaborate and far
a'..hi,s as this Of Mr.. Porter's was ever ,aken.
In ,e,i,s ramilications seem unlimited. MANY
,,... ,ipouiry, pursued at vast expense and
n,.p With great annoyance. arc pronounced
hrrompetent Judges to bs absolutely needless
and Without value when completed. though In
of,ns,e perhaps In themselves Olher lines
A., declared TO be positively ridiculous and
daeeptiye. Usually the chiof practical objects
ala governmental census are subsorved oy the
,eurement Of mere reputation and flnan-
s,l statistics: but the present uuder-
,,tpr like that pernicious one In
dsei on of old ly King David at the
u,,leston OF the devil. is in manv respects
unreasonable md indeiensible. directed as 1t
against every phi SO and circumstance OF
Ge REGARDLESS III tie privncy aud personality
oiiudviduals AMI In defiance OF The ordi, airy
considerations OF pfopr ely and utility. What
with AL pIocurabls iacis connected VITA popu-
lt,on aud social mortality and vital stntistics.
Win their multiplioi side issues. together with
ts products o. actories: mines. agriculture.
ind every other nee. .able industry. the val
uNop OF pubic indebtedness. recorded IN.
dentedaess, railroads. street cars. stcambonts.
cd aud uniuy orporated express companies.
teeyraphs, insurance compnnie-. &c.. ad in.
tntunl he has undertaken to m;Lsttcate and
digest bexi,IetinS mass OF ;in,olmnMt95n
10 pal upon the stomachs Of the people Tor
many years to come.
To got q irank opinion OF the results SO far
n'ajned one only needs to ask any OF the thou
sands Of employees and eX-cmployees who
have done the work. Nine out OF every intelli:
cent ten Of them will be- unable 10 coLceal
Q; nj ,Se data secured. Years henre: when they
eaauc- to hear the statistics OF this ceaBus re-
srred to as authority By stump orators or col
kse professors and lecturers in continuation
,ga nd yn hay vi
fnd Il hard to keep their faces straight from
LUghter at the inne cent credulity shown in
The acceptance of such statistics as true.
Ihe untrustwOrthy character OF the consuS Is
even now the subject OF constant comment
With the Jerks themselves. and Is the source
Of endless humor and ban!ering among them
. their leisure hours Like the two roman
on the street aud talk moment about the
census without laughing in one another's faces.
Ile very atnlosphere OF the census ,OIllce
slsfss surely ought to know and nobody can
know better.
Abrsi glance at the manner in which some
%!hs lanliriSs have been conducted VIII serve
xaoe The newspaper inuulry. Tor instance.
Vas intended to embrace almost everything
Hnnecled with tho printing aud publishing OF
Y The newspaper aud periodicals throughout
,ne country. Several weeks ago 1t WAS found |
that some 10000 entire scheuules. absolutely
Needed to complete the inquiry. were lacking
bs!sons OF wnom the inluir was made failed |
. respond. 1t was evident that the work |
Nolld Nd either have I be abandoned or else the |
Missing sis sghedules must he supplied In someway |
q other. Then II Was decidnu to supply them IN
tne Office here In Washington. force OF |
eeiEs was accordingly placed upon this work |
snl on'Identially Instructed TO conjure up the |
missing data. The cl-rKs bestirred themselves |
lna set their ima.inutions a-golne. aud act |
ually succeeded alter little practice In grind |
.us ..S Gnt from u, to lun deliberately forged
ehedu,es each DAY. This Leinrious industry |
,h., nas well under way wEcn 1t was ascertained
hat %. he general aEI ropration Tor the census
VA s.a runnin: low. Thereupon the nations |
y me clerks engaged unon that task we're per-
laea sea 70 rest, and The work was temporarily
!!elnlulshsd Whether or not it will be- re.
';mmed w remains 10 he seen.
4, me ish inquiry was at iirst Dlaced under the
y W, M. u. W. Smiley formerly connect
n,lsslon, hut discharged from that bureau for
ssaa1Gering his chiei, the Commissioner. Mar.
s1s svs cht9nnid Mr. smile,s work did not
M ia SSa,,sftion tothe census Superintendent,
~ ihe vas therefore relieved from duty, his
sotR s.9Il neinG entrus cd To other hands. On in-
sSHlry sSy y mas been asrertained that he was dis
ssS as,Ias lor 70 s'temnming 49, 70 missing
plan that adoped 10 by nhos on the same
vx1hsspaper xhsspe inyesllgaion: The OTHER day.
Ssen Nss one OF Mr. Smiley's former subordina ates
saSsd Iyhg wI,S me reason OF smiey's removal, he
ma ana Al II II that charge had been made against
" shsa,mainsdemeanor. would have relaliated
C.psass psasIEEInI Enn,I every chief OF division in the
ihsl, ipunrsaaVu DS,eau WITH doing the same Thing IN
svscs,,a; sSs, ea; they can't deny It, Mr.. Smiley's
'STIfSdtSS, TStsS ,nI,. doing it too"
TOO ssssnINM,a ssSnIIS,aqal's assertion may be a trifle
truIa ID sSsI ~ SSsI there is Doubtless deal OF
tho th, cep,n, M one oi the industrial divisions Of
suppiss /. On looling over a forged schedule
Above asked ~ ~. curious process indicated