The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-31
Counting Cubans
Great Work Accomplished by
Uncle Sam on the Island.

Ask any Cuban today what enterprise
OF the American government in Cuba
has the most significance and import
ance. and he Will answer without mo-
ments hesitation:
1.-The census
In the United States census IS only
an incident of the national life, the re-
suits of which are to be looked for with
mild curiosity. In Cuba the present cen
sus. the numerations. for which were
completed on November 50. is regarded
as the formation step in the future gov
eminent of the island. Upon its popu-
lation totals must rest the first popular
election, to which the Cubans are look
ing forward as the children of Israel
looked 10 the promised land. 1t is fore
gone conclusion that there must be GER
tain franchise Qualifications TO il
Hteracy, residence, nationality. The GEN.
sUs VIII definitely settle the proportions
of populations. Spaniards, Cubans, Ne
groes, Americans and other foreigners, 1t
viii establish the very important per-
centage of illiteracy, hitherto only dim
~ estimated, and in case constitutional
convention or a representative assembly
is chosen it Will decide the ratio OF rep
resentation from each province and city.
Unpleasant as it may be TO the pride OF
the American. it must be confessed that
the Cubans have looked upon the i'm
E,, nd
lice in the courts and the customs SER
vice with absolute lack or interest, II not
with actual hostility. They were all right
enough in their way. but they were not
what the Cubans had been fighting for,
and who cared for a Httle dirt or a lit
tie customs tipping. anyway? II Is the
government that the Cuban Is anxious to
manage, and the census is the first in
dication that there is gong to be an op-
portunity for him TO try it. AS a conse-
quence the work OF the enumerators. OF
whom, there are 1870 in Cuba, was look
ed upon with extraordinary interest and
soHcitude. In the first place, every Gu
ban wanted his name in the rolls, and II
the numerator did not call promptly he
complained to the supervisor and de-
manded prompt attention. And then,
when the numerator finally did call up
on him, he gloated over the questions
and yet looked upon them with charac-
teristic Cuban suspicion, and tried TO see
which of them had been set by 'los
Americanos" as a trap. Also the custo-
mary census notices. pasted on the wall
of his house and providing fines and i'm
T1riC Pra,
the questions, worried him. and some
times he came up through the mud and |
rain a score of miles on his burro 10
explain that he was innocent.
The census is going to reveal some an |
teresting facts when the blanks are fin !
ally tabulated at Washington. Imme- |
diately before the Spanish-American war |
the newspapers were filled with harrow |
ing stories as to the death by starvation, |
desease and ill-trea tment, of hundreds OF |
thousands Of reconcentradoes, as well as |
Of the poor of the cities. From what l |
could gather in an extended trip through |
Cuba, during which 1 saw and talked !
with many of the enumerators who were |
then busy with their work, the popula- /
ton of Cuba will be found much larger |
than estimated at the close Of the war.
There can be no doubt that the number |
of deaths among the reconcentradoes !
was large-very much larger than among /
the Cubans actually in the field. but It is /
equally true that the. figures must have /
been largely exaggerated in the United |
States, as a. result, no doubt. OF the in
tense anti-Spanish feeling OF the days OF
the Maine disaster. The last official
Spanish census. in 1857, gave the popula-
ton of the island as /. 631, 6S7. Ten years
later, in 1897. while there was no regu-
lar census, owing to the existence Of the
war, the population was estimated at
something over $4,000, exclusive of
Spanish soldiers. At the close Of the war
some American authorities placed the
number OF deaths at upwards of 10000 !
which would mean present population
at approximately 10000 Other pessf-
mite prophets believe the census will
show barely 200 900. but so good a Judge
as Major General Wilson, governor OF
Matanzas and Santa Clara, who has
been keeping close watch on the cen
sus, thinks it viii show total OF more
than 10000.
Never before was there such a census
IN Cuba The old Spaniards had their
regular census year but their methods OF
making the enumeration was quite char
acteristic. A grand supervisor with an
army Of clerks sat in Havana and drew
large salaries. There were also travel
ing enumerators who left blanks at GER
tain stores in each block Of the towns and
cities or with certain magistrates or
storckeepers IN the country. Here the
questions were filled in for the whole
seish5orhood. hit or miss. or not al all,
and the blanks were then forwarded 70
Havana and the statistics we're com
7leted as soon as the census approprfa-
ion gave out. As A result the Spanish
census was absolutely unreliable. soma
districts. particularly in the country,
being wholly unenumeratsd
But the American census has been CON
iUcted On strictly business principles. IN
Ter the supervision % the war depart-
Dent BY direction OF the president.
General J. P. Sanger was appointed d.
'ector OF the census, with his headeuar-
ers in Washington. and Victor II DIM
Itesd. an experienced census expert and
itatisucian. was appointed assistant d.
ector. with headquarters az Santa Clara /
'u5a- Upon NJ Oinstead teyolves the
ask of local organization. the APPOINT
nent - -euunerators. ard the decision
Z thousand and one delicate questions
.onnected with the RoTk. These an
sointments were made IN August ~ ths
resent year and the csusss vas % -
IN on October =. and 70 Re completed.
= FAR as the enumeration went. on No
-s-nbe- SIN six weeks The blanks
rsrs devised and translated into span