The Topeka state journal., 1899-05-18
CENSUS MIDDLE.
Maj. T. j. Anderson Was Slated
For Supervisor.
Director General Merriam Has
Smashed the Plans.
SHAWNEE LEFT OUT.
County Transferred to Fourth
Congressional District.
Now the Place Has Been Prom
ised to Man Named Monday.

1900, has innocently put his foot in the
| plans of those who deal out the federal
patronage of the First congressional
district of Kansas, and he obstinately
| refuses to take the foot out. 1t hap
pened this way:
In each congressional district there is
to be appointed a supervisor of the
census for that district. 1t is a place
that is worth $1,000 In Kansas these
supervisors will be appointed upon the
recommendation of Senator Baker and
the congressman for the district in
which the supervisor is to be appointed.
In case of deadlock between these
two it is probable that Congressman
at-Iarge Bailey would be consulted.
Senator Baker had made up his mind
to appoint Major T. j. Anderson to be
supervisor in the First district. He
knew that such an action would be ap-
proved by a large majority of the peO-
pie of the district and that no better
appointment could be made, besides it
would serve to heal very sore spot on
Major Anderson. 1t would, of course.
be agreeable to Congressman Curtis, and
it appeared as though there would be
no obstacle in the way of the appoint
ment. But this is where the director
general unwittingly made trouble.
In making up the districts for the
purpose of taking the census, the direc-
tor general got hold of the districts as
they were when the census of 1890 was
taken. He knew there had been no
general reapportiOnment of the state
into congressional districts, and he over
looked the fact that the FOpuliStS had
gerrymandered the First and Fourth dis
tricts of Kansas exactly as they were in
1880. which places Shawnee county and
Major Anderson in the Fourth district,
where Congressman Miller will have
considerable to say about the appoint
ment. 1t is not likely that Mr.. Miller
will consent to the appointment of a
man who q out of the Fourth district
when there will be a large number of
hungry Republicans in his own district
who will want the place and who will
turn against him if he should do such
an unheard-of thing as to appoint
man from another district.
The bulletin giving the list of districts
was issued by the director general on
April II. AS soon as Congressman Cur
tbs noticed what had been done, he hur-
ried to Washington to have it changed,
but the director general said the mat
ter had all been arranged now and he
refused to change it. That's what put
stop to the plans.
When Mr.. Curtis learned that the dis
tricts would not be changed he recon-
Ieavenworth, who was one of the two
delegates from Leavenworth county
who supported Mr.. Curtis in the Horton
convention a year ago.
1t is claimed that Senator Baker will
make an effort himself to have the
census districts Strengthened out in or
der to conform with the congressional
districts Whether ne will be success
full or not is another question.
The fact that Congressman Curtis has
recommended Mr. Monday for the place
causes the incOngruity of Senator Baker
of LeavenwOrth working for a Topeka
man, while Congressman Curtis of To-
peka has recommended a LeaVenWorth
man.
The supervisor of each congressional
district has charge of all the census
enumeratorS in his district. The enum-
orators are appointed for townships or
wards or other subdivisions. and they
n he nfT 1oI Of foIr rfr,rr H.
sus. Their pay depends on how many
names they have to enroll, and they will
receive an average of about $125 each.
The supervisor will nomina1ly appoint
the enumerators. but it is likely that
the congressman of the district will be
the one who really makes the appoint
ments The supervisors pay depends
upon how many people there are in his
district, but it is stipulated that he shall
not receive less than $1,000. The pop
ulatiOn of the congressional districts of
Kansas is not enough to raise the sal
aries of Kansas supervisors over that
amount.
1T would be impossible to appoint
Maj. Anderson in the First district"
said Mr. Curtis, 'inasmuch as the direc-
tor of the census has put Shawnee
county in the Fourth district. tried to
get it changed into the First district
as soon as l saw how the apportion-
ment had been made, but 1 could do
nothing
4 understand that Senator Baker has
said that he will make no recommends
tiOns until fall 1 did not know that
Maj. Anderson was candidate for the
place"
Cyrus Leland. who generally has
something to say about the distribution
of federal patronage in Kansas, said:
I have nothing whatever to say
about the appointment of census super
visOrs- It lies entirely with Senator
Baker and the congressman of the diff
ferent districts. I understand that Cur
tbs has already recommended the ap-
pointment of Monday of Leavenworth"
Congressman -at-Large Bailey, who is
in the city today, and who is also inter-
ested in the First district, corroborated
the report that Monday had been rec
commended for the place.
1T is commonly understood at Leav-
enworth,' he said, that Mr. Curtis has
recommended Monday. and that he will
get the place.
The Republicans of Shawnee county
are hoping that the matter will vet be
arranged so that Shawnee county may
be placed in the First district where it
belongs. In that case Mai. Anderson
will get the appointment and Mr.. Mon
day will be left out.
Fire af Ciroarr01