The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-25

Cuba has the most significance and
Importance. and he viii answer without
moments hesitation:
1.-THE census
In the United States a census is only
an incident of the rational life. the
results of which are to be looked for
with mild curiosity. In Cuba the. pres
ent census, the enumerations for which
were completed on Nov. 80, is regarded
as the formation step in the future
government of the island. Upon its
population totals must rest the first
popular election, to which the Cubans
are looking forward as the children OF
Israel looked to the promised land 1t
IS a foregone conclusion that there must
be certain franchise qualifications-as
to illiteracy, residence. nationality The
census will definitely settle the proper
lions of population, Spaniards, Cubans,
negroes, Americans and other foreign
ers. 1t will establish the very import
ant percentage of llliteracy, hltherto
only dimly estimated, and in case a
constitutional convention or a repre-
sentative assembly is chosen it will de-
eide the ratio OF representation from
each province and city. Unpleasant as
it may be to the pride of the American,
IL must be confessed that the Cubans
have looked upon the improvements in
=
courts and the customs service with
absolute lack of interest, If not with
actual hostility. They We're all right
enough in their way, but they were not
whct the CubanS had been fighting for,
and who cared for a little dirt or a lit
tie customs tipping. anyway? 1t is the
government that the Cuban is anxious
to manage, and the census is the first
INDICATION that there is going to be an
opportunity for him to try it. AS
consequence, the work of the enumer-
atcrs, Of whom there are 1,600 in Cuba,
was looked upon with extraordinary
interest and Solicitude. In the nrSr
place, every Cuban wanted his name
in the rolls, and if the enumeration did
not call promptly he complained to the
supervisor and demanded prompt at
tention. And then, when the enumer-
ator finally did call upon him, he
eloated over the questions and yet
looked upon them with characteristic
Cuban suspicion and tried to see which
Of them had been set by los Ameri-
canos'' as a trap. Also the customary
census notices pasted on the wall OF
his house and providing fines or i'm
prisonment for fraudulent answers to
the questions, worried him, and some
times he came through the mud and
rain score of miles on his burro to ex-
plain that he was innocent.
S4C6kC4 lAA114 6opPOSS0-
The census is going to reveal some
interesting facts when the blanks are
finally tabulated at Washington. I'M
Inediately before the Spanish-American
war the newspapers were filed with
narrowing stories as to the death by
starvation, disease and ill-treatment of
hundreds of thousands of reconcentra-
dos. as well as of the poor of the cities.
From what ] could gather in an ex-
tended trip through Cuba, during which
/ saw and talked with many OF the
enumerators, who were then busy with
their work, the population of Cuba
will be found much larger than esti-
mated at the close of the war. There
can be no doubt that the number or
deaths among the reconcentrados 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-a result, no doubt, or
the intense anti-Spanish feeling of the
days of the Maine disaster. The last
official Spanish census. in 1887, gave the
population of the island as 1851, 6S1.
Ten years later, in 1897, while there was
no regular census, owing to the exist
ence of the war the population was eS-
timated at 1,7Se.000 exclusive of Span
ish soldiers. At the close of the war
some american authorities placed the
Oh UellnS at uDN VI 1Uo.-
Zoo which would mean a present popu-
lation of approximately 1880, 600. Other
pessimistic prophets believe the census
will show barely 1.200, 900, but so good
a judge as Major General Wilson. gov
,ernor of Matanzas and Santa Clara,
who has been keeping close watch
on the census, thinks it will
show a total of more than ], 500, 600.
The Old Spanish Census.
Never before was there such census
in Cuba The old Spaniards had their
regular census years, but their meth
DDS of making the enumeration was
quite characteristic. A grand super
visor with an army of Spanish clerks |
sat in Havana and drew large salaries. |
There were also travelling enumerators, |
who left blanks at certain stores in
each block OF the towns and cities or /
with certain magistrates or storekeep- |
e-s in the country. Here the questions |
were filled in for the whole neighbor- |
hood. hit or miss. or not at all, and |
the blanks were then forwarded to Ha-
vana and the statistics were completed |
as soon as the census appropriation |
gave out. AS a result the Spanish /
census was absolutely unreliable. some
districts. particularly in the country, |
being wholly unenumerated.
How Americans Took Census.
But the American census has been
conducted on strictly business princi-
pies. under the supervision of the war
department. BY direction of the presi-
dent, General J. P. Sanger was APP
pointed director of the census with his !
HEADQUARTERS in Washington, and Vic
tor H. Olmstead, an experienced census I
expert and statistician, was appointed
assistant director, with headquarters
at Santa Clara, Cuba Upon Mr.. Ohm
stead devolved the task of local organ
ization. the appointment of enumerat-
ors and the decision of the thousand
and one delicate questions connected
with the work. These appointments
were made in August of the present
year, and the census was to begin on
Oct 10 and to be completed. so far as
the enumeration went, by Nov. 30-in
six weeks. The blanks were devised
and translated into Spanish, all the
rules and orders were issued in both
Spanish and English, and the Cuban
enumerators. wholly new to such work,
were all trained within less than two
months time. from the middle of Aug
ust TO the middle Of October. And the
work began in every part of Cuba on
the day set and in way which would
have set the old Spanish census men
quite aghast.
In the first place. Cuban supervisor
was appointed in each of the six prov
lnceS-meE of education, worth and
honesty. For instance the supervisor