Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-23
CUBA'S POPULATION
What the Recent Census of the
Island Will Show.
REGARDED As OF GREAT IMPORTANCE
Experiences of the Enumerators
Who Did the Work
COLOR AND CITIZENSHIP
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
Ask any Cuban today what enterprise of
the American government in Cuba has the
most significance and Importance and he
will answer without moments hesta-
ton:
1.-The census"
In the United States census is only an
incident of the national life, the results of
which are to be looked for with mild Gu
riosity. In Cuba the present census, the
enumerationS for which were completed on
November 80, is regarded the formative
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
literacy. residence, nationality. The census
will definitely settle the proportions of pop
uation. Spaniards. Cubans. negroes Amer
leans and other foreigners; it will establish
the very important percentage of illiteracy,
hitherto only dimly estimated and in case
a constitutional convention or a represen-
tative assembly is chosen it will decide the
ratio of representation from each province
and city. Unpleasant it may be to the
pride of the American. it must be confessed
that the Cubans have looked upon the i'm
in the courts and the customs service, with
absolute lack Of interest. il 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 little dirt or a little 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 a consequence the work of the
enumerators, of whom there are 600 in
Cuba. was looked upon with extraordinary
interest and solicitude In the first place
every Cuban wanted his name in the rolls
and if the enumerator did not call promptly
he complained TO the supervisor and de-
manded prompt attention. And then when
the enumerator finally did call upon him. he
gloated over the questions. and yet looked
upon them with characteristic Cuban slls-
picion and tried to see which of them had
been set by los Americanos'' as a trap.
Also the customary census notices pasted
on the walls of his house and providing
fines or imprisonment for fraudulent an
swers to the questions. worried him and
sometimes he came up through the mud
and rain. score of miles, on his burro to
explain that he was innocent.
Population Greater Than Supposad.
The census is going to reveal some in
teresting facts when the blanks are finally
tabulated at Washington. From what l
could gather in an extended trip through
Cuba, during which l saw and talked with
Aasiis u liit VINO 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 OF deaths
among the reconcentradoes was large-very
much larger than among the Cubans &C
tualiy in the field-but it is equally true
that the figures must have been exaggerat-
Ell In the United States, result no doubt,
OF the intense anti-Spansh feeling of the
days of the Maine disaster. The last Of
fetal Spanish census, in 1887 gave the non
ulation of the island as 1631 6s7. Ten
years later. In 1887, while there was no
regular census owing to the existence of
the war, the population was estimated at
something over 1,7SO, 900, exclusive of Span
lsh soldiers. At the close of the war some
American authorities placed the number of
deaths at upward of 100000 which would
mean a present population of approximate
ly $4,000. Other pessmistic prophets he
lIeve the census will show barely 100000,
but so good a judge as Maj. Gen. Wilson
governor of MatanZas and Santa Clara who
has been keeping a close watch on the
census, thinks il will show total of more
than 1.5000G0
The Old Spanish Census.
Never before was there such census in
Cuba. The old Spaniards had their regu-
lar census years, but their method of max
ing the enumeration was quite characters
tic. A grand supervisor 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 store
Keepers in the country. Here the questions
We're filled in for the whole neighborhood
hit or miss, or not at all, and the blanks
were then forwarded to Havana and the
statistics were completed as soon as the
census appropriation gave out. As re-
suit the Spanish census was absolutely un-
rellable, some districts, particularly in the
country, being wholly unenumerated
How the Americana Took the Census.
But the American census has been con-
Quoted on strictly business principles under
the supervision of the War Department
By direction of the President, Gen. J. p.
Sanger was appointed director of the GEN.
sus, with his headquarters in Washington
and Victor H Olmstead, an experienced
census expert and statistician was an
pointed assistant director, with headquar-
tiers at Santa Clara, Cuba. Upon Mr. Ohm
stead devolved the task of local organiza-
ton, the appointment of enumerators and
the decision of the thousand and one deli
cate questions connected with the work
These appointments were made in August
of the present year, and the census was to
begin on October 16 and to be completed
50 far as the enumeration went, by Novem-
Der 30-in six weeks. The blanks were de-
viseI and translated into Spanish ~. the
ish and English and the Cuban GUNNER
ators, wholly new to such wori> arc all
tt aimed within less than two mont, time
from the middle of August to the !. silt. of
october. And the work began in every part
of Cuba on the day set, and in a way
which would have set the old Spanish CEN
sus men quite aghast
In the first place, a Cuban supervisor
was appointed in each of the six provinces
men OF education, worth and honesty. For