The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-27
HE NEXT CENSUS.


All the appointments thus far maze in
the Census Bureau indicate that the next
census will be carefully made and its in
formation accurately compiled and dgested
EE-Governor Merriam, director of the
bureau, was appointed for his organizing
and executive ability, and as his duties are
chiefly of business nature it is not i'm
portant that he should be expert statis-
tician. The other appointments are Of the
latter character. These include Mr. Fred
erick Wines. of Illinois, deputy superntend-
ent, widely known as statistician and for
his work in prison reform; Mr.. William c.
Hunt, of Massachusetts, chief statistican
in charge of population statistics, and Mr..
Legrand Powers, of Minnesota. chief stats
tician in charge Of agricultural statistics.
Mr.. Hunt filled the same position in the last
census and Mr.. Powers served as chief of
the Minnesota Bureau of Labor AS Director
Merriam has indicated his purpose to ap-
point none but experts to positions requiring
that kind of knowledge and have but bright
and competent men as enumerators it is
fair to assume that the next census will be
well handled. 1t will be the twelfth taken
by the United States government. and as
it Will round out the first complete century
or our national existence it ought TO be a
very complete presentation of our national
growth and of our status at the beginning
of the twentieth century. The development
OF the census has kept even pace with that
OF the country. The first one. taken in 1890
cost the government only $4i,377 and the
report, relating to population only. made a
thin pamphlet of ffty-six pages. The last,
or eleventh census, cost over 81, COO, 0Oo. and
the report comprised twenty-five quarto
volumes with upwards of 1900 pages of
printed matter, the report on population
alone making two volumes aggregating 2.1S;
pages.
Probably most persons are not aware that
| the taking of the census every ten years is
a constitutional duty. Section of the Con-
| stitution. which Fl escribes the qualifications
| of representatives in Congress and their ap-
pOrtionment among the States according to
population, provides that 1.-The enumeration
shall be made within three years after the
! first meeting of the Congress of the United
States and within every subsequent term
| of ten years" The Constitution was
adopted III 1883 and the first census was
taken in 1880. The provision above quoted
shows that it was intended simply as a
basis for apportioning representatives Ii
was therefore merely an enumeration of the
population without any other statistics
This was the first direct and complete
| enumeration of population ever made by any
! government. Singularly enough it gave rise
| TO the first veto of an act of Congress by
an American President On the 9TH of April
| 1872, Washington sent to the House of Rep
resentatives the following message:
have maturely considered the act passed
! by the two houses entitled AN act IOr an
| appCT tiOnment OF representatives among me
| several States according TO the first enum-
| Grafton, and L return II To your house
| wherein II originated, with the Following
| objections:
| tlrst-The Constitution has prescribed that
| representatives shall be apportiOned among
| the several States according to their re-
/ spectiVe numbers. and there Is no one pro-
/ portion or dlvisor which, applied TO the re-
| spective numbers of the States. will yield
| the number and allotment of the bill.
Second-The Constitution has also pro-
vided that the number OF Representatives
| shall not exceed one for every 3u0J0 which
| restriction is by the context and by tam
| and obvious construction to be applied IL
| the separate and respective numbers of the
/ States; and the bill has allotted to eight
| of the States more than one for every 80 90
1t is interesting to note that this first
message of the first President emphasized
| the necessity of a strict adherence to the
| Constitution and of enforcing strict justice
| among the States in regard to representa-
! ton.
The law OF 1920 provided that the censu:
should be taken by the United States
marshals in each State and such deputies
| as he might appoint for the purpose, and
this plan was followed till 1850. it was q
crude plan, subject TO many errors AND
abuses. The census report of 1910 contained
so many giaring errors and its results were
so misleading and mischievous that Con
| gress recognized the necessity of devising
| better system. a new law was passed under
| which the census of 1852 1860 and 1870 wer,
| taken. Another law was passed in 1S7
| which provided for a census of broader
| scope than any previous one. The censu:
rs We now know it, with its copious stats
tics various subjects and its exhaustiv,
| analyses of them, dates from 1880 That o.
1900 ought to be an Improvement on any
| previous one, and an effort should be mad,
| to tabulate and publish the report mucl
! sooner than has been done in recent years
The last two censuses. especially the las
| one, attempted to embrace too many topics
and cover too much ground Statistics ar
valuable. but the line should be drawn some
where. A COVE. nment census should no
aim TO be a cyclopedia of universal knowl
| edge.
4 SCHEME IGNORING THE PEOPLE.
| r-,. n:ft l..;..,,oa 60 oo,fo. ,,,,o,, ~ IA.