The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-03-02
% SIMPLE UNDERTAKING
. - DScfrnii Problems IRE
.satea IN the raA4ns 81 '1s
Twelfth trn~as.


*. eleventh census SoS1 noAS
al oo1OOO. and in the rwelith census
=, ,,see force of more than 2,Vvo ior
,,xo years and "A field force OF
$50 a 600 for from two weeks To
month will be employed =
Among the troublesome Prooienis
ts.h bave TO be solved by the cen
80 Office. are the legal questions "hiSn
...,;nuallv arise. The Indian census.
80 instance. fairly bTistles with Legal '
tss..,l,i..s- In 1880 the census law I
'...,,-,d,d that a special report upon
IN, Indians should be made. volume
~ zoo odd pages was puoIishe''' pro
susely illustrated and touching every
Int Of the Indian problem. For once
!, history. "Poor 10 was accoraeu
s,...ice. The volume WIS SO pretty that
49,. edition was soon eNhausteh anu
~ the depart ment OF the interior
t,s NOT even copy for the census
,,s--.s itself. Bat the law PROV iding Tor
49,. twelfth census makes no speciai
.-,y;s;on for an Indian census; nor
- Il authorize such report as was
10 ten wears ago. IL is at This point
that the real difficulties OF the census
,,,.ire REGARDING the Indians begin
The Indian population. then. cannot
n. treated by itself and described ~
separate report. IL also seems ii-
Io,-;r,I "a class the indians among the
Urinary population of the United
st..es The Indian tribe j. in many
r,.-pects distinct nationality, al
,hourh since 1871 congress has oeen
doing lis best 10 destroy all traces OF
tribal independence or self-govern-
,,.n, Moreover. the tribal Indians
arc not citizens Of the United states.
The reservations upon which they Ave
are not legally parts OF the state OF
territory which surrounds them
Under such conditions il seems I'M
possibls. for the census Office 20 class
Indians as part Of I he ordinary inhaD-
itauts OF the states and territories.
I'm The other hand. il is equally impos-
,ible 10 ignore them and omit them en-
-ir,lv. For the constitution OF the
United States SAYS that: represent
ntives shall be apportioned among the
several states according TO their re-
spectiye numbers. counting the whole
number OF persons in each state ex'
sluding Indians not taxed. Ihls ias'
ems upon the census Office "A duty 'ha'
seems plain enough But rs matter
Of fact. il would give the attorney gen
eral OF the United States some hour
80 work to explain exactly what u
meant bv the apparently simple phras'
Indians NOT taxed The uncertaint.
in the. phrase is in the meaning OF th
,,c-d .--ax.r- The tribal Indian. lik
other inhabitants OF the L nited states
;ssubi.ct to the int ernal revenue dutie
and the various stamp taxes now III
messed by th.. United States lfhe use
a bank check. he must stamp it'
he manufactures a box OF cigars
must stamp il. Is he taxed thereby
Just what tax is. IA the meanin
of thr constitution. has never bee
d.frftelv decided. although, the que
ZION has been before the supreme .soIl
many times
Whether or lot a stamp duty Is a IA
srd IN II i. wheih.. il Is direct Ia
whether indians not taxed rnea
Indians not directly taxed. or wheth
Il may not mean Indians not taNaD
are questions that must be ceeia
br ~. census Office before il can for
H. ,lan for the Indian enumeration
The last question has been -
iect OF debate ever s:,."- innlah 6
,useS have been taken. In lesD 'n'
uere about $4,000 civilized Indians
inr among the general population
the United States Such Indians
citizens Of the United States. bat ma
Of them are too poor 10 ray taN
Are they 20 be e~cluded from the y
rlation according 10 winch repreS
tation in congress is apportioned
.ou.,t every Chinese and other alier
whatever sort or condition. Bel
the war we count ed every negro 81
n equivalent to three-ffths OF a vi
man. II seems InanifeStty absuru
believe that the frameEs OF the
stituiion meant TO excfude cas-
citizens who are also natives. beca
OF their poverty In other WORDS.
Trainers or the constitution mast J
said what thev did not mean
they really meant was TO exclude
Indians belonging to a class not
ject 10 taxation
All these points are subjected 70
most careful examination IN the
sus Office. and when a decision rs Z
legal obligation of the Office mas
reached. the statisticians turn
attention to the economic ana -
aspects Of the question IN hand
perts are consulted; the inpor
lines Of investigation are mapped
and inquiries are so framed a. Z"
out the desired information in
in which il can be handled viii
Hollcrith machines. NJ the same
these questions must be put ~ =
way that they viii neither be- ir''sn
stood nor likely TO evoke anfago
or false replies No pains are =
20 interest the public in the wori
to sscsrc general and hearty
GRAFTON Without that the most
full nJrk at Washington or o'
enumrrato.s must prove fruIt.es