The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-18
CENSUS TAKING Is NO SNAP
soME INSIDE NUTS For THE DEAR
rUBLrC TO CRACK.
| Classify Uncle sans People and
Property ana It's Drawbacks.

people imagine. rev appreciate the mag
nitude Of the work. the Eleventh census
cost more than Sl1,Ooo,ooo. and in the
Twelfth census an office force OF more
than 1000 for about two years and a field
force Of over $4,000 for from two weeks
to a month. will be employed, Then, too,
the Holerith tabulating machines, by
which the population is counted and the
returns tabulated. make census taking
huge industrial process. The census Of
fce becomes a factory; tho director OF the
census captain OF Industry who, II he
| IL to be successful must possess all the
directive energy and genius for organiza.
ton which characterize our most success
| ful manufacturers and railroad presidents.
! Among the troublesome problems which
have to be solved BY the census office are
the legal questions which continually
/ arise. The Indian census, for instance,
fairly bristles with legal difficulties. In
| 1890 the census law provided that q "spe-
cial report upon tho Indians should be
made \ volume Of zoo odd pages was
published, profusely illustrated and
touching every point OF the Indian prob
lem. For once in history Poor I4o" was
accorded justice. The volume was so pref
~ that the edition was soon exhausted
has not even copy for the census office
itself But the law providing for the
Twelfth census makes no special provision
for an Indian census, nor does 1t author
lie such special report as was made ten
years ago. It is at this point that the
real difficulties OF the census office regard
ing tho Indians begin.
The Indian population. then. can not be
treated by itself ana described IN sep
aratc report 1t also seems Illogical TO
class the Indians among the ordinary pop
ulation Of the United states The Indian
tribe is in many respects distinct ma
tiouality, although since 1871 congress has
been doing It's best to destroy all traces
OF tribal Independence or self govern
mcnt. Moreover tho tribal Indians are
not citizens OF the United states. The
reservations upon which they live are not
legally parts OF tho State or Territory
which surrounds them, and State and
Territorial laws do not apply to the res
cryatiun or to the Indians upon Il. Acts
OF congress do not apply to reservation
Indians, unless such application is ex-
pliciuv authorized in tho act
Under such conditions II seems impos-
sihe for the census office TO class In
dams as part OF the ordinary nhah-
itants al the states and Territories. on
the other hand. 1t is equally impossible TO
ignore them aud omit them entirely. For
the Constitution Of the United States says
that; Representatives shall be apnor-
toned among the several states according
10 thoir respective numbers, counting tho
whole number OF persons in each state,
excluding indiaps not taxed" This fastenS
upon the census office a duty that seems
plain enough But as matter Of fact,
IL would give the attorney general OF the
United states some hours OF work TO eN'
plain exactly what 10 meant by the APP
parently simple phrase: Indians not
taxed. The tribal Indians, like other in-
habitans OF the United States. is subject
to the Internal revenue duties and the va
riOus stamp taxes now imposed by the
United states. If he uses a bank check
he must stamp it. il he manufacture a
, box Of cigars he must stamp il. Is he
taxed" thereby
Just what tax" IS. In the meaning
/, ct the constitution, has never been DEAN
itey decided. although the question has
been before the supreme court many
times The famous income tax cases
hinged upon this very point Ex-senator
Edntunds and Joseph II Choate, now am
bassador to England, assisted by some OF
the most eminent lawyers OF America
successfully argued that an income taN
was a direct tax, within the meaning Of
. the constitution. Attorney General Olney
) James C. Carter and other prominent law.
Q yers gravely argued that an income IA,
! was not a tag but an excise or duty
. So The first hearing OF the case the sd,
! prone court was evenly divided upor
: many or the points a. issue, Al the sec
. ond bearing the decision was rendered
, with four dissenting Justices against th'
Q five who concurred in the opinion OF thu
2 court, that an income tax was Il direc
: tax.
> Whether or not stamp duty Is tax
and II It is, whether It is a direot tax
) whether Indians not taxed" means IN
Q dams not directly taxed or whether 4
! may not mean Indians not taxable, are
. questions that must be decided by tn;
: census office bsfore It can form It's pldr
: for the Indian enumeration. The last
9 question has been a subject OF deOat.
7 ever since Indian censuses have boel
) taken. In 1880 there wero about $4,000
Q civilized Indians living among the gen
q eral population Of the United states
. such Indians arc citizons of the United
States, bul many OF them are too pool
10 pay taxes Are they to be cScudec
from tho population according "a Wb'Ot
s representation 10 congress ls spportloued
! We count every Chinese and other alieI
Of whatever sort or condition Before the
+ war we counted every negro slave a'
b equivalent 10 three 6flhs Of a white man
y Il seems manifestly absurd 10 believe tha
2 the frsmer5 of the constitution meant I
~ < exclude q class cf citizens VINO arc als'
y natives because Of their poverty. II
= other words, the trainers OF the const.tl
5 ton must have said what they ali no
! mean. What they really meant was Z
exclude all Indians belonging to elias
r nat subject 70 taxation.
d Al these points are subjected % IN
mast careful exsmiastion OF the censu
y o.Ror and when a decialon as 70 the leEa
!, 90 lp3tlou Of the office has beer reached
l. the s atisticiaus turn their attenti n z
d the economic and social aspects Of 10
question IN hama Experts are consulted
Z the tTpoT.ant lines II investigation ar
= mapped out. and inquiries are so rame
n as m bring our the desired information
e Ia form IN waleh Il can be handled witt
" the n0Herith machines. At the sam
+ time these questions mus, be put IN sue
Il a way that thsy will neither he mlsun
> derstcod, nor likely to evoke antagonist
y or false replies No pains are spared &
e interest the public In the work and I
!. secure general and hearty cooperation
- WNhout that the most careful work a
TT Washlnwon or by the enumerators mus
W prove fru!tless.
IS Anderson Items.
Y Anderson. Texas. February l5.-sever,
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