The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1900-07-19

The PRESENT Census Act divides
the inquiries to be made into two
groups. The first of these includes
those subjects on which information
can be obtained through the:agency
of the census enhmerators, while the
second includes subjects whichtcan
be dealt with without the aid Of the
enumerators, by correspondence, or
by the use of special agents. The
seventh section of the Act restricts
the first group to, "inquires relating
to the population, to mortality, to
the products of agriculture, and of
manufacturing and mechanical estab-
lishments.'' The reports on these
subjects are to be published not
later than Julys1, 1902" The eighth
section provides that "tfter the COM
pletion and return of the enumera-
ton and of the work upon the
schedules relating to the products of
agriculture, and to manufacturing
and mechanical establishments pro-
vided for in section of this Act"
that is, after July l. 1902, "the Di-
rector of the Census is hereby au-
thorized to collect STATISTICS relating
to" several subjects specified, of
which one reads: sstO religious
bodies" Under the language of
this section nothing can be done, ex-
cept in a preparatory way, with ref
erence to the collection of religious
statistics for the ensuing two years.
1t will be noted that at the expira-
ton of that time the Director is
authorized" not required, to collect
these special statistics; SO that the
question whether they shall be col
lected or not is entirely within his
official discretion.
The value of a religious census of
the population of the United States is
somewhat predetermined. The publiea-
ton of the volume In which the stat
istics of churches are contained has
exerted, so far as can be judged, no
appreciate influence upon the relig-
ious thought, or life of the nation.
This is not because the work was not
well done. Probably no census re-
port has ever been more thorough or
accurate, within the essential limita-
tons of the subject itself. 1t is re-
port on ''religious bodies" whether
Christian or non-Christian, including
the yorshippers in Chinese temples.
Obvious, therefore, the word "com-
municants" does not apply to the
members of all these bodies. The
conditions of membership in the va
Frious bodies calling themselves Chris
iian vary so indefinitely, that cOmpar-
ttsOns e. of denominstional strength
based upon nominal" membership in
the several churches can not be other
wise than misleading. There are re-
Iigious denominations in which chill
dren born of parents connected with
those organizations are birthright
members of them, without baptism,
confirmation, or any personal profess
\ sion Of religious faith. Admission to
other churches is by baptism and con.
j frmatiof Or BY baptism without con.
1 firmarion,' or by confirmation after
baptism or by profession of personal
|belief 1.-The doctrines contained in a
particular creed and a promise Of
obedience to.the authority vested in
the ecclesiastical organization. In
comparing the statistics of member.
shipin one religious body with those
In ANOTHER, therefore, we are compar.
ing things which are so dissimilat a.
to elGde comparison. We are at.
tempting to reduce to a common
denomination figures which have nc
common denominator.. The attempt
to estimate the strength of a religious
denomination by the number of sit
tings in the churches is also .mislead,
ing, since in the Roman Catholic
churches the same edifce is used by
different worshippers at different
hours Of the day, while in the Prot