The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-03-22
NO SIMPLE UNDERTAKING.
Some of the Difficult Problems Pre-
scented in the Taking of the
Twelfth Census.
Especial Washington letter.

picnic that many people imagine. Few
| appreciate the magnitude of the work;
the eleventh census cost more than
S11, 100000, 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
month will be employed.
Among the troublesome problems
which have to be solved by the CEN
sus 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 Especial report" upon
the Indians should be made. A volume
of 700 odd pages was published, pro-
fuse1y illustrated and touching every
point of the Indian problem. For once
in history, "Poor Lo" was accorded
justice. The volume was so pretty that
the edition was soon exhausted and
now the department of the interior
has not even a copy for the census
Office itself But the law providing for
the twelfth census makes no special
| provision for an Indian census; nor
does it authorize such a report as was
made ten years ago. 1t is at this point
| that the real difficulties of the census
office regarding the Indians begin.
The Indian population, then, cannot
be treated by itself and described in
separate report. 1t also seems il
logical to class the Indians among the
ordinary population of the United
States. The Indian tribe is in many
respects a distinct nationality, al
though since 1871 congress has been
doing its best to destroy all traces of
| tribal independence or self-govern-
ment. Moreover, the tribal Indians
are not citizens of the United States.
The reservations upon which they live
are not legally parts of the state or
| territory which surrounds them.
Under such conditions it seems i'm
possible for the census Office to class
Indians as part of the ordinary inhab-
itants of the states and territories.
On the other hand, it is equally impos-
sible to ignore them and omit them en-
tirely. For the constitution of the
~ JtouNo IIclb.
atives shall be apportioned among the
several states according to their re-
spective numbers, counting the whole
number of persons in each state, eX-
GLIDING indians not taxed" This fast
ems upon the census office duty that
seems plain enough. But as a matter
of fact, it would give the attorney gen.
&c ha
of work to explain exactly what is
meant by the apparently simple phrase
Indians not taxed" The uncertainty
in the phrase is in the meaning of the
word taxed" The tribal Indian, like
other inhabitants of the United States,
is subject to the internal revenue duties
and the various stamp taxes now i'm
posed by the United States. If he uses
a bank check. he must stamp it: if
he manufactures a box of cigars, he
must stamp it. Is he taxed" thereby?
just what tax" is, in the meaning
of the constitution, has never been
definitely decided, although the ques-
ton has been before the supreme court
many times.
Whether or not a stamp duty is tax,
and if it is, whether it is a direct tax;
whether Indians not taxed" means
Indians not directly taxed, or whether
it may not mean Indians not taxable,
are questions that must be decided
by the census Office before it can form
its plan for the Indian enumeration.
The last question has been a sub
ject of debate ever since Indian CEN
suses have been taken. In 1890 there
were about $4,000 civilized Indians liv-
ing among the general population of
the United States. Such Indians are
citizens of the United States, but many
OF them are too poor to pay taxes.
Are they to be excluded from the pop
uldtion according t.? which represent
tation in congress is apportioned? We
count every Chinese and other alien of
whatever sort or condition. Before
the war we counted every negro slave
as equivalent to three-ffths of a white
man. 1t seems manifestly absurd to
believe that the trainers of the con-
stitution meant to exclude a class of
citizens who are also natives, because
of their poverty. In other words, the
trainers of the constitution must have
said what they did not mean. What
they really meant was to exclude all
Indians belonging to class not sub
yet to taxation.
All these points are subjected to the
most careful examination in the CEN
sus office, and when a decision as to the
legal obligation of the office has been
reached, the statisticians turn their
attention to the economic and social
aspects of the question in hand. Ex-
perts are consulted; the important
lines of Investigation are mapped out.
and inquiries are so framed as to bring
out the dcsi ed information in a form
in which it can be handled with the
Hollerith machines. At the same time.
these questions must be put in such a
way that they will neither be misunder-
stood nor likely 70 evoke antagonism
or false replies. No pains are spared
to interest the public in the work and
to secure general and hearty coon
GRAFTON. Without that the most care
full work at Washington or by the
| euumeratOrS must Drova frn;+lase