The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-12
.Gapjfa7 Chat.
Washington Gossip, Political and
Otherwise. for the Readers
of the Globe.


expected to complete their duties within
about thirty days. Under the direction
or GOV Merriam everything in the
census building is being so conducted
that the duties OF all connected with
the bureau will be go arranged that
Wnen Inc real work of taking the sta
tlstics of the eleventh census Is begun.
there Will be no delay anywhere.
In the census building a great room is
now the scene OF bustling activity. the
work of preparing portfolios for use by
ehulnerators In the coming count Of the
population being fairly under way.
Ihese portfolios cf whitish-brown
pasteboard, hinged together with black
cloth. are Is inches long and 10 inches
WIDE. For convenient, accurate and
rapid enumeration the United States has
been divided into 300 supervisors dis
tricts. and these in turn into about SO 900
enumerati ton districts Each of the SO, 600
enumerators is yet to be appointed, so
on the portfolios a blank space is left
for his name
The last census was taken under g. law
which required enumerators to ask many
obnoxious questions Under dire penal
ties OF threatened prosecution and fms
IN case of refusal, at every home the
famlly skeleton must be brought forth
for classification and record. Debt. de-
fects of mind, sight, hearing and speech,
and II member of a family was a prIs>
oner, convict. homeless child or pauper
were the subject of official investigation
by the enumerator. That answers thus
obtained were not for publication in the
daily papers, but simply for tabulation
by employees sworn not to divulge census
facts, failed to reconcile or alleviate the
painful duty Of making them The
census act of 1900, happily for all, does
not require these disagreeable queries.
NIOiV 70 oh.
accuracy in preceding censuses have
arisen from distrust Of the enumerators
Not infrequently the gross ignorance Of
an enumerator rendered his work value
less
For the $4,000 enumerators for whose
appointment and work the census office
must be held responsible, it has prepared
and will send out q test schedule which
candidate Is expected to I'LL out accord.
Ing to accompanying instructions. From
this schedule when completed and re-.
turned, an idea of his ability to compre,
bend and follow instructions will be OBJ
tanned For his honesty and integrity
those who recommend him must be held
responsible.
Ten hours day for two weeks In urban
and four in rural districts the enumeru-
tors will spend In gaining entrance to
those impregnable castles, the homes Of
American citizens. When each shall
have completed his Internationally
making enemies for life of village gos>
sips who do not want to tell their own
ages, but insist upon reading those Of
everybody else-he will receive q COM
pensation which the director Of the
rate that each energetic enumerator may
earn at least So day under the condi-
tons prevailing In his district.
The Republicans are the first in the
field with state conventions to elect dele
gates to their national convention. Up
to the present time, however, the ma
jority of the conventions held have been
in Southern states. AS is usual IN this
section Of the country the Republicans
seem unable to agree The four conven-
lions thus far held in the South this year
have been so badly split UP that it is
probable that each Of the several states
will send contesting delegations to the
convention at Philadelphia. It Is under
stood. of course, that very few of the
Southern states go Republican. 1t Is this
section that has always in the past fur
nished the greatest amount of trouble to
the majority of Republican national con-
Ventions Of the past This coming con-
Vention Is not likely to show much Of a
change in this respect; anyhow the South
will probably furnish all the amusement
that the delegates to the Quaker City
convention will have this year.
1t seems certain now that Maj. McKin-
ley will be renominated by reclamation
About the only interest that can be work
ed up at the national convention is to
Jolly along" ambitious men from various
sections Of the country, and induce them
to permit the use of their names for the
vice presidency. This sort Of a scheme
has been planned by Maj. Mckinley, Sen
ator Hanna, Congressman Dick and other
Republican leaders. At least a score of
men are now hoping that vice presidential
lightning will strike them at PhiladeI-
phia.
A recorrected list of candidates IS as
follows: Gen. Porter, of New York; for
mer Gov. Hastings, Of Pennsylvania; for
mer Senator Washburn and Representa-
tive Heatwole, of Minnesota; Senator
~Spooner and II. G. Payne, of Wisconsin;
Senator Cullom, of Illinois; former Sen
ator Ingalls,. of Kansas; Senator VOL
colt, of Colorado former Gov. Wolcott,
of Massachusetts; former Senator Man
derson, of NebraskaI Gov. Shaw, Of Iowa,
and Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock,
who resides at st. Louis, Mo.
1t seems to be the purpose Of the Re-
publican leaders, including Maj. McKin-
other, to have the state conventions held
to elect delegates to philadelphia very
early in the spring. AS before stated,
the Southern states have taken the lead
In holding early conventions, but the
states North, East and West will hold
their conventions earlier this year than
they have in any past presidential cam
paign.
In view Of the fact that the Demo-
cratic national convention is to be held
nearly month later than the Republi-
can, the different states will not hold their
conventions to elect delegates to the ma
tional Democratic convention in Kansas
City until May or June. If any are held
before that time it will be without the
advice and consent of Mr.. Bryan It is
said to be Mr.. Bryan's desire to delay
the election of delegates until late in
May, and until June if it is possible to
prevent anxious leaders in each state
from forcing an earlier date for the cleo
ton of delegates In Kansas City While
there will be contestlng delegations with
! out number from the South to the Phila-
delphia convention, the indications now
| points to unanimous action by the Demo-
Gratis in these Southern states. The prob
abilities are now that there will be few.
If any, contesting delegations at the Kan
| sas City convention.
Secretary Gage, of the treasury de-
partment, will not be member of Mai
| McKinley's cabinet in the event that the
latter is reelected next November. IT
has been rumored several times during
the past three years that the present Sec
rotary of the treasury would not remain
in his present position until the close of
| this administration. He has had sew