The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1900-03-09

CENSUS DIRECTOR MERRIAM.
the returns are tabulated. makes census
taking a huge industrial process. The
census office becomes factory and the
director OF census a captain OF indus
try.
The United States was the first ma
ton OF modern times to order and ex-
ecute periodical national census. The
ancient Hebrews, while In the wilder
ness. before reaching the promised
land. by direction OF their leader, Moses,
made an enumeration OF their lighting
men between the ages of 20 and 30. OF
whom there were 100000. In Pales-
tine there were occasional enumera-
tons or the people for taxing and mill
tary purposes. The Greeks and io-
mans also had the system or enumera-
ton OF population and ascertainment
OF individual wealth for like purposes.
But for lack OF facilities the methods
necessarily employed In those times
gave I " from satisfactory results and
did Lot approach the accuracy and
completeness that are possible today.
In this country there was some
doubtful guessing as TO population be-
fore the first census was taken in 1870,
but such has been the uniformity Of
the rate OF increase as shown by sue
cesSive census returns that n safer
rule for determining the population OF
the colonies nj any particular period
would be 10 apply, by n reverse process
OF calculation. the rate OF increase
since ascertained.
The first act Of congress. dated March
I. 1870. for taking the census is drawn
in rigid conformity with the constitu-
ton and directs the United States mar
shals To cause the number OF inhablt-
ants within their respective districts
10 be taken. The enumeration was 10
begin the first Monday in August AMI
close within nine months thereafter.
The free persons were 10 be distin-
guiShed from OtherS-maleS from fe-
maIes-and Indians not taxed were To
be- omitted from the enumeration. Free
males of Is years and over were 10 be
distinguished from those under that
age. The report OF the first census is
comprised In Il pamphlet of - pages.
The marshals made their reports 10 the
president by the LIST of September. 1871.
There was No superintendent of the
census or census office located nj the
seat OF government. The president
MAS not specially authorized by law To
publish the returns of the marshals.
The first report WAS printed 10y VIII
liam Duane In 1902. The aggregate
population Of the states was 3.323.2l4;
that Of the Southwest territory. 3J.G9l.
Thomas jefferson. then secretary Of
state. certified To the correctness of the
schedule of population Oct. n, 1871.
The second census was taken in $500.
and they have followed by decades
ever since.
There has always been more or less
opposition To census taking on the
ground that IL was prying into the pr.
waite affairs OF the people. Sometimes
il has been more. sometimes IL has
been less. but opposition has always
mrked I'm the pathway OF the census
taker. The chief difficulty in the way
OF obtaining free and ready Informal
ton has been. strange To say. an al
mixture OF fear and superstition. II
will be remembered by students CT the
Bible that an enumeration OF tine PEG
pie OF JudHa by Joab. acting under the
orders OF King David, was followed 10y
a three days pestilence which carried
of some 10000 OF the recently counted
individuals. IL was thought at the
time that David and his superintcnd-
ent OF census had no authority 10 do
this thing, and the nation suffered for
their supererogation. That impression
fiourishes today with all Its pristine
vlgOr In the minds or MOhammedans