The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-04-20
When a Census
Goes Into Effect
Editor of The Tribune.

CGl1or OF IHe Iflbnnc.
Sr.-In the Republican of the 18th instant
| is found What is said to he an "analytica! re.
vcw' of the opinion of Judge Beaver in th.
| Lewis case, by zone of the best known attor-
| ncys in Scran;on'' 1t is the opinion that is
| attacked, al! though the decision is the unanimous
decision of the seven Judges of the Superior court
all OF whom have been betrayed into conclusions
adverse TO those of tho best known attorncy
| Judge Beavers opinion is one of uncommon
| clcarncss. II, dcduccs correct results, and On.
| forces the correct application of the law The
| question is a simple one. and only appears com
| plcated when it encounters the sophistical touch
| OF lawyer.
In pursuance OF the provision of tho Federal
| constitution which requires the taking of dc.
cchnal census, congress passed an act. approved
| March g. 1899, directing the taking of the twelfth
census, establishing census office in the de.
partmcnt of the interior. with a chief officer.
10 he known as the director of tho census, and
supplying him with the necessary assistance,
| in the way Of an assistant director, staistcia,s
clerks, etc, and authorizing him to appoint s,,.
| pervisors, cn'mcraIolS and special agents; the
boundaries of supervisors districts TO conform
t" the boundaries of congressional districts Tie
president is required 10 appoint tho director and
| assistant director soon pracI cal after tho
passage nj the act The supervisors arc to hc
appointed al least six months before the hrst
day Of Juno, 1900. The cnumcrator is required
to complete his enumeration Of the territory as.
signed to him and to make returns to tho SUPER
visor on or before the first day of July; and
within two weeks, rs respects cities having eight
| thousand or more inhabitants; and the supervisors
arc required To upot to thc director according
To- his instructions; aud tho only volumes that
| the director Is required to prepare ana publish
are tho census reports, which to he published
,t.,tl l.t,g ! tl.. E.., i,.I
dncCtOr, however, is authorized 10 print pub.
llsh and distribute, from time To time, bulletins
"t The preliminary and other results of various
information required by the act, The cululcra.
lion of the population Is to commence ON The
first day of June, 1900, and shall he taken a, ~
that date. All actual counts are therefore made
| and returned TO the supervisor ON or before
July first, and within two weeks aS relate, 70
cirics ol eight thousand or more Inhabitants
iNcry intelligent person, man or woman, who
| reads the newspapers knew when the director and
| assistant director were Gpponrcd by the prcsi,
dent, when the supervisor ior their own con.
eressonal district MAS named, and in more
| sriCted localities it was known Who he cuu.
mcraorS were. and that these enumerators were
making journeys in the neghborhood, aud calling
at homes for information, which could rot he
refused without 4 violation of the law. Every
one knew these thngseNcept, possibly candidates
for office, who shut their eyes, aud even closed
their ears to the shouts OF the boys on the
country streets; ''llelc comes the census man"
This census, thus taken, binds the federal
courts and all departments OF the federal GOV.
eminent, by its enumeration as of the inst d0y
of June, The supreme court Of Pennsylvania
in its Judicial wisdom las declared that 1t sis
to b" rerortcd to as the best evidence of the
population of county in case of classification
of counties by population;" and that ''the Unit