The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-16
NO RECOUNT In MARYLAND
An investigation in Disputed Dis
tricfs as to the Census.
Director Merriam Takes Little stock
in the Baltimore Directory EST
niate-'The Proposed Canvass by
the SJ15te Regarded as Useless.

nate-The Proposed Canvass by
the st1te Regarded Hs Useless.
Director Merriam. OF the Census Blu
rcau. has decided that. the best that can
be done for Maryland In the matter Of
correcting alleged Incorrect figures re
sardinE the census Of that State IS TO
make an Investigation IN the disputed
dist riots. There can be no recount and
the Census Director is of the opinion that
the proposed canvass by the State would
prove both useless and futile The con-
tiuued complaints from Baltimore have
irritated Director Merriam no little and
he IS disposed II resent the Institutions
contained ia some OF them.
The integrity of the Census Office,
said hIr- Merriam. has been questioned.
and il is my duty 70 make the fullest in
ygstisatiou possible"
AR Merriam was not concerned with
The new directory issued in Baltimore
ard which estimates population of 669.
81. or 1885 more than the census emu
mer;itorS reported You can estimate
anything from directory or the returns
at the polls h SAID The estimates on
directories run from two and oue-haIf
persons to each name to five for each one
recorded in the directory. While in Bal
mate. as estimates go there is no iron
clad rule in making calculations of that
kind. and as a usual thing the estimate
might Just as well bC SIX names as two
Where the directory is carefully taken
the proportion would naturally diminish.
For instance. If the Baltimore directory
showed bur l59.ol0 names It would have
less proportion 70 the number OF people
living in Baltimore than the present di-
rectory with 215 45g names
"On the other hand. If the men taking
Tie names in Baltimore for ira directory
had succeeded in obtaining the names Of
$4,000 persons. the proportion TO the pop
ulatio. would have been much greater.
The study Of proportions in connection
with the number of people ana the num-
Der Of names in directories and on regis
tration lists IS interesting, though not
perhaps. specially instructive. 1t varies
III cities. just as the proportion Of names
in the directory varies with the care ex-
ercised in getting oJi the directory IN
many Southern districts where a Demo
. cratic nomination Is equivalent 10 an
election, the votes which are cast are
much fewer proEortionateIy 10 those
cast III districts where the contest is
close and nearly every vote is cast
1t would not BE- fair to take a district
where .0o0 or 1850 votes are cast for the
candidate for Congress and say that be-
cause 10000 people live in that district
therefore the proportion Of inhabitants to
the number Of voters is ! to % Accord
ing TO the theory in estimating the Bal
timore population on a directory basis,
assuming that at least every male of
twenty-one years was enumerated, there
would be districts in New York which
would show a population of I7S.o90 while
in Mississippi there is at least one dis
trict where the population would Be only
/. 80
4 am having prepared a table Of the
population rs given in the census returns.
as compared with th, popular vote of
! 1900 of the largest towns IN the country.
/ OF course, that may show nothing which
! can be made the basis OF future calCula-
! tons out II viii show the futility of at
/ tempting To estimate the population If
( city by such means. There Is but one
/ way by which the population Of a city
/ can be approximately arrived at, and that
! IS BY a careful actual count, conducted
under uon-partisan control
Director Merriam is evidently in earn
| est in his efforts To unearth any frauds
which might have been perpetrated IN
! connection With the Maryland census.
| either in padding The rolls or emitting
I the names Of persons who should prop
/ erly nave been enumerated. He did not
/ say whether the investigation was going
/ on in any but the lower counties, in
/ which it Is alleged. the grOsSest frauds
( have been perpetrated- but there IS rea-
/ son to believe the enquiry will not be con-
fined TO those counties
Under no circumstances AN a recount
! OF the State be made now according to
t Director Merriam. The population tables
/ have been made up. The agricultural and
| manufacturing tables viii be calculated
/ on the basis given by the census returns.
: and il would be impossible and useless TO
/ make a recount under Federal auspices.
/ " hiie there have been sporadic attempts
! to secure second counts by several cities
/ throughout the CountrE. Maryland, II IS
! said. is the only State where complaint
/ has been made regarding the count in all
/ parts of the State Director Merriam
! thinks the best he can DO for MARYLAND
/ Viii be- to investigate the returns of those
| parts Of the State where most com
/ paint is made
! As far a State count vas concerned
/ he doubted the ability Of the State to
( make as careful an enumeration as that
/ made by the Federal census. Given
/ proposition of fewer names in one part
! Of the state and more in the other with
! a desire to couuterbal8uce the two he
had no doubt that II could he successful
/ " done He thought the State enumera-
/ tors might succeed In finding more peODle
! in the Democratic counties and less in
/ the republican counties than were found
I by the enumer4t0rs Of the United States
/ census With census taken for this
purpose he thought almost anything was
! possible when the census was in partisan
( hands
Mr.. Merriam declares that the Census
! Bureau could not fairly ba held reSDonSi-
( Die Tor the mistakes. wiiIfuI or otherwise
/ Of the enUneTaUoTs. The Supervisors were
/ appointed on the recommendation Of Sen
/ atorS or Representatives and they ap-
pointed The enumerators- All the Census
/ Bureau could do was 90 keei, ian on rhe
. euumeratCrS and See that their schedules.
( We're properly filed ont and the tabuia-
( ton Was accurately done
1t IS likely 10 60 hard with the euT!fnara-
tors, whose work is questioned if salts
/ factory evidence can be had that they
/ WillfuIiy padded their rolls or or1frtaa
names which should have been included
/ The Census law provides FOR puufenmarrS
of from 500 fine and three years fr1nrfs-
Oument TO 5000 fine and Ave wears i'm
/ prisOumeLt for frauds Of this characteI.
{ In consequence of the doubts cast runn
the integrity Of The census and the e5l.-y
( punishment to which the former enuncr-
atorS might be liable there IS good reason
FOR the Director TO proceed cautiously
Some time ago Governor Smith wrote
for the population schedules Of The cen
Sus of Maryland. He was informed they
could be had by paving for them and the
matter was dropped The law provides
that Governors OF States or the executive.
officers OF municipalities can have copies
Of the above schedule by paying the ex-
peuse Of copying them. According 20 the
Census ONCE the best manner Of verify
{ ing the count would be to take the streets
/ ana names and find II. in the months OF
juno. 1900. the parties named lived at the
addresses given.
TO BURY CHICAGO WIRES.