The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-03-25
iNQUISITNE PERSONS
WILL ASK QUESTIONS
Some viii Seem Foolish, Some
Inlpudent, But All are for
Good Purpose

Uncle Sam viii begin 10 look UP MS
ninety million nephews and neces
and oder them TO pun oui the good
Old family skeleton, wipe ten years
lust Oft its emaciated figure, and air
ii On the front door siep before the
discreet gaze Of ar honest, industri-
Gus, intellige 81 bic, tactiul, ed
ucated. active enumerator OF good
habits and an ability to speak Eng
lish and other languages
He will ge. ~ cents per head for
possessing these qualities, and one
other which he viii probably have no
difficulty in convincing YOU he poses
ses-namely, a mountainous bump OF
inquiSitiveness
Gazing with alert and intense eyes
at the cadaver he will swiftly poke
it in the ribs, count its teeth, feel in
its vesi pocket. in he meantime in
qui ing, What is your name, are you
male, female, black or white, single,
married, widowed or divorced how
many children have you, girls, boys
or twins, when did YOU come over
and were you born here, are you out
OF work, why. what language do you
speak can you read or write, do you
own your house, are YOU deaf or
dumb, how old are you?'
Although II costs the government
only 1-2 cents to ask these ques-
fions ii cos S YOU $l00 if you don't
answer them And these are only
some of the mean, impudent ques-
tions the census man asks. Others
are. What relation are you 10 the
head OF the family? How many years
have you been married to your pres
ent spouse? Do you own your house
Is it free or mor;gaged2 Are you
blind? Did YOU fight in he war of
the rebellion This last question
the census department admits need
not be put 10 a woman. Yet She has
10 tell her age.
That we are under a paternal rath-
er than a material government. is
shown by the fact that the census
schedule takes for granted that the
head OF the house IS the man OF the
house. The schedule also decreases
he me taking care OF six children
getting hem off 10 school, washing
til edishes, housecleaning, entertain
ing the bridge club and reading a
paper before the Henry James and
Browning society on The Psycholog !
Of Unrealityr is not to be classed as
an occupation. Even If a wife owns
the family dwelling, the ownership is
credited 20 the male head OF he
house
There will be few women cen
sus takers and they might exer
their influence 10 give their sex a bet
ter chance of representation in thi'
and other matters
A soft answer is no. calculated tt
( turn away with wrath in this matter
Of census taking There must be ne
lodging OF queries, which may seen
to YOU to be lacking in respect fo
your natural reticence. The govern
ment promises on its word Of homo
/ not 10 give you away, bm il send
around somebody in your own towl
0 hear YOU low spoken confession
about the mortgage. and your parent
! age AMI your occupation And wha
4 II. by chance, the census take
! Should be your next door neighbor
/ You ara obliged 10 tell the truth with
\ out even the satisfaction OF KNOWN:
/ what others have had TO give up
But stand up for yonr rights
4 The census man gets funny and ask
YOU if You wear high forehead fron
I choice o. necessi ". YOU are no
obliged 10 answer Here are fey
more questions which are none of hi
1 business
Where were You last Wednesda.
evening?
If horse fifiy-six inches tall
fourteen hands high, how many fin
f gers in a quart?
What is the biggest fish you eve
caught?
Did you ever tell a lie?
Would you rather be a greater foo
+ than YOU seem or seem a z cate
fool han YOU are2
/ Dc you believe in afiiniies?
4 Are you tax dodger?
Are all your teeth your own?
Nevertheless, census aking IS
erea. institution Il brings to ligh
facts that Otherwise would nege
have been known II furnishes. 70
/ example. an accura G and benign an
swer to the pIaintiye query 10 unel
/ Joe Cannon from Ohio: why don
cong ess get husbands for us?" Thi
! degpairing cry is met with the reas
suring statement that two hearts ar
I made one every wen N-f0ur seconds
Y Any girl therefore, with the prope
amount Of enterprise has only to b
on hand a.. the church on the dot 0
the rigni secondhand lAele Ahe IS,
! We may also expec', + ON careful
compilation OF the ques ions of ih
present census TO know exac ly th
! ppnno1st inn ef ufpp1a. anl mon Haa