Evening star., 1938-04-17
The Democracy of
the Census
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN,

which Will be IN 1910, presumably In the
spring, as 1t was eight years ago, but no
such fascinating historical pages will be
added to the archives of the Nation as
were in the earlier enumerations in this
country.
In these times rather elaborate sched-
ulcs are made out by the enumerators,
something on the order of income tax
blanks. The detailed information con-
corning the individuals counted, names,
addresses, color, age, sex, occupation,
marital condition and kindred facts DOW
are indicated by punches on stin cards.
These cards may be fed through machines
which have mechanical selective intel
ligence designed to classify and assert as
desired.
In earlier days the census was taken
in an entirely different manner. Census
returns are as inviolably confidential as
income tax returns for a long period of
years, and it is against the law for de-
tails to be made public. Totals are pub
llshed, to be sure. but only as to how
many in a given town, county or other
jurisdiction. how many are married how
many carpenters there are or how many
preachers. But the Bureau OF the Census
may not divulge who the particular peo-
pie were. One has to wait half century
or so to satisfy curiosity along this line.
-
1t is doubtful whether any one gen.
Grafton hence will find much interest in
looking over millions upon millions of
these thoroughly unromantic cards, un-
less it be to establish some point involved
in litigation or some genealogical con-
nection
The earlier returns were wholly differ
ent. The individual enumerators had
their notebooks in which they took down
the meager information then sought.
Later these data were transferred to
large ledgers with pages about a yard
square, ruled and columned The pages
now are yellowed with time, although by
no means brittle or about to fall to
pieces, for In those days paper was de.
signed to last century or two.
The entries are in fine Spencerian
script-although Spencer was not born
when some Of them were made. In the
various columns were entered the names
the number of children, of slaves. value
OF real and personal property and occu-
patton.
Aic OutoGdllOlllk ullltIcIlCc DelWeeN Lllc
mechanical index card in use now and
the entry sheets made then, is that the
earlier pages give the most curious i'm
preston Of democracy. Every man was
just man. To be sure the Bureau of the
Census. from the cold, statistical point
of view has the same attitude now but,
somehow. there is a difference in know
ing that somewhere in steel filing cab
met at Washington there is card with
all the asked-for facts concerning Frank
lin Roosevelt upon it. and seeing one Of
these old ledger sheets with name follow.
ing name, in no particular order but with
one. now and then-Written in the same
hand and with no distinguishing mark
looming out when read, like lighthouse
in the night.
For example. one reads the names of
Sim Bigler Obadiah Heap Joshua Bax-
ter, Alexander Hamilton! That was in
the census Of 1870. the first one In the
ledger pages of the same census one can
see the names, business. and few other
facts concerning such men as John Ham
cock. whose vaunting signature leads all
the signatures to the Declaration Of Inde.
pendence; and Samuel Adams, the Boston
patriot, to whose efforts large part Of
the secession from England may be laid.
These men listed no slaves as a part Of
their property
In the ledger sheets for the 1910 census
the curious seeker will find. should he
care to pore long enough over the COL
umns. the name of Thomas jefferson. He
will also find that of Paul Revere, as well
as that of Thomas Lincoln of Hardin
County. KY, the father of Abraham Lin
coin. Emphasizing the democracy of the
census returns. one sees the name Of
Martin Van Buren, scattered in, with no
distinction. among the names of dirt
farmers, tradesmen, artisans and labor
ers, whereas he was rich Dutch PATRON,
afterward to be Secretary of State, Min
lister to the Court of St. James. Vice
President and President of the United
States. Likewise the great name of Will
liam Henry Harrison, also destined to be
President. appears just as inconspicu-
ously. Such names as those of William
Williams of Connecticut, William Floyd
OF New York and Edward Rutledge Of
Virginia. all signers of the Declaration
OF Independence, appear.
X
In the 1880 census is to be found, in
the same slanting script. the name of
Charles Carroll of Carrollton, who was
a great lord of the manor in Maryland
and the last surviving signer of the dec
laration
In the 1860 census, listed simply among
his neighbors, as he would want to be,
appeared the name of Abraham Lincoln,
soon to become President of the United
States. His occupation is given as lawyer
and hss property as $4,000 in real estate
and $4,000 in personally. In the same
census is to be found the name OF Jeffer-
son Davis, who was soon to be President
of the Confederate States Of America
He is described as farmer and the re-
Spective wealth of the two Presidents the
one of the North, the other of the South,
strikes a sharp contrast Against the
meager fortune Of the martyred North
ern President stands the riches of the
Southerner; that is. riches which were
his in 1860 His real estate, his planta-
ton, is valued at 100000, and his per-
sonal property at $125, ,00O OF course, the
personal property value includes the
value of his slaves. But he had a rela-
tior. far richer than he. That was j. E.
Davis, also described as farmer. His real
estate is valued at 100000 and his per.
sonalty at $400, ,000-a total of 100000.
That sum would class him as rich man
today; in 1860 it made him a satrap
~
Robert E. Lee appears in the same CEN
sus. His occupation is given as that Of
soldier. He gives no value as to personal
property, although he certainly held