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Show WHY CENSUS "RELUCTANCE. We have received the following rather rath-er sarcastic letter on (ho census-la Icing Ic-ing in Utah this year. It u0 doubt soems amazing lo one facing this situation sit-uation for the first time, to sec so much pother made about so simplo a mailer. But there is a reason, which we may briefly slate. The letter is as lollows: T-ii. S!ytJ.,nke cllJ' APr11 15. 1010-Jidltor 1010-Jidltor of The Tribune: It has bc;n ,or,lu!,1 V? ,'invo lived In different S.!?.fiiif tl10, .V" "' aml ll!lvc a3o soon fcomothlng of their business methods; but nnyo never known so much said, and i !Cin' ,'lb.out "'king thc census as hero in .salt Lake. In other places thc cen- m..i.,i,ker W0U,d. usk a fnv 0Uij-v a"d commonplace com-monplace questions, and go on his way; Hn.. nis, .'' a-s we know ,1,c Ciirtl1 continued con-tinued to turn on lis axis during tho next ten years in Just tho same old way. But here In Salt l,akc It la different, n ono of the city dallies of April 10 It Is suggested that an "appeal over club names In the form of resolutions bc given to the people, to cxclto interest, and hP. lhc .m,b',c m,nd absorbed by eensus problems." Wc arc also Informed from the sumo source that "members of the Commercial club will accompany the cnu-?l cnu-?l J,aV' 0,1 'J'8, rounds, to watch and sec that the work Is thoroughly done." Now the question arises. Who Is going the rounds to watch the members of tie Commercial club? and who. and what arc i!niV,Mmea.of 11,0 ol,,b whose PPWi' and resolution is supposed lo cause so much excitement among tho common herd? rtai a,S. l.oId tI,!U lh thlly !n nlt Lake Is most imperative." Why in Salt Lake any more than in olhor places? It makes one feel as if th.-y were :ihm,i to l,e tried for their life, ami a, iS able offense. If they full, or decline to lu.f, a,,y r1,cstl,on Put to them bv tholr Inquisitors, who. by the way. havo been under Instructions for weeks and w nos swoop down upon thc imsuspcctintr' Uvll';,prcr,''i;cd nouscwlfc and others, and fh-Ct,M fil,l0lc an? cniPlotc answer to other JSU?.nS' wl,clllc Impertinent or othe wise. It was suggested that a list of tic questions be printed and distributed dis-tributed among thc people. As none as boon forthcoming, wc take the llboViv to ask M Editor, to kindly publish In lnn WW S Cd,tln a "St Of the q ci" i! i,.l"'f,p0"rlcd lo wmm that august body Invades our sanctum sac-torum sac-torum and oblige MANY HEADERS. So much of this nervousness about getting proper census returns as civic prido would show, is pcrfceily natural So much of it as betrays anxiety for a good showing in order that thc pcoplo in the several localities of tho Slate shall receive their proper rcprescnta- t.uu in congress njil in tho Legislature is founded on .jusiicc. But there is a spocial reason for thc llutlcr in Utah. It has always been a touchy proposition prop-osition in Mormjn households, especially in polygamous households, lo preserve iii the utmost secrecy tho marital and marital offspring relations. Any inquiry that would develop these has been bitterly bit-terly resented. A conspicuous example of this was developed in tho testimony testi-mony at Washington of President Joseph Jo-seph V. Smith in the Smoot heariug before thc Senate Committee on Privileges Privi-leges and "Elections. On being asked as to the marital relations of some of his associates, Mr. Smith angrily hissed out that ho knew nothing about them he was no spy. ln this he disclosed dis-closed (he habit of mind of the transgressor trans-gressor of tho law, His answer and disclaimer constituted a confession of guilt, an admission that those relations were criminal and must not be made public, Senator Overman urushingly replied re-plied that he knew the family relations of all his neighbors, and their chil-' dren, and he was no spy cither. In this Mr. Overman developed completely complete-ly tho difference between a community living lawful lives in marriage, and a community living iivos of criminnliti' in this relation. Jlc represented tho former. Smith represented the latter. It is plain, then, why there should be this special uneasiness in Utah about thc census questions. These an rirrlH inlo tabooed inquiries, into relationships relation-ships which Smith declared that he would be a spy if i,c inquired about or disclosed. And tho feeling about this matter is so strong in Mormon families fa-milies that to bo required to make answer where heretofore an inviolable screen of secrecy has defended against intrusion, seems like (earing lhc very house down, and exposing every whit of it to the gaze of those whoso inquisitive in-quisitive eve has always heretofore been a dcei. offense It only remains lo add that it is the same thing over and over here, ovory census year. |