American Census Taking From the First Census of the United States: Reprinted From the Century Magazine for April, 1903 (Classic Reprint)
(Excerpt from American Census Taking From the First Census...)
Excerpt from American Census Taking From the First Census of the United States: Reprinted From the Century Magazine for April, 1903
Table 1 shows very clearly the slow, steady expansion of census inquiry up to 1850. Table 11 shows the variations in the time allowed and consumed for enumeration, as well as other interest ing details, to which no more detailed reference need be made.
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William Rush Merriam was an American banker, politician, and director of the Twelfth Census.
Background
William Rush Merriam was born on July 26, 1849, at Wadham's Mills, New York. He was the son of John Lafayette and Mahala Kimpton (De Lano) Merriam. His father was descended from Joseph Merriam who came to Massachusetts in 1638 and settled near Concord. In 1861 the family moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where the elder Merriam became prominent in the business and civic life of the frontier city and of the state.
Education
Young Merriam was sent, at the age of fifteen, to Racine College, Wisconsin, where he remained until 1871, completing both preparatory and college courses and becoming valedictorian of his class.
Career
After an apprenticeship as clerk in the First National Bank of St. Paul, in 1871, Merriam was made cashier of the newly organized Merchants' National Bank, and subsequently became vice-president (1880) and president (1884). Banking and other business activities, and even a rather lively participation in various civic and communityenterprises, did not satisfy him, however; he cherished definite political ambitions. Merriam had a considerable part in bringing about the defeat of the veteran Senator Windom for reуlection and the selection of Dwight M. Sabin for his place. In 1886 he was again elected from his district and was made speaker of the House, where his "good nature, gracious manners and attractive personality" stood him in good stead and made him especially persona grata to the rural members of the legislature. This fact contributed to his election as vice-president (1887) and president (1888) of the State Agricultural Society, honors which in turn had a bearing on his later political career. In 1888 Merriam sought the gubernatorial nomination from the Republican convention and secured it despite the unwritten rule that an incumbent had an almost vested right to renomination. Gov. A R. McGill's stand for high license and the fear of some Republicans that a strong Democratic candidate with the backing of liquor interests stood a chance of winning the election undoubtedly contributed to Merriam's choice. But the episode caused resentment which had after results. The election gave Merriam a substantial majority. In 1890 he was renominated practically without opposition and was elected by a small plurality over Democratic and Farmers' Alliance candidates. Issues of paramount significance were lacking during his governorship, although it was then that Minnesota adopted the Australian ballot, refunded the state debt, and made provision for leasing iron-ore lands which formed a part of the school fund. As his term drew to an end Merriam aspired to the United States Senate. His friends worked up a sentiment which was calculated to throw the nomination by the Republican caucus to him instead of to Cushman K. Davis, the incumbent; their zeal diminished, however, and Davis was nominated, although subsequent investigation showed that, if they had stood firm, they probably would have carried their plan through. Davis was elected by a majority of one vote in the legislature; he evidently looked upon Merriam as the principal cause of opposition and his resentment was probably responsible later for McKinley's failure to designate Merriam to a diplomatic post, a reward that might have been expected from Merriam's part in the campaign of 1896, both as a delegate to the Republican National Convention and as a worker in the state canvass. Davis' animosity did not, however, block McKinley's selection of Merriam as director of the Twelfth Census in 1899. To this new position Merriam took the organizing ability, and the willingness to delegate authority to competent persons which had served him in his business career. According to S. N. D. North, his successor as director, the Twelfth Census "was not only the best census ever compiled in the United States, from the point of view of accuracy and comprehensiveness, but it was also the most economical, tested on the per capita basis, and what is even more important, the most expeditious in publication of the results". North also gave Merriam credit for securing the establishment of the Permanent Bureau of the Census. In 1903 Merriam resigned his position as director and from then to the end of his life sought no further political preferment. He continued to reside in Washington, being active in business; for some years he was president of the Shenandoah Coal and Iron Company and of the Liberty Furnace Company; later he was president of the Tabulating Machine Company. The last years of his life were spent in retirement and he died at Fort Sewall, Florida.