I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Minneapolis-St. Paul 1890 battle to pad the census count (“The Census War,” July/August). I’ve read quite a bit of history about the census, and it’s been good for me to do so. When people ask me if this isn’t the worst time to be Director, I answer, “No—you should read about the nineteenth century. The census has always been controversial because it redistributes power—and, in recent times, money.”