Using "Load CSV/TXT" for the file
http://censusdata.ire.org/18/all_140_in_18.P1.csv works correctly in version
"1.8.0_devel" but it does not work in version "2.1.0-beta0".  Specifically, the
"NAME" column which contains tract number, with embedded decimal point is not
read correctly.  The only non-default option that I use for the "Load CSV/TXT"
dialog box is: Column separator: Comma , !  Everything else I leave it at the
default in both the versions!

the problem was not directly caused by spatialite_gui
there was a bug in the VirtualText module of libspatialite.

now fixed by commit b72ce4b2a5 (libspatialite)