Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1830-02-17

west OF the ridge in 1890, the west i,
entitled to SO members only, out of
l3I. an the white basis;' and the new
constitution allows IL precisely that
number.t But it is admitted, on all
hands, that the white population of the
country vest Of the Blue ridge has in
creased faster. since 1890. than the
same description Of population east Of
the ridge. The difficulty is Ia ascer.
tam kov much faster. Aud this i,rs.,.
" question OF great difficulty. Bot
a. u Is impossible to arrive al correct
opinion OF the merits Of the new con.
stitution without forming some opinion
on this previous question. l Will en-
dea'or to throw on the subject all the
light Which, | have myself been able to
obtain.
1t IS a subject 20 which I have been
compelled. by sense Of duty, to de-
vote, during the last few weeks, many
hours OF anxious consideration, the re
suit OF which | will state to YOU for
what II may be worth. will premise
that the public opinion has been great
" misled, as | suppose. by the audi
tors report, made by order of the con
,cntlon. IN October last.
According To that report. the cs,ima.
TED white population of,hr country
cast Of the ridge, in 1929, il S6o745
The estimated white population OF the
Country wesi Of The ridge, IL 5lo,5I6
Majority east of the ridge only 1920
The following statement will enable
you To judge how far his estimate is
entitled 10 your confidence. By re-
solution adopted October Eth, the aud :
,tor was requested to prepare and lay
before the convention a statement of
the Tree white population of each coun
y IN 1929. so far as he could deduce
the same by comparison uf the white
uihab'es and the entire white popula
ton IN the years 1860, l8IOanj 1890. ,
In other words, the auditor having. or
being supposed TO have. in his office, n
corrcctreturn or list OF the White tith
ables IN the respective counties in each
OF the years aforementioned, and bav.
ING correct return Of the total white
population OF the counties in the same
years, made by the United States off.
GERS who took the census, was REQUEST
ed TO ascertain the proportion which
The white tlthables bore To the whole
white population, in each Of those
years. And having, or being supposed
To have, also. a correct return or list
OF the white tiihables in each county in
1899, he was requested TO state the
white population Of each county in
1917, by assuming that ii bore the
same proportion Ia the white tlthabIes
IN 1899, which il did in the years when
the proportion " as actually ascertained
by the census. IL is obvious that the
correctness OF any estimate formed in
this way, must depend on the accura.
I cy OF the returns or lists Of ti,hables
annually made 20 the auditor. That
they were not accurate, might have
been inferred, priori, from The noto .
r'ous carelcsSncss or Incompetence Of
many OF the officers on whom this duty
IS imposed. Bot, on this subject, VIC
are not left TO conjecture. For the
auditor himself states, ia his report,
that the white aud slave tithables hay G
been IN some instances supplied BY
conjecture, the returns being imperfect
Or altogether wanting'-And that there
are 50 many probable errors in the
data upun which the population of ! 800
~ estimated, that he entertains cousi
derabe doubts Of its correctness II
these doubts required any corrobora.
iiOn, VI would be found in the fact, that
I Loudonn, one of the most prosperous
counties IN tive state. asccrtained bv
the census of 1890 60 have then con-
tanned white population Of q, la. u
eyfim6fod, IN 1929, TO contain 1890
only: and in the further fact. that the
trans Allegheny country. whose actual
increase from 1890 10 1900 was IS
per cent, from 1900 TO 1910, a. pcr
cent, from 1910 1890. q per cent.
and whose increase, va the same dimi-
nIsl'Ing ratio, fronl $50 to 1850. " Guild
be 10 40 per cent. only, - esIiD0iea
by tho report to have aetaklly lncreas.
ed SO ] 8 per cent. IN the last niHf
years. which Is equivalent 10 about 80
per cent. in ten.
! will not weary YOU with fufthel
details going Go shew What the auditor
himself, ia elect, admits. and what.
believe, Wa gwen up on all hands. be
fore the session at the convention
oluseI, that thc auditors estimate D.
not ~ the least 20 be depended sn. q.
shelving tie actual white population al
the several great divisions VI the com
\ mons eslih, N 1929.
4 presOge hat shat intelligent ans
I aa
? I Total wbiie population N 1920 Cl3, O6i
: White population esst " he Blue
ndge, "a. 3.
whre popuiafion vsa q he Bloc