Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1846-03-12
one rub his eyes to know if he were we'll

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awake. t
Second. But furthermore, the estimates
OF this table, which is in every respect as
hard to believe as the Table of the Ten
Commandments is hard to keep, are incon-
sistent with themselves and essentially UNI
fair. 1t will be seen that throughout the
whole State, with the exception of Balti-
more city, in determining the probable in
crease or decrease Of the whites, the COM
mittee have proceeded, though somewhat
inaccurately, by the laws of arithmeticaz
progression; while in reference to the free
blacks they have calculated, though very
carelessly still, by the rules of geometrical i.
progression. Now, the arithmetical law
adds fixed number at each successive
term; the geometrical muztiplies at each
step by fixed number, called the ratio.
The former process swells but slowly; the
latter soon rises to an inconceivable amount.
Their infinite difference may be aptly Illus
trated as follows: Suppose town to have
numbered 100 inhabitants in A. d. 1900,
and that it adds 10000 to its first number
IN every period Of 25 years, What will be
its population A. D. 1900? The answer
us 4O,lOO. This increase is in arithneticaz
progression. But the first growth Of said
town may be regarded in another light-for
an increase from 100 to 10000 is an in
crease of one hundred fold. Garry out this
law of increase to A. D. 1920, and what
will be the population? Answer, 10000
IOOO,OOO. This is in geometricaz progress
sion. The difference between the two re-
fsults is only the tri1ing amount of almost
ten billions: These two processes, at first
so seemingly alike, in the end are as wide
asunder as the poles. Now, why have the
committee subjected these two classes of
our population TO two scales of progress
SO vastly divergent? | do not for mo-
ment suppose that gentlemen Of their high
and deserved standing have intentionally
erred, with the wish of exciting panic
among the people, or of hurrying the Leg
islature into headlong action How then
can they have fallen into mistake which
little inspection will show to BIS not only
unfair in itself, but conducting t, results
perfectly preposterous The error so far
as regards the unfairness of applying tao
laacs to matters essentially the same, ~igi-
mated, imagine, in the following manlsr:
In geometrical progression, and particularly
d in the descending scale, when the ratio 8
J., increase Or decrease is a small fraction the \
, process at first view resembles arthmeical
; progreSsion-tha is, continued addition or
= subtraction. Now, every where through
> out the State, excepting in the city of Rlti7
more, the ratio of increase or decrease With i,
al, - 10
ton greater or less. The free blacks, on
the contrary, who in 1890 were very Few,
fftovo in the last 50 years (if they are to be-
calculated by the geometrical law increas-
ed in high ratios, varying from in Charles
county 70 nearly Sc in Baltimore city. The
apparent identity of geometrical with arith-
metical progression, aehen the ratio is trac-
I tiona7, has caused the committee to apply
the latter rule to the white populations.
while to the free blacks they applied the
former law, though with considerable loose,
ness. But little examination will show
the great inaccuracy of this. 1st will
take Charles county, promising that, as
have not the State Census with me, pro-
coed every where upon the supposed cor
RICHNESS of the figures as published from
the committee in your paper. Charles coun3
| ty, it seems, in 1890 had 1924 whites,
and in 1910 only 6,O22-a dimlnution on
the arithmetical scale of 4,l02, and on the
geometrical scale of 41-l01; or, disregard
ing minute fractions, 2-5 The free negroes,
on the other hand, in 1890 were 4O4, and
in 1910, S19-an increase of Ais on the
arithmetical scale, and of two-fold on the
geometrical. Now surely it is fair that
whichever scale is applied to one class be
Applicable to the other also. If the whites
are to dimish every half century by success
sive subtractions of 4,102, let the free ne
groes increase by successive additions of
415. Or if the other scale is to be applied
to the free blacks, SO that the number of
one half century is always to be doubled
in the next, then let the existing number Of
whites in one halEcentury be only dimin-
ished by 2-5ths in the next. No man can.
dispute the propriety of this. | will ex-
emplify this by two or three instances, toS
show that one rule will give far fewer free
negroes, and the other rule more whites,
than the committee have allowed. In Charles
county the average decrease of the whites
has been 4,102; the geometrical decrease
2-5ths. The atithmetical increase of the
free blacks AS; geometrical increase 2.
.Aruhmetical Scale.
Population Whites. Free Negroes
In 1890 1924 404
1910 6,O22 $40
1890 1920 1894