The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-08-12
Social sta,istics of massachu.ett,

From the Washington National Intelllpencer.
r The Boston Daily Advertiser calls the
attention of the people of Massachusetts
to the increase of vice and crime among,
the female population of the State, as seen
in the, growing abandonment Of infant
children, and in the enlarged category Of
the offences for which women are arrested
by the police of the cities. The first and
chief of thelsnaturals causes which sapra-
vate the moral condition of the State un..
der this ihead,is found by cur contem-
porary gin the great disproportion that
exists in Massachusetts, between, the
number OF, the male and female pop,
ulation-involving the community in
peculiar difficulties respecting the oc.
L ccupatiOn of, women, their residence. the
temptations which surround them, and the
way in; which what the, English call /. the.
social question affects our systems Of
public punishment and reform. It an
pears from the returns of the last national
census that in 1860 the excess of the mum 3
ber of women, Of all ages, in the State of
Massachusetts, above that of men, was
S6,970, Since that time the war and the
steady surplus in the emigration Of the
males must have taken from the State.o
the, Adoertiser', thinks, sixty or seventy
Thousand more men-these also, it must
be observed, of the manageable ages
leaving surplus Of 10O, 900 women, Be-
tween the ages of fifteen and forty-five.
the population in Massachusetts, isi about
$4,000. The population of men of the
same age does not probably exceed, 242.-
600 at the present time. On this state Of
facts our contemporary remarks as follows:
This entire disproportion, greater than We
remember 70 have observed in the statistics of
siderable extent, TO the war; But we should
mistake greatly If we should consider the war
as Its only cause. Before the war existed in
1861, the excess of women of all ages was as
we have said $3.50. Counting only the pop.
uiatlon between the ages Of 10 and 80, the ex-g
cess OF women within those limits was 81 600
surplus much too large to be overlooked in
careful study of the crime OF the community.
The causes are evident. Young men emigrate.
freely and largely. They EN- CRATE in much
great proportion than We men do. The emf :,
grafton from Massachusetts is much greater
than the emigration into it. The consequence
Is that q large proportion OF unmarried women
are left by the tide of emigration within our
borders The movement of the army is to be
looked upon as a large emigration. Many
alasi Of those who have left us, cannot return.
Of those who can many will be temptedto to
take up their abOdes in di ta 1t states. so that
the surplus of about one hundred thousand
marriageable women above tho number OF
men cf the marriageable age in Massachusetts
may be looked upon. not indeed as precise
statistical statement of an evil which we have
10 correct. but "a not SO far distant from the.
tt nth as at first sight might appear. s''
The AduersiSer conceivss that the oor-
rection Of this evils to- be found in the
encouragement, BY all proper means. of
the migration OF women from Massachn.
setts into the regions OF the West, where
they are needed, and Of the systematic
immigration of, men from Europe in.othe
State; in support 0fwhich former remedy
it adds: Merely selfish considerations Of
a temporary lack in the supply Of work
men ought not to stand moment in tie
way OF. the rectifyiug gross dispropor.
tion, which, of necessity, seriously an
dangers the morals OF the community and
the very foundations OF society," -