The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-09


South-all these important problems may be
partly solved by the next enumeration of
population.
We shall learn, too, how fast and far the
Southern whites are abandoning their States
for other regions under the Union and
whether they themselves are creating more or
less wealth since they ceased to depend on
forced labor. After the results of science
appear, the usual outcries of prejudice and
Ignorance on these important matters will
cease, and we shall have facts to rest upon.
As this vast procession of population moves
across the waters to this New World we shall
learn from the tables next year where it is
distributing itself, and what lands and eli
mates under our flag it prefers Great physi-
cal problems, too, will be in process of solu-
ton. 1t is still question with the students
of race whether the Anglo-American is fairly
acclimated, and whether his natural increase
is not diminishing in proportion to that of
continental nationalities, SO that the leading
race here may be dying out. This vital query
will receive many responses from the figures
of next year. 1t will be known, too, how
many disabled men we have as the fruit of
our civil war, and what the exact condition is
of the national strength.
The movements of population, too within
the Union will be ascertained, and the growth
or decay of separate communities and States
be distinctly portrayed. We shall learn again
the precise ratio of our growth and our pro-
duction; what increase we are making in
manufacture, how many new acres are being
planted, what additional animals we possess,
and what the exact decay of our commerce is.
The ratio of births to deaths, of deaths to oc-
cupations and ages, and thousand facts of
the highest Importance in vital statistics, will
again be carefully presented.
Insurers have asserted that the average of
human life is longer here, among our native
l,x.v,, AL,,N -.
will begin to furnish data for ascertaining
this. To secure all these vast results so i'm
portant to finance, to science, and to our
national well-being, most careful and scen-
tifc plan for the census is needed
General Garfields suggestion that the
United States Marshals be not employed in
taking the census seems wise, for obvious
reasons. His recommendations that the re-
turns of families be on separate slips, and
held confidential, that they be never taken
advantage of for taxation or any judicial
purpose, and that more and better paid
| agents should be engaged in this work, seem
also reasonable and proper The census
ought also to be taken within one month so
| that 1t may be as accurate as possible-as a
| single day census must be impossible in our
vast domnin-and it should be collected and
| published at least within year, and not drag
| on for five or six years, as has often been the
| case. The distribution of schedules before
| hand is very practical suggestion, and would
| insure much more trustworthy returns. Gene
| raj Gariield's suggested improvements in
headings of the schedules, we trust, will be
| adopted, as well as more compact and
| popular form of publication for many of the
| statistics than we have hitherto enjoyed.
THE NEW ERA IN NATIONAL POLITICS.
! From the NJ Y. Sun.
The autumnal elections are over. The two
| which are yet to take place in Mississippi and
Texas, under the reconstruction acts, are so
exceptional in their character that we need
| not wait for them before summing up the
| general results and deducing the lessons
| taught by series of contests which have
been waged without intermission for the last
two months.
| We presume that neither political party has
| realized its expectations; certainly neither
has won the decisive triumphs which it pre-
dicted While the Republicans have lost no
| State which they could reasonably hope to
carry, the reduction of their maj jorities, when
compared with those of 1868, has been seri-
Gus and significant. On the other hand, the
| Democrats have by no means made such ad-
vances into the territories of their opponents
as their leaders promised the rank and file at
the opening of the campaign.
1t is not, then, the superficial results Of
| these elections which constitute their chief
importance. BY practically closing protracted
controversies they open to every sagacious
eye new era in national politics. Until now
! a shade of doubt hung over the ratification of
! the fifteenth amendment of the Constitution.
These elections, with those which are soon to
occur in Mississippi and Texas, place that
matter beyond contingency.
1t is at this precise point that the trans
cendent Importance of these contests appears
to both political parties. The consummation
of the amendment will be the eliminating
| point In O series of measures which General
Grant was elected to carry through. Half
million OF voters, scattered all over the
Union, gave him their suffrages mainly to
secure this end, and with scarcely any other
object IN view. That valuable and remunera-
tive item IN the capital stock of the Republi-
can party is exhausted. Any attempt by that
party to hereafter ring the changes upon the
class of subjects to which the amendment
properly belonged, will be treated by the
people as sounding brass. Through the blind
perverslty of Democratic leaders, the Re-
publican chieftains have been able to win a
succession of victories on this field, some of
which they would otherwise have lost. A few
Democrats of that school of politicians who
learn nothing and forget nothing may try to
keep up this bootless contest and even en-
deavor to carry it into the next Presidential
campaign: but the masses of the party will
not be slow to inform them that they have
sacrificed quite too much already in fighting
about negroes, and that the appropriate place
both for reactionary leaders and blind guides
is not at the head of the column, but far away
in the rear.
So soon as the Democratic party gets rid OF
| its old fOOies and in the 1onono0n of M