Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-01-04
What We Owe to Foreign Imni
grafton.


United States at the time the first census
was taken, in 1890, as native, what pro-
portion of the present population is de-
scended from that nucleus, and what is
due to foreign immigration during the in
terventing eighty years? Mr.. Frederick
Kapp attempted solution of this curious
question, but his calculations were not |
well grounded He assumed that the CEN
sus returns of 1860 of the number of births |
and deaths afforded trustworthy meas |
ure of the natural increase of the popula-
ton. Applying that rattle to the popula- |
ton of the country in 1890, he brought |
out the astounding result that two-thirds |
of the whole Inhabitants of the United
States are either foreigners Or the descend
ants of foreigners who had settled in the
country since 100. Mr.. De Bow, in his
forthcoming volume on the "Status of the
Country" shows the error of Mr.. Kapp's
process. Taking Mr.. Kapp's ratio of ma
tural increase and applying it to the popu
lation of 1890, he finds that IN the first ten
ton at the rate of 60,000 year, whereas
it is known that we did not receive one
tenth part of that number. The native
white population of the country must
therefore have increased much faster than
the l 38-100 per cent. per annum taken
by Dir. Kapp as the basis of his calcula-
| tions. AS a matter of fact, during the
first years of our existence as a nation it
is certain that population doubled itself
| from the excess of births over deaths
about once in twenty-five years. Mr..
Kapp's percentage would not double it in
less than fifty.
Mr.. De Bow, by a process involving
great labor but founded on correct princi-
pies, fixes the number of foreigners and
| their descendants at II, ,112,6 ,662, and of
white Americans, descended from resi-
dents in the country in 1870 at % 1923. .SS3
Mr.. De Bow, at the time he made his cal
culations, could not have seen the ad-
vance sheets of the population tables Of
the Ninth Census, in which We find some
figures which go far to confirm the sub
stantial correctness of the results obtained
i by him. Table No. gives TO- S92, ,015 as
the number of Inhabitants having one or
both parents of foreign birth, while the
number of foreign born is but 5,556, SAG.
Mr.. De Bows number is doubtless about
million too small; but that error is in
significant in comparison with Mr.. Kapp's.
Unfortunately the question is not one
which admits of solution by the simpler
process of mathematics. Nor have we
the statistics to immigration for the earli-
er years of our existence as nation. 1t
is CERTAIN, however, that the arrivals then
from foreign countries bore no proportion
to their present magnitude. Twenty
years ago, by the census of 1850, the whole
foleign- born population numbered but 2,
244,602
We may take twenty yaars as the age at
which marriages begin to be productive.
On this assumption there can be no indi
viduals of more than fifty years of age,
descended from foreigners living in this
country in 1900, who are not included in
the census class of persons having one or
both parents of foreign birth. BY the
same reasoning there can be none aged
more than forty years descended from for
eigners living here in 1910 AS we go
down the scales the age of those of for
eign descent, not included in the census
class, diminishes, and when we reach
1850 it disappears altogether. Suppose
that in 1910 there were, by liberal esti-
mate, 100000 residents of foreign birth
who had landed since 1890. Their living
descendants of the second and third gen
erations would not fall in the census class
of those having one or both parents for
eign. but they themselves and their chill
dren would be so included. Assuming
the 100000 to have increased to 100000
in 1879, not more than 100000 of them
could possibly belong to the second and
third generations. From 1910 to 1880 the
immigration certainly did not exceed $50,
90 Assume the 100000 to have increas-
ed in forty years to 100000 OF these
all aged over twenty years-at least u
per cent. of the whole-are included in
the census class of those having one oil
both parents of foreign birth, leaving 81
per cent, or 250,000, to be added to the
100000 obtained above. Suppose 1000,
010 foreigners to present the immigration
from 1880 to 1910, and to have increased
to 2, 100, 900 in 1870. We have to add tc
our count only the children under TO- say
Is per cent, or 10000 The sum ofthese
corrections, SO far. Is f,25O,000 These
are but rough calculations, but they show
that the 1882, ,015-of persons having one
or both parents of foreign birth must in
clude about ninetenths of all the inhabi
tants of the United States who are not de
scended from those living on our soil a
the time the Constitution was adopted
|
Under the State law it Is made the duty
, of teachers in the public schools to ascer
/. tain the cause of the absence of pupils il
public schools. When a child is absen
and does not bring an excuse from its par
ents or guardian. it is the duty of tn
teacher to send note to the parent O.
guardian to ascertain the cause of the alb
sence, and they should in all cases receive
u prompt and respectful answer.
;,
: There was grand semi annual fiagela
, ton at Newcastle, Deleware, the State of