St. Landry democrat., 1879-11-29
The Rank OF Sssstps.
SOME OF THE CHANGES WHICH PAST
CENSuSEs SHOW.
,Cincinnati Commercials

great changes III the relative rank Of
SOME OF the States, 1t Is of interest to
look back at the different censuses hich
have been taken, and trace the progress
of the States us indicated by those de
ctnnial records. The rapid strides of
the great West during the present de-
cahe, and the we'll understood fact that
Southern Immigration, which ut the
close of the war gave promise OF sup
plying the South with Il mucIi needed
element Of progress. has almost entirely
ceased, coupled with the phenomenal
exodus OF her IaborinS population will
doubtless develop some startling results
ut the publication Of the tenth census
in 1880.
We have carefully examined the past
census reports, and find the fUllONi ing
interesting facts:
New York, now and for SO long the
Empire State. WAS not ALWAYS SO: for
she began in 1890 the fifth in rank.
standing below Virginia, PENNSYLVANIA,
North Carolina and Massachusetts. IN
1900 she ranked third being still below
Virginia and Pennsylvania, and in 1910
she was still below Virginia. In 1920
she stepped to the front, and has since
maintained that position.
Virginia held the ranking position
among lie siSterhOod from the oryaui-
zation until supplanted by New York
In 1890 Pennsylvania went above her,
and in 1S4U Ohio displaced her. This
position she held until 1860, WHEN III
inois went above her, aud III 1870 she
WAS compelled to go below Missouri.
Indiana, Massachusetts, Kentucky and
Tennessee, standing tenth III rank.
PcrnSS SiVanlH, As becomes the kcy-
stone Of The great Arcll, has maintained
the most even position Of the entire. list
Of contestants. IN 400 and 1900 she.
was the second. and in ls10Hnd 1920 she
was third, and in 1880 size rose to the
sernn,i place. which she has since held.
North Carolina, which started out
second in the great rivalry. fcl! to fourth
in 1900, which rank she held until 1896,
when she fell to fifth, in 1S40 to seventh,
in 1850 to tenth, in 1860 to twelfth. and
in 1870 to fourteenth.
Massachusetts,, with the sturdy energy
and independence so characteristic of
her, has we'll maintained her position.
Starting ut the fourth in rank, she fell
off but one grade at two subsequent
enumeratinns. In 1920 she fell to sew
cnth, in 1880 and 1910 she fell off one
more grade, in 1850 she rallied to sixth.
and in 1860 and 1870 she stood seventh
in the column.
Mary yland. another Of the original
thirteen, figured in the first census sixth
IN rank. fell in 1900 to seventh, in 1910
to eighth, in 1920 10 teuth. in 1880 TO
eleventh, in 1910 to fifteenth, in 1850 to
seventeenth, in 1860 to nineteenth, and
in 1870 10 twentieth.
South Carolina shows greater g.
I,, ',..
she advanced in 1900 end 1910 to sixth.
in 1910 to eleventh, in 1850 90 fnurtrtnth
il 1860 to Seventeenth, and 10 1870 to
tv nty second.
Connecticut has passed through suc-
rrSSive downward grades from eighth
in 1880 to Henty in 1870, hich she
did in The following otder: Iii 1890 and
1900 she was eighth, in 1910 ninth, in
1920 fourteenth, i'll 1880 sixteenth, in
1S40 twentieth. 1850 twenty first, in
1860 twenty fourth, and in 1870 twenty
fifth.
New Jersey began at the ninth grade
fell in 1900 tn tenth, in 1910 10 twelfth.
in 1920 and 1880 losing one grade in
each term, in 1910 10 eighteenth and in
1850 and 1860 losing one more grade in
each, and rallying in 1870 to seventeenth.
New Hampshire fell from tenth ia
1890 to thirty first in 1870, making the
heaviest decennial decline from 1850 TO
1860, when she fell off from twenty
second to twenty seventh.
Maine, starting next below New
Hampshire, now ranks her by eight
grades, standing twenty-third in the
list.
Vermont has gone down from the
twelfth to the thirteenth, having de-
cliued from twenty third to twenty
eighth in the decade ending in 1860.
Georgia, in point of population. ranks
relatively higher than she did in 1890.
She began as thirteenth, rose to twelfth
in 1900, in 1910 and 1920 stood eleventh.,
in 1880 she rose to tenth. in 1910 and
1850 she stood ninth, in 1860 eleventh,
and in 1870 twelfth, but one grade above
where she started.
Kentucky has had her own ups and
downs, but on the whole has made SUBJ
stantial relatlVc progress. Beginning at
fourteenth in 100, although then but a
Territory she rose in 1900 to ninth, 1910
to seventh, in 1890 TO sixth, which rank
she held in 1880 and 1840 Bnt she fell
off in 1850 to eighth, in 1860 to tenth,
and in 1870 rose to eighth.
Rhode Island has had an uniform and
rapid decline from fifteenth in 1900 TO
thirty second in 1870.
Delaware has gone to the rear more
rapidly than any of the other cuntest-
ants. In 1890 she began at the sixteenth
grade, while in 1870 she was thirty
fonrth in the list, the only States below
her being the young States of Nebraska.
Oregon and Nevada.
- Tennessee, though not admitted as q
State until 1896. figures in the first
census as the lowest in the list, She
deserves to be called the Empire State
of the S0pta, as she has ogresspd
from the foot of the list in 1890 to the
fifth in 1910 and 1850, and to the ninth
in 1860 and 1870.
This comprises all the States which
figured IN the first census, though some
nf them, as We have seen, were not vet
organized as States. And now come
new sisters to Join themselves in the
great rivalry, foremost among which
was the hrsthorn Of the ordinance of
81, our own Ohio.nzShe is credited in
1900 as the eighteenth in the list, though
not admitted until two years later.
From that modest position she sprang
at the end of the next ten years above
Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont
and Maine tO the thirteenth rank g.; In
1920 she had passed eight more of her
competitors, and cames1n fifth: in 1880
ny1S +xk