New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-03
THE CENSUS OF 1880.

The New-Years gift from Washington is an
approximate report of the census of 1880
authorized by the Superintendent, and believed
to be very close to the final result. 1t makes
the population of the United States 80, / -, $50,
though the footing of the population given
for the States and Territories separately is
$50 less. Tire increase since 1870 is 30.07
per cent. 1t appears that the rate of increase
which prevailed before the war has now been
almost precisely realized. Indeed, the population
in 1880, as estimated some years ago 10y Mr..
Elliott, of the Census Bureau, on the theory that
the loss resulting from. the war was 3,160, 401.
and that the rate of increase from 1910 10
1880, excepting for that difference, would be
exactly the same in each decade according to
the mathematical principle Of equal second
differences, was 80, $500 The variation
OF this estimate from the actual result thus
far ascertained is only 294, 500, and greater
variation than that must be attributed TO de.
fccts of the census of 1870 in some of the
Southern States, if the new census be ac-
cepted as correct. Surprising that the loss
directly and indirectly caused by the war was
only 2866, 000 and that the census of 1870
was 80 far inaccurate that the actual pOpula-
ton then was 294.559 greater than the pop
ulation returned, the rate of increase accord
ing to the law Of constant second differences
would now be precisely maintained. If the
same rate should be preserved for three more
decades the population would he about
63, 100000 in 1890, about 79,412,OO in
1900, and about 97,07S,000 IN 1910.
The Southern States appear to have in
creased faster than the Northern. But if the
census of 1870 was defective, as is main
tanned by the Bureau after repeated investi-
cations, and defective almost exclusively in
the Southern States the apparent excess in
rate of increase in those States disappears.
Thus, if the error above supposed to have
existed in the returns for 1870 namely, n
deficiency of 294,5j9, be supposed to have
been wholly in Southern States, the true pop
ulation of those States IN 1870 would be
14172, ia, and the increase from 1870 TO
1880 only 4,336,000, or 800 per cent The
comparison of results by sections, as officially
reported, gives an increase OF 27.I per cent In
the Northern States, from 24,277, $50 in
1870 to 3O,861 500 in 1880 In the Southern
States the increase has been 1873 per cent.
from 13,877,6l5 i'll 1870 to 1S,508, 17G in
1880. Ii the next apportiOnment should allow
for 800 members, the ratio would be 164 500
to each district, and the former Slave States
would be entitled to 112 members in the ag-
gregate, while the Free States would be enti-
tied to 1873 members. In tho distribution
by States, however, different results may
be obtained. The States which touch
ON the Atlantic, with Vermont and
West Virginia, have population of
21,921, $50. The remaining States and
Territories, excepting Ohio, have population
OF 25,O33, 2O6, or " nearly half of the
whole. so that line equally dividing the
population between East ana West would fall
near the western border of Ohio. AS far as it