Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-11-11
DYING OUT.

Puritan Neac EnglGmders Said to be Going
the Way Of the SanCtsriclt Islanders
New York Sun.
It will not fatter the native New Eng
landers to find themselves compared with
the Sandwich islanders. But the compari-
son is made by New England physician.
The two peoples, according to him, are
alike, however, only in their tendency to
die out. Besides the strictly native New
Englanders," says DR.. Allen, in the Popu-
lar Science Monthly,' there is only one other
people or race where there has been such
a natur al decrease in numbers-that is, the
Sandwich islanders
1t is well known that since their Chris
tianization the people of the Sandwich is
lands have fallen off rapidly in numbers.
The decrease in fifty years has been two
thirds. In 1880, when the first census was
taken, the population was 10000. That
was ten years after the American miss ion
aires began their work. According to the
last census the total was about 10000. or
less than one-third as many as they were
fifty years ago. The trouble is that ciyiliza-
ton has carried into the Sandwich islands
diseases incurred by RIGHTEOUSNESS and
intemperance,which have caused physical
degeneracy in the people. "The law of
propagation has been violated to such an
extent that it threatens the extinc ton of
the people," says DR.. Allen.
The decrease in numbers among the
strictly native New Englanders, however,
is attributed by DR.. Allen, who has long
made special study of the subject, to
''some change in physical organization -
In the last century the colonists of New
England, made up mostly of English
stock, multiplied rapidly. Their natural
increase was SO great that they doubled in
numbers in twenty-five years. "Malthus
regarded them as the best specimens in
this respect of any people or race, and
based upon facts from this source his
great principle of population"
But within the last hundred years won
derful change has taken place. Carefully
kept records show that the average num-
Der of children of each family has de-
creased with every generation. 'sThey
commenced with large families, averaging
eight or nine, but it is now doubtful
whether the average will exceed three chill
dren to family, scarcely enough to keep
the original stock good in numbers" And
this change has occurred in the same
places, with the same people, having the
same climate and plenty of food'
The main cause, says DR.. Allen, is that
'the men are not so strong and vigorous
as their grandmothers and ancestors, and
the women have deteriorated physically in
surprising degree. majority of them
have performance of nerve tissues, with
weak muscles and digestive organs. The
most marked change in this 100 years, in
organization, is this loss of balance or har-
mony in the organs; and especially in
women it is far more striking. They have
been diverging more and more from that
normal standard upon which the law of
propagation is based" Only about one
half of the New England women can prop
erly nurse their offspring, and this inca
pacity for nursing is rapidly increasing.
This DR.. Allen regards as very significant
OF some change in organization to which
the natural decrease is due.
The facts on which DR.. Allen bases his
conclusions are known to everybody who is
familiar with the present New Englanders
of the old stock. We mean those who are
still to be found in the region Inhabited BY
their ancestors--th the New Engalnders who
have remained at home. Their families
are small. They are not physically as
vigorous as their fathers. The women are
not symmetrically developed, and their
nervous organization is apt to be morbid.
Of course, there are exceptions, but they
generally occur when some other blood
has been mixed with the native New Eng
and.
The best of the New England stock has
not renamed at home. 1t has for gener-
ations gone to regions Of wider opportuni-
ties, where there was more chance for Wig
or and enterprise. The strong men and
the handsome women have enigrated; and
while the physical force of New England
has been declining.its intellectual strength
has also fallen off perceptlbly and inevita-
bly,. Boston and Massachusetts are not
what they were a generation ago. Vigor
and courage, originality and power in lit
erature. have been succeeded by inicism
and dilettanteism, tin,idity, emasculation.
imitation ard dread Of al, spontaneous ex-
preston.