Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-01-20
How MUCH POPULATION DO We

Every section of our country is now
scrambling 10 see how much population
it can get.
Before long the inquiry will arise, how
much population do we want?
AT no very distant day, we opine, that
many sections will be concerned about
how not to get an increase OF popuia-
ton.
This conclusion grows out of some of
the surprising figures furnished by the
last census showing the rate of increase
in our population.
We began the present century with a
population of 5,S0S,0OO We now have
5O,155,OO0. The increase has been nine
fold in so years.
The growth in the last decade was 30
per cent. The Missouri Republican
furnishes US q calculation of the result
should the future growth continue at
the same rate as in the last decade.
This rate, if continued, will give Us o.
coo, GOO i'm 1890, and 81, 5000 900 in 1891
a growth from 5,30S,0OO to Si,5DO,OO0 III
the round century, and it will enable
the ten-year-old children of to-day,
when they shall have reached middle
are. to look upon population of lO9,-
reached three Score sh taaf fSRh f2 81 h i5Ss
upon population of237 100000.
These are staggering figures. lie Is
hardly conceivable that our present
rate of growth will be maintained for
sixty years 10 come, for even if immi-
grants should continue to come to our
shores I'm such armies rs now, 1t would
be necessary for Us to take measures to
repel them. There are few children, if
any, now living who will be willing to
see two hundred million souls packed
together i'm the country. The time will
come, then, when We shall cease to
court more population, and shall say ii
is enough.
These figures suggest an interesting
question which we shall need tOdisCuSS,
perhaps, sooner than we imagine. 1t is
that, as We have said: how much popu-
lation do we want: At what point
shall we shut down the gates against
the intlOwing tide from the old world?
There is, Mt least, one class of our pop
uiatiOn, which will sooner or later begin
10 show signs Of impatience ut the con-
tinUance offs movement which threat
ems To break down wages and make the
struggle for existence sharp and pain
ful. IL has not been very long since We
had some exhibitions of this character
among our laboring classes. As long rs
the country continues prosperous, with
employment abundant and wages good,
we do not concern ourselves about the
Question Of an excess Of population.
But Il il too much to expect that the
phenomenal prosperity of the past few
years will continue; and wien we have
passed into a period of what We are ac-
CuStOmed 10 term "hard times We pre-
dict that this question of population will
become not less exciting than that of
the Chinese immigration has been in
California.
May We not, indeed, eXpecttO find the
labOring classes demanding with equal
force and justice that they, ~ well -
manufacturers, shall have tariff To iu-
terdict the importation of labor ls the
manufacturer has to interdict the im-
pOTtatiOn of materials which come in
competition with the products %of
his mill or manuiactOry? What
What is sauce for the goose ought to b.
for the gander, and if it is right that the
manufacturer should be protected from
the effect of "thc pauper labor of Eu-
er should be protected from this paupcr
labor IN pCrSOBdm.'
Iii i'm any case protection to the man
ufaCturer does increase the wages Of Ia
Dor, ~ alleged, it also induces workers
10 flock 70 this country from all Others
until the supply of labor exceeds the de
mand and wages fall. We do not see
that this protection Of the manufacturer
alone protects the wages Of the labOrer.
If any, il affects only u small class. The
farmers and agricultural laborers
are not protected. The carpen-
ters, blacksmiths, masOns, painters,
plumbers, printers, preSsmen, tailOrS,
and many other industrial classes are
not protected; neither are the physi-
clans, lawyers, ministers, editors and
writers, including all classes of clerks,
statesmen and bookkeepers. On the con-
trary, these are taxed To protect the 9TH
ers 6y the higher prices they are obliged
to pay for everything they consume.
Wages, like everything else in our
country, are governed by the law OF
supply and demand. They are high
here because of the great amount of
work to he done in proportion to the
workers, the abundance of land and the
rapid growth of the country. But just
in proportion as We import labor, will
the demand be curtailed and the wages
of the American labOrer be reduced.
Why should his wages not be protected,
if anything is protected?
This is subject our labOring classes
are beginning to seriously think about.
They will want tariff for the labOrer
rs well as the manufacturer, or they
will want every interest to paddle its
own canoe as they do.