New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-04
next time tho Thibetan Mahatmas hold con-
yention he will be nominated to rule over them
IN the first ballot.
THE DECLINE OF THE PURITAN STOCK

| THE DECLINE OF THE PUEII1N SfOCh.
DIR. John Ellis has just published pamphlet
entitled Deterioration Of the Puritan STOCK,
| and il, Causes" which contains matter tor re-
Election. lie gives official statistics FOR Massa-
ohusetts, covering the six years from 1875 10
| 1881 inclusive. which on their face appear to
Indicate that during that period the deaths ex-
ceeded the births among native Americans
in that State by 29,796; whereas the
births exceeded the deaths among the
foreign-born population by 1891. AS there
is some confusion in the classification, however,
DR.. Ellis thinks it not safe to infer IRON inc
statistics more than that "the foreign born IN
| "habitants of Massachusetts, numbering less
than one fourth the population of the otatc'
"give birth TO more than one half OF the children
"born in the State This conclusion, IL trust
worthy, is sufficiently serious, and 1t remains 10
ascertain the causes of such marked oeciihe
in the vitality of a once specially hardy anu
vigorous race. The question has, no
doubt. often been discussed before, but
il il still an open one, since none OF the explain
ations thus far suggested appear to'cover the
ground. DIR. Ellis believes that tight dressing
luxury, ndisposition to assume family cares, and
impotence of the domestic life among the
women, and intemperance among the men,
are the principal causes OF the apparent
deterioration in the Puritan stock.
As the foreign born population drink more
whiskey and beer than the ative-born, in
Temperance can hardly be accepted rs the ex-
planation As tight dressing has never been
confined to Massachusetts, in the first place,
and, in the second place. is nowhere at present
ii tba nSto of
n quarter of a century ago, neither can that
evil be regarded as solving the problem.
In fact. it is certain that women dress
to day much more scnsibly than they ever did,
and pay more regard to physiological laws. 1t
is also true that the strain of life upon large
percentage of them is less if we except the eff
fects of voluntary dissipation. But the cher
difficulty consists in the obvious fact that the peo
pie of Massachusetts, generally speaking, I'VE
very much as the people OF most OF the 0ther
States live. They are certainly not more given
to bad habits than their neighbors. They are
certainly not behind the rest OF the country III
civilization, in sobrety, in ordered habits, III
intelligence. Where is it that the causes OF the
decline referred to are TO be sought them
Climatic conditions will not afford the answer,
because the climate was the same when the
Puritan stock was most vigorous. But the
training of the young and the increasing ambi-
ton of girls may perhaps breed an indifference
to or dislike of marriage, and thus encourage
that dread of large families which,
whether in Massachusetts or i'll France
is always reflected in the vital sta
tistics. The growth of such sentiments
among the women of any community must
sooner or later affect its increase. The tend
ency to cultivate the intellect exclusively also
has mischievous results, and it would appear
that Nature has in this way made it impossible
to err far or long in that direction, since the
consequence of such a policy is the rapid
disappearance of the stock upon which such
experiments are made. Reviewing all the
facts and suggestions, it seems necessary to con-
clnde that the main cause of the decline in the
Puritan stock is really a change in the views of
life held by women, and it can only be presumed
that the new views are more influential IN that
State than elsewhere in the Union. This alone
can account for the fact that similar decline
is not observable in other States