The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-11-12

thousand, against the native rate of 1853.
Summarizing some of the results stated with
yearly results:
Births Marriages
per each per each
900 persons, 1000 persons.
Mass, earlier period cted.... 2s.s 234
Mass last period, 10. :.;od ~ ~ III III
Mass, natives, later period. 1873 1870
Mass, for. born present time. 49, oo
England and Wales, ls53-ls72.. 94.s 20a
Austria lS53.lsI2. ............... 402 IIy
Prussia ls53-lsI2. ................ ~, IN
Sweden, 1853 S72................ $40 AL
In Massachusetts, the statistics in the
earlier period cited show that, of every
one thousand births from five to six were
Legitimate, while in the last period nine
teen were illegtimate. In respect to di-
vorces, in the earlier period there were 243
while in the. last period there were 600.
Could we reach the period, say of 1885, before
any important development of the ideas of
which the woman movement in 1910 to
1850 were symptoms, we should probably
find the native rates about those of Eng
land But our range shows us a birth rate
to the Puritan stock twenty-nine per cent
higher and marriage rate twenty-five per
cent higher, the birth rate falling to less
than half the normal rate of civilized coun-
tries, the marriage rate lower than that of
any except Sweden, and, divorces out, prob
ably below that. 1t shows us almost the
entire growth of illegitimacy and divorce.
So great has been the decline in the birth
rate of the Puritan stock that it is rapidly
approaching extinction Thus the six years
ending with 1881 show 156, 225 deaths of ma
tives to 103,773 births, or, If we include half
the births to mixed and unknown parentage,
to 126,429 On the other hand there were
only 40,716 deaths in the foreign element to
12S,54O births. Thus six and possibly seven
of the old stock die while five are born.
Nor are these figures peculiar to Massachu-
sets. l am informed that there are now
30 600 fewer school children in Maine than
in 1850. The ravages of rum in that COM
munity, which have attracted so constantly
its attention, have been as nothing in pre-
venting its increase of population compared
with the ravages of the reformer. DIR.
Nathan Allen tells us that even the physique
of the women is changing; that while forty
years ago it was the exception when the
native woman could not nurse her offspring
now hardly half can do it, and that this Is
not true of the foreigner. Various medical
works discuss the subject Many native
women are impaired for collaborating. The
census of 1875 shows one birth to each nine
native mothers, one to each four and three
fourths foreign.
The writer was lately assaulted by a clergy
man of the advanced type for giving extracts
from these figures for publication. He claims
as cause for the change that the young
men have gone west. But there was an ex-
cess of 64,752 natives leaving our state
1850, while in 1880 the excess was only
1871. Though six times as many of the
young had gone in proportion in 1858, yet
the birth rate was twenty-nine per cent
higher to native parentage. He next refers
| to the excess of females over males, which
in 1880 was 5,2O5. But of this %, 929 was an
excess of foreign females over foreign males
two and one-half times as great percent
age in the element which has three times as
high birth rate. In this excess in 1875 of
GA ,4S3 females there were only 1913 single
women, the rest being an excess of widows
over widowers. They are largely past child
bearing. And the excess was 81 500 in 1855.
| There were few widows among the young
! foreign element of that day and the excess
was chiefly native and probably, therefore,
of &c, 276 in 1880. This cause is no explana-
ton of the change. My clerical assailant
| then boldly rejoices in the new era and glo-
ries in the unfruitful vine, saying, that pro
creation is in the inverse ratio to the spirit
ual and mental advancement of woman in
| transition Periods etc. That is to say,
when the Lord gets a race to his liking he
straightway begins to choke that race out OF
existence. This startling theory may be
termed the doctrine of the survival of the
untittest. / do not choose to discuss it.
| will not follow man who rides his hobby
| into the dominion of death. l commend to
him the lesson to be read in the figures OF
his own very respectable denomination
which has in thirty years gained about
eighty parishes against gain of 6,71O Cath
olic churches, chapels and stations.
The Catholic church stands like rock
| upon the Bible doctrines concerning the re-
lations of the sexes and the integrity of the
family, and exerts power upon that sub
ject over its members to which the intiu
| ence of the Protestant church bears no com
parison. To that it owes largely its growth
in this unfriendly soil, which has been
| since 1S1O i'm the United States.
cco olieses and converts. 81 ' 81
66663O 6,l43,Oo
While the population increased 1872 pei
cent, the Catholics increased $40 per cent.
The male has largely abdicated his place
in the family, and he has also left the school
almost entirely. And the consequence
seems to be want of subordination u
authority, horde of lawless youth. Fol
certain ages woman makes the best teacher
but masculine strength, authority and force
of will, both in school and at home, are es
sential to the discipline of the older boys
The influence of the old schoolmaster o
forty years ago is still an inspiration witt
his gray-haired pupils. The lawlessness o
the youth shows in the criminal docks. TIL,
great body of prisoners are under twenty
five. The prisons are overflowing. Thus
the increase is
Commitments to all prisons. ........... 1879 1850
Commitments to all prisons. ........... 1885, 1905
Commitments TO all prisons. ............ 1881 1905
Commitments TO all prisons. 1852. s6
Commitments to all prisons. 1883, a,l2
1t must not be taken from my genera
statement that all the natives of Massa
chusetts follow or favor advanced doctrines
A large part are of course unaffected Blu
the change in the general conduct of lif
arising from these modern theories has beef
sufficient to produce the effects described
And If any one will investigate the Western
Reserve or perhaps the state of Michigan
any place where vigorous and successful
woman movement is a symptom Of the sam
conditions, he will find the same results
hope they are sufficiently startling to war