New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-04-18

Now the question being generally asked here among
thoughtful men.-tO hat causes must TINS cu'io"'
exodus he attributed have for some time been Trying
to get opinions this from the best informed people
and putting together the statements elected ma INC
reasonable presumption to be IN a number OF dsuhc'
causes have co-CIerated to produce the results "ho
the census enumeration exhibits. Nothing SLOT. Vi
visitation, county by county, would settle the m"'o
defLitively because local influences are SO diverse
Thus for instance. you may find side by side county
which has gained and one which has lost population.
In such cases questions OF soil, fertility etc nave
prob bly, to be taken into account. Again. III sumo
counties there has been exodus to Dakota am "ss
ington Territory, In Mitchell for example Hehera9
speaking however 1t will be found that the migrating
element consists mainly OF small farmers or reh'ors
And these are not all Influenced by similar motives.
Some of them have gone they want larger arns
and cannot get them here on little capital oomo'
again. took up farms here on two the hve anu Sc'en
wear mortgages and having been kept back by "au croP
have been compelled to suffer foreclosure ana nave
gone further west to begin again. Others sui ha'o
been crowded ous by tho expansive movement OF the
prosperous farmers These latter having capital nave
enlarged lhel farms by buying out their Struggling
neghbors.
Nor must It be forgotten that the decrease III popua
ton counties does not altogether rrPresoh'
emigration Some proportion OF it has been caused ny
the tendency of the young men OF the period 10 move
into the cisics The stable rural element to-day IL
largely mposed Of oregn-b born citizens Young Amer
lea has distaste for country life, wants more excite
ment more OF porunities foe speculation ana tue s".
ACQUISITION OF wealth than the rural life oilers ana
gravitaes the large cities This tendency ID ac'oi
which cannot be left out OF the account
An effort is being made in SINE quarters 10 Hake IL
appcar that the prohibition policy OF Iowa Is account
able for the decline OF population In the eastern am
northeastern COUPLES have endeavored to ascertain
what il any basis for this theory ana caiolu
examination OF census statistics has satisfied me thas
| u
may be taken for granted whenever dissatisfaction
with prohibition exhibited will be manifested most
strongly among the foreign born population ana
especially the Germans examination OF the census
returns OF counties which have declined In popula
tion however does not reveal marked tendency TO
migration In this element as the following ngures VIII
prove: -
Allarnakee County with total population OF le'3oo
has foreign population of 5,l36, including loo'
Germans / 1863 Norwegians and PAS Irish.
Renton County with total population OF 23'9oZ'
has n foreign born element of APPS, including 2ofo
Germans.
Black Hawk County. with tota. population OF 23soo
nas a foreign born element OF 4,lsl, Including l''oo
Germans.
clayton County. with total population of 26'853' has
a foreign born element of 6,5S2 including o,ooi "ei
mans 65l Norwegians and 19i lIish
Mitchell County, with total population OF l2'e2o'
has foreign element OF 2922, OF when l,olo mo
Germans and 9l7 Notweeans.
Chickasaw County with total population OF 1889,
has foreign born element OF 1888, including LILO
Germans and JS3 irish.
general average Of all the depleted counties SHOWS
about the same results and when examine the pop
ulaton of tho counties which show an increase the
figures afford no data changed conclusions Take or
example, the following ten counties, in which the iaSt
census shows given in the third column oi
figures: