The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-25
GAINING ON THE WHITES.
THE NEGRO POPULATION SHOWING
GREATER RATES OF INCREASE.
Interesting Deductions From Oficial
Comparative Statements OF Marriages
and Deaths-Estimates as to Births
Facts For Social Philosophers.

Thus far the present month ll3 marriage
licenses have been issued by the county
court clerk, and OF these ninety were issued
to blacks and twenty-three to whites.
During the previous month about the same
relative proportion existed, and, indeed, il
may be said that the number OF licenses
issued for year to the people OF Memphis
and Shelby county bears the same marked
advantage or disadvantage in favor OF the
black man in search OF domestic felicity.
Why this is or should be SO, involves many
questions OF political economy, but there
must be some plain and simple reason for
IT,
The comparative population OF Memphis
is rs follows, according TO the census taken
from Sholes' directory Of 1898 Whites,
40, 207; blacks, 90, 12S; total, 81, 335. From
these official figures ii would appear that
the blacks make up about one-third Of the
population, and yet they do so per cent
OF the marrying business, leaving hut 20
per cent. for the whites per month.
The mortuary reports for 1887 show that
the total number OF deaths in Memphis
during that year were |, 400, OF which 673
were whites and 100 blacks. According TO
the proportion OF population, one-third
black, the mortality at an equal ratio
would have bcen-whites, 97S; blacks,
4S0; but the reports show that the blacks
in deaths exceeded their proportion of pop
ulation by 3O7, and the whites fell
short OF their proportion OF popula-
ton by sos. With one-third OF
the population of 62,335, the blacks
exceeded the whites in deaths during the
year by 1913. The death roll per 1000
population for 1883 is rs follows Ratio OF
1000 population, whites, 1873; blacks,
35.97. Ii is reasonable TO conclude that no
greater disproportion, rs to population, OF
deaths prevailed in the county outside Of
the city or throughout the State. OF the
causes OF DEATH which affected the blacks
more than the whites, the following fig.
ures for 1887 will demonstrate. Dysentery,
whites %, blacks ~ malarial fever, whites
81, blacks "a; consumption, whites 63,
blacks 1877; inanition, whites %, blacks A.;
spasms, whites s, blacks IS; pneumonia,
whites 20. blacks 5l heart disease, whites
p, blacks 10. Astoal otherdiseas of what
ever class or order the whites are, 10y far,
the greater sufferers. The deaths Of
married males and females, white
and black, do not vary very much
during the year. Married males, whites
9s, blacks %; married females, whites ~,
blacks 81. The official figures Of the presi.
dent OF the board Of health do not give any
data concerning the number OF births dur
ing the year. white or black, so no accurate
deduction can be madeas TO this important
factor in population from the relative mum
Der Of marriage licenses issued yearly, bu
from observation Il would seem TO be {
well established fact that the blacks hav,
larger number OF living children pei
| family than have the whites, notwithsland
ing the other fact thatth mortuary report,
show the deaths Of minors for the year q,
follows Under year, whites III, blacks
| 1863; from 10 years, whites so, blacks
l26; from 10 10 years, whites a., black
20.
The increase Of population Is fairly showi
by the United States census OF 1880, ans
| the Sholcs directory census OF 1888, rs fol
lows 1880, whites 1892; 1883, white
4O,207, increase ~, 5S7; 1850, blacks IA,
| 07l; 1893, blacks % 1928, increase 7,l57
total increase OF population during th,
period 2S,7I4. The white population wa
very largely added 10 by immigration iron
1880 10 1888, but the blacks received M
such addition, even proportionately, BY
immigration during the same period. Tbei
increase was mainly the natural one com
ing under the head Of births.
The general drift OF the figures nboy,
given seems 10 show that notwithsiand
ing the heavy death rate among III,
blacks in Memphis over that OF III,
whites, the black people arr In
creasing In numbers steadily. aud from
natural causes, and the same must III
true as 10 the county Of Shelby and th'
State ofTennessce, because this Is the yer,
best point wherein 10 make the test %
comparison, the death rate among tn
black people here being much greater than
at any other points in the State, either IL
city or country, and Il follows that II thu
blacks increase here under NO adverse chr
cumsianccs, their increase must natur
ally and necessarily be far create
under more favorable circumstances
These results, II may safely b
said, are 10 a very great extent, brouglI
about by the statcmentand figures given i
the opening OF this article, showing III
large number OF marriage licenses issue
20 black people during each week, mont
and year. let scientists and politician
speculate as they may ~ 10 relative al
vance in population a. 10 racc, II Ia ceI
tain that the black people In this eectio
Of the Lords vineyard are practically an
successfully carrying out that primal OF
der OF nature increase, multiply an
replonish the earth.