The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1889-04-04
STARTLING FIGURES.
The Relative White and Negro
Population of Mississippi.

sus IF 1870 and the census OF 1850,
show the following state of COM
parativc white and black population
and ratios of increase.
Entire negro population in 1870. .444.2lO
Entire white population in $50. ISL, 5lg
Nooro m,;oritv 1861
Negro population in 1850. ........ .o5S, oSl
White population i'll 1se0. Isl, &c
Necro uaiority............i7l,s26
The increase of the negro race for
the ten years, from 1870 to 1880 was
POS, 494, or at the rate of 1854 per
cent. The white increase was 81, l79,
the rate of increase being 1927 per
cent.
Ifthe same rate of increase, and the
same ratio has been preserved since
1880, in 1890 the negro population
will amount to 959,SSS; while the
white race will only have increased
to COB ,267, showing a negro majority
Bot, 1921, in total population of l.
sos, 155.
1t is supposed that the census OF
1870 is not entirely accurate, but it
certainly gives fair approximate OF
the relative population of the two
races. On the other hand, it is
thought by many intelligent persons
that the negro immigration to the
State has been much greater since
than prior to 1880.
The causes which have produced
this increase of the colored race can
be briefly stated. The birth rate of
the negroes is higher and their death
rate is little greater than among the
whites.
Negroes from Alabama, Georgia,
North Carolina and South Carolina
are coming in steady stream to the
Delta. While it is probable that more
white people are leaving than are
coming into the State.
All these causes in combination,
and continuing in full operation in
ten more years will present a condi-
ton of things difficult to cOntem-
plate or even imagine.
In 1880 South Carolina had the
largest colored majority, of all the
Southern States, amounting to 212,-
227. Mississippi now greatly ex-
leeds that number, while South
carolina is losing its negro popula-
ion.
If the westward tide of negro
migration continues, in ten years
south Carolina will probably have
'nly small negro majority, COM
Daratively speaking.
Louisiana in 1880, in a total pop
llation of 93S,5O7, had negro ma
ority of 2S,SO3, and this has proba-
bly, been extiguished by the present
time. If not, it soon will be over
come by the white immigration from
Southern Europe.
IF the present state of things con-
tinues in operation for ten years
longer, Mississippi will be the only
State in the Union with negro
and that will be of extra
ordinary proportions.
This question is of infinitely more
consequence to the State than all
tariff and national issues put to-
gether.
Estimating one vote to every five
persons, the figures show a negro
voting population in Mississippi OF
191 ,977, and a white voting popula-
ton of 120, 653, giving cOlored vot-
ing majority of 1926.
The census of 1880 places the num-
Der of illiterate adult white males a,
~, 473 out 10S, 254, and colOred males
at $50, PTS, of which 99,O6S are litter
ate.
The illiteracy was then, among the
whites IL per cent. and among the
negroes 76 per cent.
Assuming that the same per cent
age and ratio exist at present, then
out of 1887 adult male negroes
145, 1904 are illiterate, and out of 120,
653 white male adults, there are -,
261 who are illiterate, and in a total
voting population of 312, 1928, there
are 159,065 voters in Mississippi,
who can neither read nor write,
which is slightly over 80 per cent OF
the whole. 1t would he fair to as
sumo however, that illiteracy has
been decreasing in Mississippi in the
past ten years, but decreasing
slowly.
Allowing wide margin for this,
there would be left 10000 colOred
and $4,000 white illiterate voters in
the State. If illiteracy were elm
mate from the suffrage there would
be estimated approximately, of the
white voters 1868; of colored
voters, 81 $40; white voting majority
1854.
This condition of affairs presents
IL problem which every public man
in Mississippi shuns as he would a
pestilence. And yet, every body out
of politics knows that it can not be
postponed forever. This suffrage
question must be met some day.
In 1867, Congress through the
amendment, offered to
leave the whole question of negro
snffrare to the Southern States on