Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-19
A VAST AFRICAN MAJORITY.
Rapidly Becoming a Negro
State.

From the New MississppiaI
There are probably very few persons who
comprehend the extraordinary rapidity with
which the colored race is increasing in Missis-
sippi The figures taken from the census of
1870 and the census Of 1880 show the following
state of comparative white and black popula-
ton and the ratios of increase:
Entire negro population in 1870. 445, 06O
Entire white population in 1870. 1884, $40
Negro majority OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 60,511
Negro population in 1880. .653, 554
White population in 1880. .4s1, 72s
Negro majority ........,.... III ,S26
The increase of the negro race for the ten
years from 1870 to 1880 was EOS. 494. or at the
rate of 46. "a per cent The white increase was
,l79, the rate of increase being 2527 per cent.
Ii the same rate of increase and the same
ratio has been preserved since $780, in 1890 the
negro population will amount to $50, while
the white race will only have increased to
603.267, showing negro majority of $50, 921 in
total populat ion of 1858. 1856.
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 immi-
grafton 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 Caro-
lima, 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 continu-
ing In full operation in ten or more years, will
present condition of things difficult to con-
template or even imagine.
In 1880 South Carolina had the largest col
ored majority of the Southern states, amount
ing to 2l2.227. Mississippi now greatly exceeds
that number, while South Carolina is losing its
negro population.
If the westward tide of negro migration con-
tinues, in ten years South Carolina will prob
ably have only small negro majority, COM
paratively speaking.
Louisiana in 1880, in total population of
938, 5O7, had negro majority of 2S.S03, and
this has probably been extinguished by the
present time. If not it soon will be overcome
by white immigration from southern Europe.
If the present state of things continue in
operation for ten years longer, Mississippi will
be the only state in the Union with negro
majority, and that will be of extraordinary
proportions.
Estimating one vote to every five persons, the
figures show negro voting population in
Mississippi of 191, 977 and white voting popu-
iation of l2O, 653, giving colored voting ma
jorlty of 71.326.
The census of 1880 places the number of illit-
crate adult white males at Il, 473 out of 254,
and colored males at 100, 278, of which 99,06S
are illiterate.
The illiteracy was then, among the whites II
per cent, and among the negroes rs per cent.
Assuming that the same percentage and ratio
exist at present, then out of 1S1, 979 adult male
negroes, 145,S04 are illiterate; and out of
12O.653 white male adults, there are 3,261 who
are illiterate; and in total voting population
of 3l2,623. there are 159,065 voters in Missis-
sippi who can neither read nor write, which is
slightly over so per cent of the whole. 1t would
be fair to assume, 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 100 900 colored and II 900 white illterate
voters in the state. If iliteracy were elm
mated from the suffrage there would be esti-
mated approximately, of the white voters 108,-
653; of colored voters, 81 ,97O; white voting ma
jority, 36,674.
This condition of affairs presents problem
which every public man in Mississippi shuns as
he would pestilence. And yet everybody out
of politics knows that it cannot be postponed
forever,