St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-15
WHAT TO EXPECT.

Now that the enumerators have COM
pleted their rounds and are handing in
their returns, there Will be much of the
eagerness, especially in the cities that
feel the buoyancy of rapid growth, to
know the result that there is in the case
of exciting and doubtful elections. The
peculiar concern will extend only to the
count of population. There will be no
unbecoming Impotence to know how
many of the people are white or black
or male or female, or having unpleasant
personal ailments. The official returns
will not be known for months, at the
earliest. In the gathering of 1880, the
complete and exact figures were not
given for three years, but the unofficial
reports soon followed the work of the
enumerators. 1t is remembered that
the population of Philadelphia was suf-
ficientIy known by the middle of
June, and New York city and
state were had in less than
a month. But few days will be needed
for the first summing of the totals on
population in the cities where the count
has closed. If there is disappointment
in many ambitious localities, it will not
be an altogether new experience. Ten
years ago st. Louis fancied that she
was in the vicinity of Chicago, and the
first revelation of the figures was in
dgnantly rejected as untrue. A second
count was demanded, and it enlarged
the total by 10000, but did not fully
meet the numbers wanted. South Caro-
lima showed such an increase that in
vestigation was had, and it was found
that the census of the decade before
was imperfect and much below the real
numbers. With all the experience
of the past and the facilities
now had for the work, seri-
Gus defects can only be cred
tied to incompetency in management.
1t is promised that the official figures
shall break all the records in point of
time. 1t is not doubted that they will
be had before this congress adjourns
next March, as some partisan consider
ations are involved. One of the most
interesting revelations of the census
will be in the data given to the relative
growth Of cities and the rural districts.
In the former decades a growing pro-
portion of the population has been found
in towns and cities, and it is believed
this will even more notably be shown
in the coming figures. Many of the
farming counties in the East show an
actual reduction in population in 1880
from the preceding census, and this is
expected to be the case now, partic-
ularly in some New England dis
tricts. The only states that will show
afalling away will probably be Nevada,
although Maine has been stationary, or
little worse. New York is computed
. considerably above 100000, due to the
growth of its two great cities. mainly.
Ten years ago there were just twenty
cities that had 100000 population or
over. 1t would not be easy to name all
the cities that will now show larger
figures. The Twins could not get there
by combination in 1880, and now they
will show several multplications, If the
enumerators did shrivel the rightful
figures. New York is conceded to have
more than million population. and
Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Chicago
expect seven figures. There is no other
nation in the world, unless, possibly,
China, where they know little about
numbers, that has four cities with over
million population each. Whether
this drift to cities is salu tary or not is
question for economists and mOraliStS.