The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-01
SHOWING OF THE CENSUS.
PORTER TRIES TO EXPLAIN THE
SMALL INOREAsE,

He Does It by Alleging that the Emu
meration Of 1870 was woefully
Defcient-The South the Section in
Which the People Were Not
Counted
WASHINGTON, Oct. 81 - The twelfth
census bulletin. issued to-day. says: "The
population Of the United States on June l,
1881. as shown by tine first count of persons
and families. exclusive Of white persons In
the Indian Territory, Indians on the reser-
vations and Alaska was 62, 4SO, $40. These
figures may be slightly changed by
later and more exact compila-
hons, but such changes will not
be material. In 1880 the population was
80, 155. 1888. The absolute increase of popu-
lation in ten years was IL, 324, ,757, and the
percentage of increase was 24.57. In 1870
the population was stated as 3S,55S,37I.
According to these figures the absolute in
crease in the decade between 1870 and 1880
was 1881, ,412, and the percentage of
increase was 3008. Upon their face these
ngures show that the population has in
creased between 1880 and 1890 only 727, ,345
more than between 1870 and 1890, while the
rate of increase has apparently diminished
from 3O.OS to "a. 81 per cent.
HOW IT is EXPLAINED.
IF these figures were derived from cor
rect data they would be indeed disappoint-
ing. Such reduction in the rate of in
crease, in the face of the enormous
immigration during the past ten years.
would argue great diminution in the
fecundity of the population, or a corre-
spending increase in the death rate.
These figures are, however, easily explained
when the character of the data is under
stood. 1t is a well-known fact, having
been demonstrated by extensive and thor
ough investigation, that the census of 1870
was grossly deficient in the southern states,
so much so as not only TO give an exagger-
ated rate OF increase of the population be-
tween 1870 and 1880 in these states, but to
affect very materially the rate of increase
in the country at large.
WHERE THE FAULT LAY.
"These omissions were not the fault, nor
were they within the control of the census
Office. The census of 1870 was taken under
a law which Supt. Walker characterized as
clumsy and quoted as 'barbarous.' The
census office had no power over its
enumerators save q barren protest, and this
right was even questioned Ia some quarters.
In referring to these omissions, the superin-
tendent Of the tenth census, in his report in
relation to the taking of the census in South
Carolina, said: 1t follows. as a conclusion
of the highest authority either that the
census of 1870 was grossly defective
in regard to the whole state.
or some considerable parts thereof,
or else that the census of 1880 was fraudu-
lent" Those, therefore, who believe in the
accuracy and honesty of the tenth census
and that was thoroughly established-must
accept the other alternative offered by Gen.
Walker. namely, that the ninth census was
grossly Detective What was true OF
South Carolina was also true, in greater or
less degree, of all the southern states.
100000 NOT COUNTED.
There Is, of course, no means of ascer-
tanning accurately the extent of these omis-
sions, but In all probability they am mounted
to not less than !. 100000. There is but
little question that the population of the
United States in 1870 was at least 40.000,-
600, instead of 3S, ,558 ,37l, as stated. If this
estimate Of the extent of the omissions in
1870 be correct, the absolute increase between
1870 and 1880 was only about 10000, 900,
and the rate of increase was not far from
25 per cent. These figures compare
much more reasonably with similar
deductions from the population in 1880 and
1890. Omitting from consideration those
states in which the census Of 1870 is known
or is presumed to have been faulty, the rate
of increase between 1870 and 1880 in the re-
naming states has been very nearly main
tained IN the decade between 1880 and $780,
WHERE THE DEFICIENCY OCCURRED.
referring to the principal table OF the
bulletin the census of 1870 is known or is
presumed to have been deficient in nearly
all the states OF the South Atlantic and
Southern Central divisions, while in the
North Atlantic, Northern Central and
Western divisions no evidence Of incom-
pleteness has been detected. The population
of these three last named divisions In 1870
and 1890, the absolute increase for two de-
cades aud the rate of increase, is set forth in
the following table:
Population.
1oiu. SfUo oOl
n