St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-03
NEVER BE 100 MANY.

1t is one of the puzzles of Waterfalls
lstic philosophy how nature can see
ahead and aaapt itself 10 coming con-
ditionS. lis notable that in new couii-
tries population increases by births
very rapidly. while the ratio diml.-
lnishes as the need seems To require. 1t
has been a matter or observation. in tile
DakOtaS, for instance. that married i'eu-
pie of many years standing. who a .e
childleSs while residing in the old aud
thickly populated sections, with the
rarest exceptions. at once on removing
to the new country commence contrib
utlng to the census. Supt. PORTER
could find more defense than lac
has thought in invoking nature to les
tify as to its methods in reducing the
ratio of increase as a country becomes
thiekly populated. If his census has
fallen in the last decade 10 a rate
Of growth of "a per cent when
the preceding decade exceeded 80
there is occasion for examination of
social philosophy. he will probably be
able to show that, aside from the large
cities which battle nature by their ac-
been very much in proportion to the
newness and presumptive needs of the
sections. This disposition of nature is
important in estimating the PROGRESS of
communities and peoples. 1t has an
element of cheer i'll it for the pessimistic
philosophers WHO see not rem ,te
period when the world will have too
MANY people trying to live on it. The
Time will never Collie, If the lntilnati0us
Of nature are not deceptive, when the
earth will refuse To furnish foul for all
Its inhabitants and sufficient room
for comfort. Pestilrncp and war nay
have seemed necessary at times ia
the past from the imperfect deveiop-
ment of tile means of suStenance. But
trlf1ing fraction of the possibilities of
production from the soil has yet t,een
utilized. Scientific processes and, per
maps, chemical discoveries. will make
ten bushels of wheat To- grow where one
now IS pronounced generous response
o the demands of the tiIIpr. If The
theory is rational that the earth is tp re-
tam Its present ECU pinent anu sort of
possession until its natural resources
have all been brought into use and ex-
hauSted, those who are figuring upon
The final catastrophe as being not very
remote are all out of time. The fitting
Of the planet, without presuining largely
upon latent resources not now suspected,
is probably sufficient to meet all hu
man eXactions for eras not to he com
pared with the historic period. When
Rll the habitable lands are densely pup
ulated. the natural increase will be very
slight, and nations will cease To grow in
numbers, as France has pretty neariy
already. The recent reports of the
register general for England and Wales
show that for five years the excess of
births over deaths has been rapidly de-
Ginning. The falling away is constant
and increasing, just as III the older
parts of the United States. There has
been marked increase in prosperity in
England and Wales in the half decade
but the birth rate has dropped rs ne r
1000 from the decade previous. The
marriage rate has not responded to the
improvement in the means of living.
Nature is looking ahead with conserya-
tive consideration ami a sagacity that
battles the statiSticiaIiS and theorists.