The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-09-18
Census Surprise.

The new census, as far as abstracts of
the population have been given out, is full
of surprises. In the frat place, it has
bafled all the calculations of persons of a
statistical turn of mind with respect to
the increase of population during the past
ten years. IF the natural rate of increase
had been the same that prevailed between
1870 and 1880, we ought to have had in
1890 population of sixty.six millions.
The new census in round numbers puts it
at sixty-four millions. This loss of two
millions is attributed to the fact that the
natural increase among native American
families has declined during the last de-
cade. This tendency of the native stock
to multiply less rapidly applies particu-
larly to the New England States. The
census shows that in Vermont the birth
and death rate we're about equal !; that in
Massachusetts and Rhode Island the in-
crease was only about one half of one per
cent, and in New Hampshire as low as
seven thousandths of one per cent. In
deed, all the New England States have
shown remarkably low rate of increase
since the war. The cause of it, in great
part, is attributed, and perhaps, not un-
justly, to the migration of the younger
generstion to the States West and South,
but it does not account for the fact that,
taking the whole of the States and Terri.
tories covered by the census, there has
been decline in the natural rate of in
crease, as compared with the rate of in
crease between 1870 and 1880. Stated in
another way, the increase of population
from all sources between 1870 and 1880
was 30 per cent. From 1880 to 1890 the
increase was but 81 per cent.
Another surprise is this. It has been
frequently asserted that the colored popu.
lation at the South was increasing go much
faster than the white population of that
section that it would not take many years
before they would be numerically 30
strong that they would take practical pos.
session of some of those States. The new
census does not bear out these specula-
tions. Il shows that the colored people
have not increased 30 rapidly as was an
ticipated or in equal ratio With the whites.
The census of Mississippi has not yet
been made public, but enough has been
ascertsined to indicate that while there
been large decrease of the negro popu-
lation in the central and hilly region OF
that State, and considerable increase in
the Yazoo district, il is not believed that
throughout the State there has been net
increase. In Louisiana and North Caro-.
lima there has been "both an actual and q
relstive decrease of the negro population"
Some of this decrease may probably be
accounted for by the migration of a large
number of colored people to the new
Territory of Oklahoma. We have no
definite accounts as yet from Alabama and
Florida, but from South Carolina, which
has scarcely been affected since the war
by any increase from outside of the State,
we end that while the general increase in
the State during the past ten years has
been rather over nineteen per cent, the
increase in the seven.counties comprising
the black belt has been about eleven per
cent. Further comparisons" we are
told, "lead to the conclusion that the in.
crease in the white counties had been at
least twenty-five per cent" That is to
say, "the natural increase of the white
over the black population in that State
has been in the ratio of more than two 10
one. 1t does not follow, of course, that
there is not still an excess of colored
population in Louisiana, Mississippi and
South Carolina, but it does indicate that
the whites are steadily gaining in natural
increase over the colored race even in the
State where the latter most abound, and
that if not 'interfered with the ques-
tion of white domination will in course of
time naturally and quietly adjust itself
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