Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-11-07
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
rHE CENSUS HGrREs FoR isao.

A bulletin issued from the census Office
last Saturday gives the first official state
ment Of the population Of the country as
shown by the census Of 1890 1t SAYS
The population Of the United States on
June /, 1890, as shown by the first count Of
persons and families, exclusive of white
persons in Indian territory Indians on
reservations, and Alaska, was so, 4S0, $40.
In 1880 the population was jO 155, 1888. The
absolute increase Of the population in the
ten years intervening was 1884 7j7 aud
the percentage of increase was 24.j7 In
1870 the population was stated as 3S, 5js,-
37l According to these figures the abso-
Lutte increase in the decade between 1870
and 1880 was I I, ,j07 ,412 aud the percent
age Of increase was 30 OS.
Upon their face these figures show that
the population has increased between 1880
and 1890 only 127 345 more than between
1870 and 1870, while the rate Of increase
has apparently diminished from 30 OS to
"a % per cent. If these figures were de
rived from correct data they would he dis
| appointing They are however, easily ex-
planned when the character Of the stats
| tics used is understood 1t is well known.
the fact having been demonstrated by ex-
tensive and thorough investigation. that
the census Of 1870 was grossly deficient in
| the southern states So much su as not on
ly to give an exaggerated rate uf increase
Of the population between 1870 aud 1850
IN these states, but to affect very materi-
ally the rate Of increase in the country at
large
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 the superintendent, Gen Fran
els A. Walker characterized as Clumsy.
antiquated, and barbarous. The census
office had no power over its enumerators
save barren protest and its right was
even questioned in some quarters. 1t has
been conclusiyely proved that there we're
very large omissions in the count in South
Carolina, and what happened there un-
doubtedly happened in all the other south.
ern states There is but little question
that the population of the United States in
1870 was at least 40 0OO, 900, instead of
| 3S, ,jjS, ,31l, as stated II this estimate of
the extent Of the omissions in 1870 be cor
rect, the absolute increase between 1870
aud 1880 was only about 10000, 900 and
the rate Of increase was not far from -
per cent-about the same as between 1880
and 1880. These figures compare much
more reasonably with similar deductions
from the population in 1880 and 1890
The general Law governing the increase
Of population, etc, the bulletin adds is
tlat when not disturbed by extraneous
causes, such as wars, pestilences, immi-
grafton, emigration, etc, increase Of pop
ulation goes on at a continually diminish
ing rate The operation of this law in
this untry has been interfered with in
recent years by the late war which,
besides the destruction of a vast number
of lives, decreased the birth rate very ma
terially during its progress 1t was follow
ed by an increased birth rate, as is invari-
ably the case under similar circumstances
An analysis of the tabulated figures Of
1880 shows that the greatest absolute in
crease-over 40 per cent of the whole-has
been in that great belt of states which in
cludes Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wis
consin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas
Nebraska and the twJ Dakotas. The great
est increase in any state has been in Penn
sylvania-96j, ,6S3 and New York comes
next with 800, ,063 Illinois has gained
40, 66j -ITexas, G42 Al; Missouri. Sos,
700; Nebraska, G04, 39l Minnesota, 5l9.-
PA, and Kansas, 427, ,3S9. OF the south
ern central states, next to Texas, Arkan-
sas has gained the most-322 $50 aud of
the South Atlantic division Georgia leads,
with gain of 292, 1856 The only two
states that have decreased in population
are Vermont with loss of 81, and Neva-
da, with a loss of II ,939 California has
gained 339, ,3OS Washington has gained
Pa, 400, and is now more populous than
| Oregon