The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-08-06
Where Marriage Is Failing.


than there had ever been before, and
that the birth rate had fallen of. II
was said that not only were there fewer
marriages, but those existing we're less
fruitful. The suppoaition is now shown
to be true. The census taken in April
shows that the population Of England
and Wales has increased in the past de-
cade from 100000 to 2e,o0O,Ooo, but
this is nearly q million less than the in
crease would have been according to the
ratio in previous decades, and the stu
dents of social science are exertipg them.
selves to find the cause for the falling off.
The increase is 11.54 per cent, or less
than that during any decade of the CEN
tury, and nearly 8 per cent less than that
between 1871 and 1881.
The explanation of the falling of, says
the New York Sun, is a marked decline
in the rate of natural increase during the
last seven OF eight years more especially.
This has been due in great part TO a
notable reduction in the marriage rate,
a very significant decline, which may we'll
provoke grave misgivinga as to the future
and as to the moral outlook for the COM
munity. The number Of the married, as
compared with 1000 living, was at the
rate of 1874 in 1883. In 1889 it had
fallen to 14.7. Even the rate at the be.
ginning of the decade was low by the
side Of the average for the ten years i'm
mediately preceding. Moreover, the ten.
dency has been downward since 1873,
when the rate was 17.6.
Meantime, of course, the birth rate
has been growing less, decreasing from
36.3 in 1876 to 29.7 in 1890. This is q
very great, almost startling, decline,
and during the last few years it has been
continuous. Though the death rate vas
lower last year than in any year prior to
1881, the natural increase of the popula-
ton by the excess Of births over deaths
was only 3O8,267 in 1890, as against an
average increase Of 366,01 in the pre-
ceding FIVE years.
Hence it would seem that not only is
marriage decreasing proportionately, but
marriages also are becoming less prolific
on the average. Malthusian doctrines
have been preached by radical counsel
lors of the poor and by some socialists,
aud they appear to have had perceptible
effect on country go distinguished in the
past for its high birth rate. People are
taught to look on large families as an
evil, and the old English saying that
there is loaf of bread ready for every
new mouth is disputed as contrary to
experience. Pessimism proclaims that to
introduce children into the world is to
condemn them to unavoidable suffering,
and selfish prudence is encouraged to
avoid the burden of many progeny.
The same tendency is observable in this
country, but here it seems to prevail
rather among the rich and we'll to-do!
the educated and the refined, than among
the poor and the uncultivated. English
travellers have long made the smallnesi
of American families charge against
our civilization, and they have assailed
the morality Of France for likereason
but this last census indicates that they
have the same evil to deal with at home
Marriage is decreasing in England, and
the birth rate is falling off even more
Once begun, too, this decline is likely tc
continue, and it may grow to be very
serious, as it is in France. Already il
has oYerthrown the estimates and calcu-
lations of the atatisticians of population
at time, too, when the prosperity of the
kingdom has been fully up to the average
unless it be as to the classes dependent or
agricultural production.
The Sun closes by expressing the opin-
ion that there may be falling off in the
birth rate in this country, "as the same
causes are in operation" Now what are
| these causes? Evidently the doctrine
of Maltbus, that the world was in grea
danger of being overcrowded with in.
habitants, is having some influence on the
masses of the English people, but wher
8 third of the people of our country
Live in towns and cities, whose total ares
| is an infnitessimal part of our immense
| domain, the danger of overcrowding the
world seems very remote indeed. Is i
| not rather q result of over crowdins
| that marriage has become unpopular
and is not this oYercrowding also the
cause of the moral and physical degen-
Grafton of the people which refuses, moi
only the number, but the strength O.
posterity?
The moral and physical decay tha
results from overcrowding is too obvious
and multitudinous causes too well under
stood to need remark, but there is s
| curious fact in this connection which il
| worthy of note. In the country boyl
make majori,s of the children born; il
the cities girls are the most numerous
No one has been able to account for it
but the fact is everywhere apparent
Mans part in life is the production O
everything needed for the maintenance
of the world. When the proportion O.
men is reduced and the strength of those
diminished, those who remain are more
reluctant to assume the burdens and the
responsibilities of married life. Added
to this is the crushing weight Of social
conditions which intensi6es the struggle
for existence in the cities. A pepniless
man in great city, even though he may
have the strength of the strongest yeo-
man of the country, has hard struggle
before him. Handicap him with the
horod;torv moobnooooa thot rea1Jt frnn,