Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-26
THE COLORED POPULATION.

The Census Bureau Finds the Ratio Of in
crease Less Than That of the Whites.
An important bulletin will be issued from the
census Office giving the colored population in
the south Atlantic and south central states,
Missouri and Kansas and the relative increase
during the past ten years. From the tables
given the total population Of the states in
question is stated to be Is, SIS, 259, Of which
16, S6S. 205 were white and $3.50, l66 we're
colored, and l0,sss Chinese, Japanese
and Indians. In the states included were
found ifteen-sixteenths Of the entire colored
population Of the country and 1t 10 calculated
that on this basis the percentage Of increase Of
the colored populatio can be founded and il not
likely to be materially affected by the returns
for the rest Of the country, where the colored
population is small. Mr.. Porter states that the
abnormal increase of the colored population in
what is known as the black belt during the decade
ending 1880 led to the popular belief that the
negroes were increasing at a much greater rate
than the white population. Mr. Porter adds
that the high rate Of increase in the growth of
the colored population, as shown in 1880, was
apparent, not real. and that il was due to the
imperfect enumeration in the southern states
in 1870 A table is given which shows that the
rate of increase in the colored population was
1879 per cent. while the white population of
the same states increased at the rate Of 24.6
per cent, or nearly twice as rapidly as the
colored element.
THE FIGURES FOR DIFFERENT STATES.
The number of white and colored inhabi-
tants in each state covered by the bulletin is as
follows: Alabama, $50, 796 whites increase rs. 46
per cent; 6s1, 431 colored, increase 1855 per
cent. Arkansas, sl6.5f7 whites, SS.0S per cent.
,s sSl .ss Whites ss per cent Della
2s,O22 colored; 9.7e per cent District Of Co
lumbia, 154. 352 whites, $3.50 per cent; rs. 927
coiored 2I.4e per cent. Florida, 224 ,46l whites,
$40 per cent; 166,678 colored, 81. Sc per cent.
Georgia, 973, 462 whites, 1916 per cent; $685. ZIG
colored, 49, II per cent. Kansas, S82 whites,
A. 40 per cent; 81, Isl colored, 1889 per cent.
Kentucky, ,585, 526 whites, 1913 per cent; 49,,
ISL colored, SO per cent. Louisiana, 554, 712
whites, 81 80 per cent; 562 1893 colored 3S per
cent. Maryland. S24, 149 whites, 49, ~ per cent;
2lS, O04 colored $50 per cent. Mississippi, $780,
I03 whites, 1888 per cent; 100 colored, SO
per cent. Missouri, 2, 524. 468 whites, 80 per
cent; 154, 131 colored, GOA per cent. North
Carolina, l,O49 l9l whites, 20. 9o per cent; $751;
.454 whites, 1922 per cent; 692, 500 colored,
14.59 per cent. Tennessee, 1,332,971 whites.
17.05 per cent; 434 800 colored, 7.73 per cent.
Texas, ], 741, 100 white, 4543 per cent; 492, s37
colored, 252S per cent. Virginia, 1,0l4,6S0
whites. 1919 per cent; Gao. s67 colored, LAG per
cent. West Virginia, 729, 1852 whites, 23.O7 per
cent; IS sos colored, 20. Al per cent
There are some Chinese, Japanese and In
dams in nearly all Of the above named states
which are not included In the figures given.
TENDENCY SOUTHWARK.
Mr.. Porter stated that an inspection of the
tables makes it evident that there has been
no extended northward movement of this ele-
ment since the time of the civil war. Indeed,
with the exception of the District of Columbia
the border states appear to have lost rather than
gained, and during the last decade there
becomes perceptible q southwark movement of
the colored element from the border states
into those bordering the gulf, particularly
into Mississippi and Arkansas, where they have
increased proportionately to the whites. Let
the states under consideration be divided
into two groups, the first compris-
ing Delaware. Maryland, District of
Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, North
Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri and
Kansas, and the second South Carolina, Georgia,
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana,
Texas, and Arkansas. Now, the increase of the
whites in the first of these groups from
1850 to 1880 was at the rate of % per
cent, while that of the colored element
was but SIS per cent. In the second of
these groups the rate Of increase Of the whites
was 31.S per cent, while that Of the colored was
but 1871 per cent. In the first group the num-
Der Of colored to 100, 600 whites diminished be-
tween 1880 and 1880 from rs, 7Ol to
23,OSS, or 1875 per cent, while in the
second group it diminished from 81, 456
to rs, 611 or only SO per cent. There is, there
fore, perceptible tendency southwark of the
colored people. which, while by no means
powerful, has resulted in drawing a notable
proportion of that element from the border
states and in producing in two of the far south
ern states a more rapid increase Of the colored
element than of the white.
OF the states under discussion, three namely,
South Carolina. Mississippi and Louisiana, con-
tanned in 1880 larger number of colored people
than of whites. OF the population of South
Carolina more than three-fourths are colored
Five other states, namely, Alabama. Florida,
Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia, con-
tanned colored element ranging from one
third to one-half of the population.