The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-07-09
THE NEGRO'S DESTINY.
The Relative Decrease of CoIored Popula-
ton Shown by the Eleventh Census
The Negroes Future Home the
Southern LoWlands

ton Shown by the Eleventh Census
The Negroes Future Home the
Southern LowIands.
Hasty congratulations concerning
the future numerical strength of the
negro in this country, based upon his
proportionate high birth rate, and the
misleading reports of the census OF
1870, have done more than anything
else to reader the negro problem a
question for political manipulation.
Only two years ago the presiding Of
Efcer Of a political convention stated
that at no distant future the colored
population would reach fifty millions.
Statements such as these are re-
garded with different degrees of sat
lisfaction. and if true the negro would
himself soon overrun this continent.
The crudity Of statements such as
this, which can be used SO disastrous
ly for political purposes, is shown by
Gen. Francis A. Walker in the July
! Forum, in an article sketching the
! future of the regro, based on the
statistics of the race back to 1903,
when the slave trade was abolished.
At that time, or from the census of
1910, the negro numbered 100000,
or 10 per cent. of the entire popula-
ton. In the recent census he IS but
no of the entire population, or,
while the white population has in
creased sixteen fold, the negro has
increased but ten fold. Taking the
statistics by ten and twenty year per-
iods since 1910, Gen Walker shows
that the increase by per cent. has de-
clined steadily, and asserts that in all
probability this steady reduction in
the negros relative Importance in
the population will never be re-
versed.
In confirmation he examines IN
detail the respective birth and death
rates in e Southern counties of
equal population, black and white,
based on the tenth census, and finds
that per 1900 births of those born
and dying, the rate for whites was
1901 against 1903 blacks. The
proportion Of death rates between
blacks and whites in the large cities
is greater against the blacks. In
New Orleans the death rate for
whites was 1858, blacks, SO. In
St. Louis, whites, 1919, blacks, 1878.
These results show that the negro
race is maintaining its slight rate of
increase only by means Of a very
high birth rate over a very high
death rate.
Another fact. worth noting is the
future geographical Distribution of
the negro, now that he can move
freely from place to place. AS a
slave, the tropicaly bred negro was
forced to follow the interests Of his
Northern bred master, often into
regions where he lived only at a
sacrifice Of vitality. Comparing be-
tween $4,000 the rates Of increase
in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia,
Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and
North Carolina, with the cotton
growing States, it is found to be 10
per cent. in the former. The infer
ence is that in those parts Of the
country where the negro is not an
economic necessity, the black popu-
!ation will become more and more
reduced by the entrance of vigor-
Gus white element. Industrial con-
siderations at the same time will
draw him to his more natural habit
at the Gulf States, where the white
man cannot take his place What
ever growth may be expected from
the colored race, will take place
there, and it is not probable that a
race so limited IN its range will ever
reach to one third even of fifty mil
lions.
To recapitulate, the negro in 1890
was one. fifth the population in 1910
but one. sixth; in 1860, one seventh;
in 1890, less than one eighth. In
dustrial reasons and natural tenden-
cies are draining him eff toward the
low lands Of the Gulf of Mexico, and
there his greatestrate of increase will
be left, which in the nature Of things
will be constants, decreasing in its
relation to the total population.
! Facts such as these indicate that
the negro problem will become less
and less rather than more and more
a political problem. and that the so
luton may reasonably be left to the
operation Of physiological and econ
omic laws.
n Dl.1. ~ IL.