The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-27

Here we see Mr.. Porter's law of the
diminishing ratio and how closely its sue
cessive falls approach each other. In the
decade from 1860 to 1870 we see the abnor-
NAL depression from "a IS per cent to 1888
per cent. 1t ended before the next decade
began, and the rate Of increase took its
normal place in line at 2. rs. From 1880 to
1890 it should have been close to 20 per
cent, but the census report tells US it was
13.32-lower than during the war decade.
An increase of 20 per cent would have
brought US in the neighborhood of the es-
Inmates of the experts of the treasury de-
partment. Professor Elliot. actuary Of
the treasury department, estimated the
population of 1888 at 81, 72s 900, and that
for 1889 at CASA, 900. He did not carry
forward his estimates to 1890, but adopting
the ratio of increase which he used for for.
mer years, our population in 1890 would
be over 66, 200, 600
1.-The actual number returned for the
years 1870, 1880 and 1890 show that IS $751;
81 people made larger natural increase
from 1870 to 1850 than 50.155, 7S3 people did
from 1880 TO 1890. Deducting the immi-
grants from both periods. the increase
from 1870 is found to be 8, 7S5,12i and that
from 1850 is found TO be 7,2la,s54. Can it
be seriously contended that 5000, 900 of
in ten years than 5o,0oo, 600 did? The CEN
sus report declares that startling fact, but
the superintendent asks the people to be-
Eeve only one-half of it and reject the
other half. He sees the palpable absurdity
OF such statement, and to escape Il
plunges into worse one. He assails the
census of 1870, and says that il should
have shown 39,Sls, 449 people instead of
SO, SOS, 37l, and that the increase in the
previous decade should have been $50 per
cent. instead of 1858. To make his logic
1T the situation. he adds .250,07S to the
returns of 1870. This addition makes the
percentage of increase from 1870 to 1880,
2o9 instead of S00S per cent. Is it posi-
bic that Mr.. Porter can be serious when he
says that our population increased during
the war decade faster than In the peace de-
cade following? Does he ignore the fact
that immigration during the decade was
more than 10000 below that of the pre-
low that of the succeeding decade?
"Does he ignore the fact that more than
$4,000 people persisted from causes arising
out of the war? Does he ignore the fact
that from 2D0, 500 to 100000 men were
in the field--that a vast number of these
were husbands who were separated from
their families for great part of that
time? -
Thus the superintendent has been
placed by his enumerators in an unhappy
situation. To escape the conclusion that
their ngures have forced upon him.-that
IS. 900. o0o people have increased faster than
50o0o. 00o--he nies for refuge 10 the more
absurd position that population will in
crease faster when the sexes are separated
than when they are united. Taking the
corrected figures of 1870, as made by the
superintendent. and leaving out immi-
grafton. the rate of increase from 1850 10
$50 is 1888 per cent. Here is another
spasmodic fall from -. IS 10 la. IS per cent.
when the diminution Of the rate was lesc
insn per esnI. IN .ns precea1ng decade.
Is. 50 per cent, and is as much too small as
the other is too large. From 1850 in $3.50.
Mr.. Porter piunges 10 1889 in isso.
III may be true that the census in South
Carolina was defective In lSsu, and per-