Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-12-16
TIE NILGRUS DESTINY.
GelatiVo Decrease of Our Colored
Population.
Striking Faets Developed by the Last
Census-Som"thin:; About the Eu-
ture Distribution Of tho
Race.

Hasty organizations concerning the
future numerical strength Of tic uc..ro
In this country, based on his proper
tionatc high birth rate, and the mislcad-
ing reports of the census Of 1870, have
done more than anything else to render
the negro problem Il question Of politi-
cal manipulation. Only two ycur5 ago
the presiding officer Of Il political con-
vcntion stated that 1T no distant future
the colorcd population would reach So
O0O,O0o. Statements such as this are
regarded with different degrees of salts
faction, and if true the negro would
himself soon ovcrrun this continent.
The crudity Of statements such as
this. which can be used so diiastrously
for political purposes. is shown by Gen.
Francis y. N@i.icr in the Forum. in au
article hl:ctchinrt,fc future Of the negro,
based on the statistics Of the race back
70 1908, when tho slave trade was abol-
l%hcd. At that time, or from the census
OF 1910. the negro numbered roo. 900, or
10 per cent. Of tic entire population.
In the recent census nc is but lI.9 OF
the entire population, or, while the
white population has increased 1G fold,
the negro has increased but 10 fold.
Taking the StGti.,tic, by 10 and 20 year
periods since 1870, Gen. Walker shows
that the increase by per cent. has dc
clincd steadily, and asserts that il all
probability this Gt"adv reduction il the
Negroes relative Importance in the pop
ulation will never hc reversed.
In confirmation he examines in detail
the respective birth aud death rates in
23 southern counties Of equal popula-
ton, black and white. based on the
tenth ccrsrS, and finds that pcr 1 600
births of those born and dvinr, the
rate for whites Yves 1901 ac:;iIlst LAO. g
blacks. The proportion Of death rates
between blac!:a ;,.ll whites; il the LARGE
cities is create I INST the blacks. In
New Orleans the Gaath rate for whites
was 23.57, bl23';3 IS. In st. Louis.
whites 1910, bln2;;s 1913. The results
show that the NEGRO race is maintain
ing It's slight rate of Increase only by
means of Il very high birth rate over a
terry high death rate.
Another fact worth noting is the
future geographical distribution Of tho.
negro, now that he can move freely
from plnc@s to place. AS slave, the
tropically bred tc!cro was forced to fol-
low tho interests of his northern bred
master, often into regions where he
lived Oriy at IL sacrifice Of vitality
Comparing between 1GGO-90 the rates of
increase III Delaware, Maryland, Vir-
glnia, kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee
and North Carolina with the. cotton
growing states, it is found to be 10 per
cent. in the latter against per cent. in
the former. The inference is that in
those parts Of the country where the
negro Is not an economic necessity,
the Misrepresentation will become more
and moro reduced by the entrance of q
vigorous white element Industrial
considerations at tho same time will
draw him to his more natural habitat,
the Cuff States, where the white man
cannot take his place. Whatever
growth may DC expected from the col
orcd race will take place there, and it
is not probable that n race SO limited in
it's range will over reach to onc-third
even of 0,O0O.O00.
10 rccapltulatc. the negro in 1890 was
onc-iifth tho populations: in 1910, but
onc-SiXth; in 1862 onc-sevcnth; in 1890,
less than Onc-Cighth. Industrial reasons
and natural tendencies arc tlra;ling him
of toward the low lands Of tic gulf of
Mexico. and there his greatest rate of in
crease will be felt, which il the nature
of things will be constantly decreasing
in it's relation to the total population.
Facts such as these Indicate that TIC
negro problem will become loss and
less rather than moro and more po-
ttic@i problem, and that the solution
may reasonably be left to tho opera
toA Of physiological and economic laws