The St. Johns herald., 1892-03-10
THE NEGRO'S DESTINY.
Relative Decrease of Our Colored
 Population.
Striking Facts Developed by the Last Census-somethin. About tho Flu ture Distribution of the
 Eacc.

Nasty organizations concerning the future numerical strength Of the negro in this country, based on his propSr- tionate high birth rate, and the IuisleGd- ing reports of the census Of 1870. have done more than anything else to render the negro problem a question of ,ol-i- cal manipulation. Only two wear, D the presiding officer of a political o,1- vention stated that at no distant future the colored population would reach 5o. GOO, 600. Statements such as this aro regarded with different degrees Of satIs- faction, and if true the negro would himself soon overrun this continent.
 The crudity of statements such as this, which can be used so disastrOusly for political purposes, is shown by Gen. Francis 4. Walker in the Forum, in an article slIetching the future of the negro, based on the statistics of the race back to 1898, when the slave trade was abol- ished. At that time, or from the census of 1910, the negro numbered roo, ,000, or 19 per cent. of the entire population. In the recent census he is but 11.9 of the entire population, or, while the
  the negro has increased but 10 { ]. Taking the statistics by 10 and 29 aa- periods since 1S1O, Gen. Walker sloUe that the increase by per cent. La
 clined steadily, and asserts t'r.f as probability this steady redUcta9 negro's relative importance in t1e
 ulation will never be reversed
 In confirmation he examines in dc' the respective birth and dcaea rate 29 southern counties of equal pop. ton, black and white, based 0D O.. tenth census, and finds that per
 births of those born and divine, rate for whites was 100.1 against l4 blacks. The proportion of death rf between blacks and whites in ti,e iar cities is greater against the blac.-s New Orleans the death rate for
 was 25.57, blacks 36. In St. L whites 1919, blacks B. 7S. The show that the negro race is m ing its slight rate of increase oltg oy means of very high birth rate over a very high death rate.
 Another fact worth noting is f'G future geographical distribution of negro, now that he can move f.. from place to place. As a slave, tropically bred negro was forced to low the interests of his northern [ master, often into rc~ions where lived only at a sacrifice of
 Comparing between 19S0-90 the ra
 increase in Delaware, Maryland, N.f- ginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Tcnnce9cc and North Carolina with the cot.aI growing states, it is found to be l9 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 black population will become more and more reduced by the entrance of c vigorous white element. Industrial considerations at the same time will draw him to his more natural habitat, the Gulf states, where the white man cannot take his place. Whatever growth may be expected from the col- ored race will take place there, and it is not probable that race SO limited in its range will ever reach to onc-third even of 50,O00,o0O.
 To recapitulate, the negro in 179O waa one-fifth the population; in 1S10, but one-sixth; in 1860, one-scventh; in 1890. less than one-eighth. Industrial rcasCns and natural tendencies arc draining him off toward the low landsof tlIe 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 the negro problem will become less and less rather than more and more D po- litical problem, and that the solution may reasonably be left to the opera tion of physiological and economic laws.