The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-24
NATURAL nlALTHUsIANIsM NJ.
The Birth Rate Decreasing in ALI Civilized
Nations-Some GAUGES.

The Birth Rate Decreasing in ALI Civilized
Nations-some Csuses.
New Orleans Times Democrat.
When the population returns Of the late
census were given there was q general feel
ing OF disappointment. as the total fell far
below expectations. and showed that the
rate ofincrease for the country was less than
it had been for previous decades. The census
of Canada. tnkon the subsequent year, was
still more disappointing to the kanucks;
and In ENGLAND, France, and oil other
countries the result was the same, most
disappointing. There wasadecided falling
of every where In the ratio of increase.
This was the more puzzllng because there
had been no warfare at al during the dec
ade, no pestiIence no period of financial
depression. Sanitary science had made q
steady advance, and there had been a
marked decrease In the death rate. So
that. judging by all former experience. tho
census ahould have shown more favorable
returns than ever before. instead of so
much worse. A closer investigation DEM
Onetrated the cause, a marked and indeed
startling decrease in the birth rate. o sort
of natural Malthusianism.
recent report of the French government
on this subjeot-snd France keeps the most
perfect records of births. deaths ana mar
rioges of any co0ntry-pOints out the drift
of modern civilization. The decrease in
the birth rate In France has been very
lever births in 1850 than in 1889. 1850 few
ar than In 1888, 81, 215 fewer chan in 1887,
74,779 fewer than In 1856. S6,4S9 fewer than
in 1855. 1853 fewer than in 1854 and 99,SS1
fewer than in 1888 There 10 a similar de-
crease In the mum Der Of marriages. which
were fewer by 70, 223 IN 1890 than in 1856.
The existence of this condition OF affairs
in France has long been recognized, and
has been attributed there to many causes
for marriage, to the triumph of the doe
trines of realism" 1t seems, however,
that France Is not the only country suffer
ing from natural Malthusianisnl; all the
other European nations are III the Same fix.
although probably not as bad OF as France;
and in every one of them III the last
twenty years there has been O decrease In
the birth rate, largely due TO advancing
civilization and the ideas 1t brings with it.
for the decrease has been found greatest in
the ur ban and most civilized districts. and
leastin therural. Out-of- the-w0rld sections.
Taking the years 1863 and 1880, 10 is found
that the birth rate in france has fallen
from Is per LOO 10 els. III Belgium from
3l.4 to PSI, In England from "a. 2 to 3O.6 In
Germany from $50 TO 36.G. and III Prussia
proper even more.
In all tile three important events in
mans career-birth, marriage and death
there has been remarkable falling Or In
the last twenty years. confined to no coun-
try. but existing throughout the civilized
globe. We need not inauir into the causes.
Tor we con zee them too clearly around rs.
The ch,ef cause which lies at the bottom OF
all the trou bic is the decline In marriage.
Marriage has gone out of favor with the
emancipation of woman. and the greater
diligently In making living. and this de-
crease largely explains the falling off in
the birth rate. but not wholly. for the av-
erage number of births to each marriage
are fewer than q score of years ago.
The only redeeming feature in this pic
ture IL the declining death rate. due 10 bet-
ter sanitation and u better knowledge of
how TO care tor ourselves; indeed, but for
this Improvement the population of the
world would be at @ stapdsttll to-day. as
the birth rate is just what the death rate
was quarter of q century ago. We are
still improving our sanitary condition and
saving many lives that were hitherto sacri-
ficcd, but we must recognize the fact that
sooner or later We Will reach the highest
point hich We can hope TO achieve.
On the other hand. there is no limit in
the matter OF decreasing birth rate and
II may continue indefinitely until it
reaches the zero point In Franco the pop
uiation is actually at standstIll. and
would probably DO declining but for the
immigration from Italy. Belgium and Ger
many. In Ireland md Hawaii IL hos been
declining for nearly half century. and
the whole civilized world seems TO be drift
ing IN that direction. There is no danger
OF very mnch crowding on this planet. as
philosophers feared. Civilization will pre-
vent this. and Nautilus. conld he visit rs
to-day. would probably be very much eur
prised to how naturally his sugges-
tions have keen carried out.