The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-04-05
NATURAL MALTHUSIANISM.
The Birth Rate Decreasing in All Civilized
Nations-Some Causes.
New Orleans Times Democrat.

New Orleans Times Democrat.
When the population returns of the
late census were given there was gen.
eral feeling of disappointment, as the
total fell far below expectations, and
showed that the rate of increase for the
country was less than it had been for
previous decades. The census Of Can
ada, taken the subsequent year, was
still more disappointing to the Ka-
nucks; and in England, France, and
all other countries the result was the
same, most disappointing. There was
decided falling off everywhere in the
ratio of increase.
This was the most puzzling because
there has been no warfare at all during
the decade, no pestilence, no period of
financial depression. Sanitary science
had made steady advance, and there
had been a marked decrease in the
death rate. So that, judging by all
former experience, the census should
have shown more favorable returns
than ever before, instead Of so much
worse. A closer Investigation demon
strated the cause, marked and indeed
startling decrease in the birth rate, a
sort of natural Malth usianism.
A recent report of the French Gov
ernment on this subject-and France
keeps the most perfect records of births,
deaths, and marriages ofany county
points out the drift of modern civiliza-
ton. The decrease in the birth rate in
France has been very great. There
were, for instance, 42,520 fewer births
in 1890 than in 1889, 1850 fewer than
in 1888, 81 ,275 fewer than in 1887, a.
779 fewer than in 1886, 6,499 fewer
than in 1885, 99,699 fewer than in 1884,
and 99,SS7 fewer than in. 1883. There
is a similar decrease in the number of
marriages, which were fewer by q, ,223
in 1890 than in 1885.
The existence of this condition of
affairs in France has long been recog-
nized, and has been attributed there to
many causes-to lack Of morality, to
the contempt felt for marriage, to the
triumphs of the doctrines of REALISM"
1t seems, however, that France is not
the only country suffering from natu-
raj Malthusianism; all the other Euro
pean nations are in the same fix, al
though probably not as bad off as
France; and in every one of them in
the last twenty years there has been
decrease in the birth rate, largely due
to advancing civilization and the ideas
it brings with it, for the decrease has
been found greatest in the urban and
most civilized districts, and least in the
rural, out-of-the-world sections. TAX
ing the years 1869 and 1890, it is found
that the birth rate in France has fallen
from 25 per 1000 to 21.s, in Belgium
from 3l.4 to 2S.7, in England from 34.7
to 30.6, in Germany from 3S.9 to 36.6,
and in Prussia proper even more.
In all the three important events in
mans career-birth, marriage, and
death-there has been a remarkable
falling off in the last twenty years,
confined to no country, but existing
throughout the civilized globe. We
need not inquire into the causes, for we
can see them too clearly around US.
The chief cause which lies at the bot
tom of all the trouble is the decline in
marriage. Marriage has gone out of
favor with the emancipation of woman
and the greater difficulty in making a
living, and this decrease largely ex-
plains the falling off in the birth rate,
but not wholly, for the average num-
Der of births to each marriage are fewer
than score of years ago.
The enly redeeming feature in this
picture is the declining death rate, due
to better sanitation and better knowl-
edge of how to care for ourselves; in
deed, but for this improvement the
population of the world would be at a
standstill to-day, as the birth rate is
Just what the death rate was quarter
of century ago. We are still improv-
ing our sanitary condition, and saving
many lives that were hitherto sacri-
| feed, but we must recognize the fact
that sooner or later We will reach the
highest point which We can hope to
achieve.
On the other hand there is no limit
in the matter of a decreasing birth rate,
and it may continue Indefinitely until
it reaches the zero point. In France
the population is actually at s:and-
still, and would probably be declining
but for the immigration from Italy,
Belgium, and Germany. In Ireland
and Hawaii it has been declining for
nearly half a century, and the whole
civilized world seems to be drifting in
that direction. There is no danger of
very much crowding on this planet, as
philosophers feared. Civilization will
prevent this, and Malthus, could be
visit US to-day, would probably be very
much surprised to see how naturally
his suggestions have been carried out.
Echoes from "Ram's Horn.''
The devil catches every fish that