The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-03-29
GheDfmnfraf-Star
THE NEGRO POPULATION.
and Important Facts and
Some Conclusions.

FSss8nt aCth An0
Some Conclusions.
Philadelphia Record.
One of the experts of the Census
Bureau at Washington, Mr.. Henry
Gannett, has recently completed an
Investigation Of the negro population
Of the United States. The facts
which he produces from the censps
statistics are of much interest and in
some respects surprising, whatever
may be said of some OF his conclu.
SiOns.
The negroes, while increasing ran
idly In this country, are decreasing in
numbers relatively to the whltes,
They are moving southwark from the
border States into those Of the South
Atlantic and the gulf. They prefer
rural to city life. The proportion OF
criminals among negroes il much
greater than among the whites, and
that OF paupers is at least as great.
In the matter OF education, the mum.
Der of negro attendants at school Is
far behind the number OF whites, but
Is gaining rapidly upon that race,
In regard to the number of slaves
brought from Africa, either directly
or by way Of the West Indies, Mr..
Gannctt says we have little Informal
ton. The first reliable data OF the
number and distribution OF the ne
groes are afforded by the census of
1890. In the space Of 100 years be.
tween the census periods OF 1890 and
1890, the white population increased
from IA little more tlIan 5000, 600 to
about $4,000, 900, and the colored pop
ulation from 1904 900 to 1900, 900. In
1890 the whites were IS times az nu-
mcrous as they were a hundred years
before, and the blacks only ten times
as numerous as In 1890. In other
words, a hundred years ago the blacks
constituted nearly 20 per cent. of the
total population, and they now cou-
stitute notquite IL per cent.
The relative increase OF the white
population will be readily attributed
to the great volume Of immigration.
Mr.. Gannett shows, however, that in
the five census periods from 1900 to
1910, during which the INN igration
was insignificant, the white pOpula.
ton increased nor rapidly than the
colurcd. He thinks that the figures
and the conclusions from them should
set at rest all fear OF a possible race
conflict. The negroes, while In no
danger Of extinction, arc increasing
less rapidly than the whites, who
will become numerically more and
more the dominant race Of America.
This conclusion will hardly serve
to remove altogether the apprchen-
sion OF race conflicts in Louisiana
and Mississippi, where the negroes
contribute more than half, and in
South Carolina, where they constitute
t%wo-thirds of the population. But in
all the Southern States except Ar
kansas, the colorcd population has
declined in the last ten years in rcla-
tion to the whites.
AS evidence Of the tendency Of the
negroes to country life the figures
show that in 1860 only AZ per cent. of
all the colorcd population lived in
cities of 5000 inhabitants and up
ward. In the cl )sing years of the de-
cade from 1860 to 1870 the negroes
greatly flocked to the cities and the
year 1870 saw IS per cent of them
there. In the following decade the
white as well as the colored popula-
tion in cities declined relatively in
the same degree. But in 1890 the
census shows that 12 per cent OF all
the negroes and 1871 per cent Of all
the whites Of the United States lived
in CITIES and towns.
These statistics make n rather un.
favorable exhibit for the negro pOpu-
lation on the score OF morality. The
white prisoners Of native birth on
fined IN jails at the taking of the cen-
u in 1890 were In the proportion OF
nine to each 10000 white inhabitants
Of native extraction. On the other
hand, the negro prisoners were in the
proportion Of 80 to each 10000 OF the
negro population. Mr.. Gannett has
found, however, that the commit
ments Of negroes are for petty often
ses in much greater proportion than
Is the case among the whites. There
are, for obvious reasons, few forgcrs,
conterfeiters, embezzlers, fraudulent
defaulters and a%bsc0ndIng bank cash
iers among the negroes. They make
up the criminal record In other ways.
But 1t should also be said In their be-
half that the penal laws are enforced
more strictly against them than
against white offenders. The negroes
have fewer friends to secure bail for
them when arrested and to employ
counsel for their defense In the courts.
This serves to account in consider
able degree for the greater proportion
of them that is found In Jail by the
census takers. Prejudice OF race
operates In this field as effectually as
In others. The negroes who are de-
barred from mechanical crafts and
from trades unions by this prejudice
frequently drift into vagrancy and
thence into prison for petty violations
80 Ir 1us. IA L. -.-LA ...ratc-