The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1896-04-02
LIVE QUESTIONS.
4 Series of Articles Contributed tn FneSe
Columns by Advanced Thinkers.

CrssoNg From THE LAST CENsUS-IEE
GROWTH or OR COCETRT Since l19O
Under thc existing temporary orga'li-
zation Of the census force there mast be
inevitably long delay in the completion
of the work Of the federal census and
the placing # the fHal results before
the public. This fault Is inherent IL the
system itself, and 10 one il particular
can be charged with this delay nor in
deed be made responsible for the great
" increased cost Of the census work
In this connection 1t should be remeIn-
bered. of course, that the fundamental
laws governing the census have been
from time to time very much broadened
and the number and extent Of the con
sus inquiries very materially increased,
of necessity requiring a relatively longer
time to do the work and at relatively
larger cost
The constantly increasing desire 70
have full and explicit data at each de-
cennial period has literally grown away
from the old methods Of census taking,
and today the entire inadequ2cy Of the
census machinery, az now provided for
by law, is everywhere apparent. IN
many respects it constitutes the chief
lesson Of the eleventh census and points
with unerring directness 70 the i ;es-
sity for i radical change III the system
Of taking tie federal census. The ex
perience Of the last two enumerations
lies wholly III this direction. and robot
must be found az an early day III the
establishment Of permanent census
office
TIE PRESENT CENSUS REPORT Az IMPROVE
MINT.
Despite the difficulties and delays
which have boset the work Of the elev
enth census, there Is likely to he some
Improvement as compared with 1880 IN
the publication Of the final reports All
Of the volumes IF the census Of 1880
were not published until 1888, but Of
the % volumes OF the present census II
have been issued, $ others are wholly
completed and ready for issue, and the
remaining 5 volumes are either III proc
ess Of printing or III such condition
that the publications should follow
within q comparatively short time.
This being the case, it viii be posi-
BILE shortly 70 review the results of the
last census IN their entirety and TO COLI
slider III something like consecutive and
logical order some Of the many valuable
lessons to be devised from the census.
In the first place, let it be borne in
Il NO 4iT-+
eminent TO provide by law for practl-
cal enumeration Of its population, the
first daccnnial census having been taken
by constitutional provision in 1890; the
eleventh census, that Of 1856, marked,
therefore, the completion Of the first
century Of census taking III tins coun
Try During this period there has been
only Il great expansion III the extent OF
settled area, in spite OF the vast increase
III territory, but very marked growth
Of population III every part Of the union.
EXTENT OF Or TERRITORY.
At the time of the first census the
United States comprised the territory
between the Atlantic ocean and the Mis-
sissippi river, embracing S21, SAL square
miles, Of which SOB, go was land sur
face. In 1903 ) the acquisition of Lou
isiana by purchase and of Oregon by
settlement added i'll, 931 square miles
to orr area and secured the absolute
control Of the Mississippi river and its
navigable branches. In 1921 the final
transfer OF Florida from Spain increased
our territory by 59,26S square miles.
The annexation Of Texas IN 1915 and
the acquisition of territory from Mexico
IN 1S48 ADDED g2t .916 square miles. and
a still further addition Of Al ,G41 square
miles was made III 1853 by the Gadsden
purchase, so that the total area of our
territorial possessions, exclusive Of Alas
ka, is now 3,025, 600 square miles, of
which 2.910, 600 is land area. The ter
Titory Of Alaska, purchased from Russia
in 1867 has an estimated area of
532, 400 square miles. but contained on
ly 80, 052 inhabitants in 1890.
MARVELLOUS GROWTH OF OUR POPULATION
At the census of 1890 our entire pop
ulation was but 3, 929,214 and was con
tanned principally III the - original
states maine being then part Of Mas
sachusetts and Vermont part of New
York;, with few scattered settlements
in what shortly after became the states
Of Kentucky and Tennessee It was al
most wholly distributed along the At
lantic coast, the average depth Of settle
ment, in q direction at right angles to
the coast, being but 255 miles. The ter
ritory occupied by this population in
1890 comprised only 458, 225 square
miles Of land area, Or :. little more than
one-half OF the total land area, while
the area OF actual settlement-that is,
containing TWO persons Or more to the
square lnile-comprehended only 239,
$50 square miles. At the last census, in
1890, the population of all the states
and organized territories was 81, 622, 250,
and besides this there were 80 ,O52 per
sons in Alaska and 325, 464 Indians and
other persons III the Indian Territory
and en- indian reservations, making the
total population Of the entire country
90, 979, 766 The whole extent of our
territory IN 1890 comprised 3,558, 0O9
square miles, excluding Alaska. it com
prised laild area OF 2,970, 600 square
Amiles Of which no less than ,947, $50
uare miles was settled area, and, so
as the main body Of our territory is
\rned, there can 10 longer be said
Ny frontier line Of population.
SUMMARY