The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-06-22
A FRrNcHMAN's view.
IA, Opinion of the DspopuiAtion of his
Co1atry.

ColatrY.
The population OF France Is now
definitely known, and. as was TO be OK
pected. the increase since the last cen
sus Is Insignificant compared with that
Of neighborlng countries, says scalpel
Is this q sign Of wealness2 Does Il
mean docadenceg We win ondeavor 20
supply an answer to these important
questions. There are people who
maintain that an increase OF popula-
ton does not always coincide with the
richness OF nation. that quality Is OF
more consequence than quantity. and
so on. II Is certain. however. that
from a military point OF yicw-espe-
c.ally as regards Germany-the nu-
merloal infcriorlty OF his country can
rot but be a source OF the deepest
anxiety 10 every patriotic Frenchman.
Let as examine few Of the statistic
al facts diaclosed by the recent enu-
meratlon. Rural depopulailon Is ssn'
aral everywhere. but even In the most
NAAhN'tAAa VI NNl ANMNH hit'A' o." So
augmentation worth speaking Of. Ae-
cording % the last London census the
number OF inhabitants resident In the
British capital was i.iii.270. That Is
10 say. about 100000 less than the
whole Of ireland. The increase dur
Ing the preceding qulnquennium was
200. i2S Now let us turn 10 Paris. Tho
prospect Is by no means brilliant. not
withsiandlng the fact that the totals
show an increale Of 81. $50 inhabitants.
As the compllors are careful 20 point
out. this result, has occurred In spite
OF a dlminutlln OF natality. Il simply
proves once more that the mania for
Capitalization causes steady flow OF
immigrants from the provinces TO the
capital parisipns may sleep In peace.
The Seine will always be lined on
both sides. even though the people linz
ing Il should have no children.
The dearih OF children ln France is
due to the fact that the French peo-
pie do not choose 20 have families
This Is proved by the census In the
most striking and concluslve manner.
| The old fable that the dlmlnutlon OF
population was caused by excessive
mortality during infancy can no longer
gain credcnce. u is not the hlgh-death
rate that o. bllmewor,hy. but the low
| h.rth-rato Neither can the detective
1atauty be- laid 20 The charge % poy-
oriy. The richer a Frcnchman % the
fewer children ho has. This .s equally
true IN town and country. The rlch.
the educated. The cultured. are the cul-
prits The census just taken confirms
the melancholy reflections which were
published some time ago hy Dr BCr-
ullon. His assertion that y France
was % be rcpopulatcl Il would be
thanks 20 the lower orders is amply
sustained. Grenclle heads the lisi %
births. while the Champs Elyscos are
az the foot
Poverty is unquestonahly one Of the
chief causes Of drpopulailon, but O. II
far from being the only one. II the
blrih-raie diminished In the lower
stratum Of society poverty might bs
ncrlminated. but unfortunately the
figures point IN precisely the opposlt,
direction. should We no, rather blame
the decadcnce o. an che,e civilization
IN which refinement ls pushed beyond
the limits OF rcason7 Maternity o. at
instinct. u Is nature ITSELF Now Their,
is nothing so hostile 10 instinct as clu'
cation which Is based essentially or
! hypocrisy and makes children actors
/ teaching them Co diEs.mu.ate their rea
thoughts. and. after rapid reelection. d,
substitute FOR lem others which mal
coaduce toward poiitenc1E bot are dos
utute OF an sincerity ny dat %
alternating man from natural habit
education viii end % making him
purely artificial creature. undt Cor hi
position and incapable % adding vigo
20 the race. Women. uasoyod by lux
ury. viii develop an increasing disllk
90 maternity. That win De the oppor
unity FOR less civilized peoples 90 .n
wade rs and make slaves OF u5. unit
they. too. In their turn shall bccom
tender and ncuroiic.