The age-herald., 1897-10-10
RACE TRAITS AND TENDENCIES.
Are Afro American Colored People Physically
 Weaker Than Black Peope2

statistics has ben raised by Frederick l.. Hoffman in a work on Race Traits and Tendencies" in which he under takes to prove that Afro-Amerlcans are physically weaker in every way than Anglo-Amegicans and that the increased mortality among the black and yellow people since the war is due to constitu- tional weakness instead of sanitary con ditions and modes of living, making cer- tain the gradual extinction of the race by the ravages of disease He further concludas that while the pure black is physically weaker than the white, the mulatto, or mixed Afro-American, is weaker than either of them. Prof. KeI- ly Miller, of Howard University, has undertaken to break the force of MT. Hoffman's statistics and arguments in a pamphlet published by the Negro Acadsmy one of whose objects is the "defense of the negro against vicious as- saults,' such as MT. Hoffman has un- doubtsdly made.
 MT. Hoffman is associated with an insurance corporation, in fact statsti- clan to 1t, and in that capacity has dur ing the past ten years been gathering vital statistics of the Ali American population. The data seemed to him of such importance in their bearing on the future of 1the Afro-American race and the social economy of the country that the whole was incorporated in bulky volume, which has attracted attention in this country and Europs. MT. Heff man would have us believe that his labor was purely in the interest of sci- ence and free from the element of race antipathy. In the preface to his work he says: Being of foreign birth, Ger man, I was fortunately free from a personal bias which might have made an impartial treatment of the subject diff ficult." But, however this may be, it is evident all through Mr. Hoffman's work that he intended to kill the Afro-Ameld- can race by statistical showing, and when this was not available, by infer ence, suppostion, and conjecture. It is this fact which neutra1izeS the mass of statistics hs has gathered and breaks the force of the proposition he started out to establish.
 But, ignoring MT. Hoffman's infer ences, supposltions and conjectures, let US deal with the statistics he has gath cred, as they rslate to the race ama1- gamation.
 MT. Hoffman says he used the term "colored' oftener than negro because "the type of the pure negro is rar5ly met with. The race is so hopelessly mixed that it is difficult to arrive at a clear definition" Again: "rhe in- fusion of white blood through white males, has baen widespread, and the original type of the African has almost completely disappeared" MT. Hoffman thinks that this is a great pity. That while in the main traces of similar cult ure and physical psychical development can intermarry to mutual advantage, the rule does not hold good at all where the black and white races are concerned, as such marriages lower, he thinks, the physical mental, moral forces of each. The fact that race antipathy exists suf- ficient to pr5vent wholesale amalgama- tion "is sufficiently proved by the fact that white women of thS country do not show and never have shown a de- cidsd inclination to marry negroes a conclusion entirely just. But says MT Hoffman, i've have to face the fact that the races do mix, in spite of the effect of the law of similarity whlcn makes intermarriage of such rare oc- currence." This amalgamat.on pro ceeds because white men show no such disinclinathon as white women do to "preserve the purity of their blood. IL is some satisfaction to know that the unlawful relations of black women and white men are less general than they
  believing that they are growing less every year.
 MT Hoffman appsals to vast array of medical authorities to prove that the blacks are physically superior to the mulattoes and that the latter are very generally "scrofulous and consumptive." If is generally held that comparative physical measurements are fair test of physical power to withstand disease, but for the reason that the facts were against him, MT. Hoffman attacneS Isss value to them in the case of blacks Tnan of the whites. For instance he found in the matter of weight that the average for the white man is 141.S pounds; full black 144.6; mulatto 144.S.
 In chest measurement the average cir crmference for. white Is 35.8 inches; full black. 35.1; mulatto, 94.96. In lung capac- ity which MT. Hoffman declares the most important test, the measurements are: for the whites, 1S4.7 cubic inches; fun black 1885; mulaItto, 15S.9. This is undoubtedly a bad showing TOT the ynulatto. as a low vital capacity must affect longevity and power to resist disease. The mixed race is also at a disadvantage in ths important matter of respiration, the record beingt Tor white, 1894 a minute; pure black, 17.7; mulatto, 19.O. to is physically weaker than the pure black and the white, dn order to crush him further, If possible, Mr. Hoffman declares that he cannot be morally su- perior to the black, although he is conn., neTled to admit that, fin the absence of compara tive statistics, it fs next to inp- possible to prove this assertion" The only point of superiority he found in the mulatto over the pure black Is that, '9p- tellectually, the mulatto ds undoubtedly the superior of the pure black" Prof. Kelly Miller, who is a pure black will not allow this conclusion at all, which MT Hoffman bases largely on cranial measurements and facial angle. "It is rather unusual at this late day." says Professor Miller, Ito base intellectual ca pacity upon the shape and size of the skull. Investigation have shown that facial angle and capacity. of cranium and cephalic index afford no certain criterion of thought power or susceptibility of culture" The point will have to remain controverted one for the present, at least, and perhaps dt does not matter, ps Mir TJaffuna fe resqsnna1pIv c.ayyta Tn