The age-herald., 1898-12-14
NEXT PRESIDENTIAL
 APPORTIONMENT

CoTiespoHIesaCe Oi the NEW 1Ork Sun.
 Washington, December S-There will be national census of the United States in the year 1900, immediately preceding the presidential election of that year, but 1t will be without effect on the apportionment of electors in that election, for the changes 1t will involve will not be made until after it's results have been submitted to congress and passed upon by it.
 Between 1880 and 1890 the increase in the total population of the United States, with out any increase of territory, was 100000, and in the decade preceding, or from 1870 to 1880, it was also 12 2,000, ,O00. The conclusion has been drawn accordingly that the popu- lation of this old territory in 1900 will be about 75,000,000. The addition of the new ter- ritory acquired by the war will bring in a further population of 10000000 or 100000, bringing up the total to between S5 1000, 900 and 90,000000 inhabitants approximately. That such an increase is probable is indi- cated by state censuses taken since 1890 or by the returns of the vote of subsequent elections.
 A census in Massachusetts in 1895 showed the total population of that commonwealth to be 2,5OO 900 at that time, or a gain of 10 per CtHt dS COlilpdIcu Wilu tHo ndtloiiti census of five years before. A like gain until 1900 would bring up the total to 2,650.- 900, approximately. New Jersey which had 100000 by the census of 1890. had 100000 by the state census of 1895, and will prob- ably have 1,SO0,O00, if not more, by the na- tional census of 1900. New Yorks popula- tion by the national census of 1890 was less than 5000 short of 6O0O,0O0. By the state census of 1892 it was 6,500,000, and there Is very little doubt that New York will have a total population of 100000 in 1900, or moro than 40 per cent more than the total population of the United States in 1S00 Min nesota had population of 900 under the national census of 1890. It had popu- lation of 1,50O,oOO by the state census of 1895, and the state seems likely to have 1,SOO 900, or the same as New Jersey, when the national census of 1900 is taken.
 The United States Is practically the only country in the world of which all the civic decisions show gains year after year and decade after decade. These gains, 1t is true, are remarkably small in a few of the New England states, merely those on or near the Canada border-Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. But Maine is ill- creasing in population slowly but steadily, and it has fallen behind in only one census since 1870, when the inhabitants were fewer by 1900 than in 1S6o decrease, however, which was due entirely to losses in tho civil war. New Hampshire, for the same cause and in the same census. fell behind tie census of 1870, departing from it's rule of steady increase in every census since the first taken in 179O. Vermont had 1000 in-
 
 years later. The gain from year to year is almost infinitesmal, but there is some. It has never fallen behind, and there is no present reason to suppose that Vermont will show less population in 1900 than in 1890; probably it will show more.
 In some of the other states there will be almost sensational increases. Nebraska had 10000 population in 1880; it had 1,050.000 in 1890. The vote of the state which was S7,O0O in 1880, was 224,000 in 1S96 Kansas ln- creased 100000 in population from 1880 to 1890, and a like increase until 1900 would bring up the total population in that year to 1,S0O,00O. From present indications about that total will be the population of each of the states of Alabama, California, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wiseon- sin. New York will probably exceed seven of them; Pennsylvania will reach and may exceed six; Illinois and Ohio will not be far from 900 each, with Illinois somewhat ahead. Up to 1890 Ohio exceeded Illinois in population, but since 1890 Ohio exceeded Illinois in population, but since 1880 great increase in the population of Chicago and vicinity seems likely to keep the state well in advance In Ohio there has been a marked increase in Cleveland, but 1t is not observable in some of the other cities and some of the interior counties. One state which seems likely to show large increase in population is Texas Colorado and the mountain states will show very large in- creases, and also Oregon and Washington In the southy Georgia and West Virginia, and in the lake regions Michigan are ex- pected to do likewise
 In the matter of apportionment, of course, it is not solely the population which con trols, for each state has two electors. irre- spective of population, to correspond to it's United States senator's and accordingly there will be ninety electors following the next census, regardless of the membership of the house of representatives, now 357. That membership may be increased or de- creased according to the will of congress, but senatorial representation cannot be decreased by any lawful process. Should, therefore, the membership of the house re- main as it is, the gains in representation. it may be assumed, will be limited to minor ones in the states of the west.