Evening journal., 1900-05-30
EnRElGN.RnRN POPULATION

Few questions asked by the Census
Office are of more importance than
those regarding the place Of
birth of the individual and his parents.
There is no great country which has
received so many immigrants and lost
so few emigrants as the United States
Il is doubtful whether more than 2OO,-
600 Americans by birth are living out
side Of the United States, while the
number of persons of foreign birth liv-
ing in the United States is probably ten
million.
In the coming census the enumera-
tors will endeavor to ascertain where
each person, and the parents Of each
person, were born; and. if the person
was not born In the United States, in
what year he came to this country, the
number Of years he has been here.
whether he has been naturalized or not,
and If not, whether he has taken out
naturalization papers
The tables made from the answers to
the inquiries respecting birthplace
show the number and distribution of the
foreign-born residents of the United
States, the number of them born in
each Of the great countries, the amount
OF intermarriage between these for
eigners and the natives, the proportion
of the foreigners who settle in the
cities and those who seek the country,
their ability to read and to speak Eng
lish. and the law-abiding character of
the population. It is sometimes said,
for instance, that crime Is specially
common among the foreign population
But this statement cannot be support
ed by the census figures. Few crimes
are committed by persons under fifteen
years of age, and vast numbers OF the
natives are under that age and there
fore cannot commit crime. When
comparison is made between the native
prisoners and the natives over fifteen
years OF age, and the foreign prisoner.
r and the foreign population over fifteen
D years OF age one finds that the proper
D tlon OF persons in prison is about 81
I per cent greater among the native:
. than among the foreign-born popula'
D ton.
r Another point brought out clearly by
q the census figures is that immigrant'
. move but a comparatively short dis
I tance. The Canadian immigrants live
p mainly along the Canadian from
q tier, and the Mexicans mainly along
d the southern boundary. Thus in 1885,
- the Canadians were in a pluralit,
e among the foreign born in Maine, New
Hampshire, Vermont. Michigan, Mon
o tana, and Washington. The Mexicans
;, on the contrary, we're in a plurality il
T. New Mexico and Arizona. The Ger
S mans, however, have spread all owe
n the United States, and were in
+ plurality among the foreign born il
n twenty-six states and territories.
l. To the several foreign-born element
J. Of our population it is a matter Of prid
s and interest TO know the number O
It persons of their nationality in tn
N United States, and their general econ
" omic condition. In 1880 there wer
m more than 100000 residents in IN
10 United States who were born in fol
N eign countries. or this number abou
80 per cent were born in Germany,
l. per cent in ireland, and about 10 pc
is cent in Canada and Newfoundlan,
Of From 1921 TO 1880 the United Kinl
~ dom contributed SO per cent of tn
ID, total immigration to the United State
"a and Germany S5 per cent In the decad
he 1881 to 1890 the immigrants from II
ur United Kingdom constituted only
n per cent OF the total immigration, Il
it proportion from Germany being sligh
sc ly less. In the ten years 1861 to 1S'