The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-06-08
object OF Census Questions.

VUJcCt VI O0uSuS Qu0SSkOAASs
The objects of the federal census are
of three kinds: To furnish basis for
toe apportionment of Representatives
in the lower house of Congress; to as
certain the growth of the United
States 10 numbers, wealth and; tpdus-
try; and to investigate the social or
CARNATIONS and institutions which de-
termine the grwoth of the population
and wealth. The first is a cOnstitu-
tional necessity, the second a study OF
facts, and the third study of census.
Probably no social institution is so
intimately connected with the growth
of population as that of marriage.
In investigating marital cor .li;ions
the law requires about each statement
whether he or she is single, married,
how many years the marriage has
lasted, if mother, how many child
rem she has had, and how many OF
these children are now living.
From the answers to the questions
it is possible to determine the birth
rate, the prevalence of marriage, the
proportion of women aud children to
the whole population, the duration
and fruitfulness of marriage. So far
as the power and importance of nations
are dependent upon the size OF the
population, to thatextent is the accur-
ate determination of these questions a
matter OF public necessity.
In the United States there would
seem to be little danger OF a decline
in the population. But even when
we are sure that the population is
growing, it is still necessary to know
how it is growing. The millions of
India are increasing, but it Is by a
process OF many births and many
deaths. In good years millions are
born IN times of famine millions die,
the population increasing because a
few more are born than die. It is
growth, but savage growth. There is
more excellent kind of progress, that
resulting from the combination of q
moderate birth rate.
The marital statistics collected by
the census are in many respects very
interesting. Thus, the extent and
power of the anti-marital forces can
be In way by ascertaining the pro-
portion of people between 55 and 81
years OF age who have never been mar
ried. Census statistics show that thu
proportion OF unmarried females be
tween these ages is greatest in the
East, in North Carolina, Rhode Island
and Massachusetts, tor instance, Will,
the proportion Is smallest in the West
South Dakota, Utah and Oklahoma
bringing up the rear in the orde
named. Men on the contrary, are fa
more likely to remain single IN the
West than the East. The proportion
of unmarried men between IS and g.
is lowest in the Southern States, e. g.
Arkansas, Alabama, and Georgia, ant
greatest in the block of Western States
west of the Mississippi, In Nevad,
1872 per cent of the males between 5!
and 81 have never been married
Idaho coming next with 32.4 per cent
etc.
That marriage is still preeminently
the sphere of women seems to be in
dicated by the fact that more womer
marry than men, and they marry a
, earlier ages. Thus, only 81 per cen
, of females Is years of age and over ar,
unmarried while among males of tn,
same ages the proportion is Al pc
cent. Taking girls and boys betweeE
Is and 20 years of age, it is found tina
one out of every ten girls is married
while among the boys the proportion
falls to one in two hundred. Thes'
; were the proportions in 1890. Whe
ther these conditions have changed
, since then is a question that can only
be answered by the census of 1900.
.