The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-01
lSracial corresnonlence to Ile n

W,S4IEC,TC.& d c, June Son
account of the inSorrscthess Oh t.s
census OF 1880. the census OF 800 Is ttAs'S
10 furnish many surprises II VIZ
zlmost sure TO cause surprise, tHtesS -
also, turns out to be incorrect, for the
fact nhar r1e census OF 1855 was grossly
inaccurate is capable OF PROOF thtI III
couclusfyeneSs amounts almost to matLi-
ernatical demonstrations
In the southern States. with fe"
executions. ana in . few OF the Northern
States a large number OF persons "eis
evidently not reported in the census OF
nor counted in the total. This is proved
Nv, an ANALYSIS Of the census itself. The
population in 1880 added TO the olFtis
between 1850 and 1890 and the gain by
migration. with the deaths between 1851
and 1890 subtracted. ought to be eiu1li 20
the population in 1880, and III the North
Atlantic ana North Central states, not
counting Missouri in the latter group
there was a difference of only 1lotel IN
a population OF more than %l,eOc,t'o
between the population as stated by tAe
census of 1850 and the result obtained
nv adding the gains by birth and m.Srst-
tion 70 the p0puIation in 1850 ana subtract
in., the losses by death O. this din renee
Of IOOJt more than $500 was found IN
Democratic or doubtful States with nearly
81 Oa1 O9(t-a difference of only 1900 or not
rIIffa one in ], 20o In the Southern states,
credited with less than 22.5}O.00e people,
rha difference was more than l,uJ10j0- Or
/ in % even SupposinS the population
urdcr. ten years of age TO have been cor
r5ctly stated. On the surEosit!on that
there was an under count Of those less
than ten years old in proportion 70 thdt
found in those over that age, the DIS
crepancy in the South would be nearly
10000 indicating a failure to count one
in sixteen of the population. Badly as
the South in general was treated by the
census Of 1880. Virginia was treated worse
than any other Southern State In this
State there IS evidence of an under count
of nearly 10000 in the popula tion over ten
years Of age, and of 10000 ia ALL or nearly
one in eight Of the population as stated by
the eleventh census
HOW II IS ESTIMATED.
Ii Is not difficult TO test the accuracy
of a census by comparing the total TO the
sum of the parts OF which it IS composed.
Virginia had 1.5l25 $50 people III 1880 and
the census of 1880 showed living in the
State 4f3 633 native Americans under ten
years oId OF course. these We're born
during the decade. and no others were
except those who died before the end of
the ten years To find the gain from
births we must subtract not the total
deaths, for the deaths of those born during
the decade are ALREADY subtracted in a
L
tneinumber of deaths Of person who Were
living in 1885, This can be arrived ut
approximately by subtracting the deaths
of persons over five years Old.
TIE ages of persons born during the
decade, varying from one day TO ten
years, may be assumed to average five
years, and ten times the deaths of one
year of persons five years old or under
would Approximately equal the deaths Of
those born during the decade OF course.
this would not be exact. but the closeness
OF approximation to exactness OF the cal
cuiation based on it may be realized when
it is remembered that the result it gives
| in Republican States, as already stated.
! shows a difference. Of only one in f2eo
from the tota's reported by the Porter
! census. If the rule gives results so near
| to exactness in Republican States il should
! approximate rs closely in Democratic
! states. for 1t is as fair as applied TO one
| as to the other.
SOME TELLING FIGURES.
| The number of persons in Virginia over
| five years old who died during the census
| year was 1885 in population stated at
| 1880 and this would indicate 49, Sf
| deaths in ten wears in a population aver
| aging 1Ssf. ~ the mean between the
] census reports OF 1880 and 1890. This
| number taken from the number of persons
| horn during the decade and living al the
| end of it tfis.s32l gives an increase of
e97.aa7 from births.
s. Ia interstate migration the census OF
! 1sa, shows So, 5sI more persons born IN
/ Virginia and living in the United States
| than natives of tins United STATES living
q en- Virginia Sin Other words, this represents