Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-10-18

COuy Cue huai) NiS u""
its work that gives it value tn SUI
dents o. sociology and present day
problems.
One of them shows the negro popuia,
ton now to constitute II. IS rer cent OF
the total population, rs compared WIN
/, o.. per cent in 1890, 1913 per cent
in 80. l4.l3 per cent in GO and ~ per
cent in 1910. The figures of the lo'o
census may be thrown out of the com
parison because taken under carpet
bag auspices in the South, they are
wortbless. While the negro is becom =
ing steadily a smaller factor IN our
national makeup, it does not follow
that a. race he is dying out. On the
contrary it is evident from the totals
that he maintain his share of the III
crease by birth quite closely, but ne
is not reinforced by immigration as
the white race is 30 largely. There IS
also q tendency for the negro to gather
in the extreme southern ststes. AS
compared with 1890 his proportion OF
the whole has increased in Alabama
Arkansas. Florida, Mississippi and
Texas. This is rather remarkable 10
view of the fact that there has been
an much of a movement northwsrd OF
negroes. There is hardly doubt that
the race tends to die out the further
If pets on to the colder climates CT
the north. and this means, of course
in yiew of the census results tnat IL
is all the more prolific in the South
Certainly the prophecy Of the old
slavery advocates that the race could
not maintain itself in freedom is NOT
being justified.
As regards the proportion
Of foreign born lilsp the cen
sus gives staggering bio" TO
the pessimists. notwithstanding that
the decade ending in 1880 sac the
largest INN igration of our history
one half as much as in the whole 6O
wears preceding, the foreign born pop
ulation lsst wear was but 10 per cent
of the whole, against AS 10 1871
1873 ia 80. l4.4 INFO, 49, in go and
o. in 80 The hard times prevailing
through about half of the last decade
of course operated to cut down the
proportion. as it did in the decade
from 10 to 80. But as such times are
bound to recur about once 10 go oftep'
it remains true that the actual foreign
born has for 40 years been proportion
ally about a stationary factor In our
pouulatiop. 1t is undoubtedly true
that the immigrants are ny far the
most prolific Of our people and so 1t
their children that help materially to
keep up the proportion OF the native
born. but it has been the experience
of sll the past that the first orst most
second generation from the Immigrant
becomes thoroughly Americanized ard
ind istiuguishable from the rest OF the
people, and there is TO reason to DOUBT
that this will continue to be the fact 10
the future. The effect Of immigration,
how aver, as we'll as a still. lingering
consequence Of the war. is seen 10
percsntage Of females of only is. 80,
only little more thar it has been for
70 wears, whereas under Lormal cor
ditious the distribution of sexes sp-
proaches equality with slight excl IS
on the female side
But perhaps the most encouraging
bulletin and the most surprising to
those who have not watched conol-
lions closely. is that which shows q
falling of in the death rate Of nearly
10 per cent. In all human history
there - no 10 years which shows such
change for tho better. The average
age at which people die has increased
from 81. to B. 2 or l3 per cent gain
10 longevity. The figures are for
cities of 5000 or more, and are there
fore the result chiefly of improved
methods of sanitation and greater care
in water and food supplies. Doubtless
| when the figures for the rural dis
tricts CONS to be assembled, they will
not show so great improvement,
though the advance in medical science
ard the general diffusion of under
standing of the condition OF life and
health, must result in some, The city
returns show the "great white plague
to have been stripped Of much OF its
terror: the death rate from consump-
ton has dropped from 245, to 100 D or
! nearly one-ffth The death rate from
pneumonia shows a slight increase, q
| legacy of the grip that made It's hrst
appearance some dozen years ago.
There is also some growth in the
death rate from cancer, apoplexy and
heart and kidney arrangements. The
first is rot easy to explain, because it
is now the least understood of dis
eases. but the latter, called the dis
eases of civilization, are naturally
given activity by the high pressure
| life of the cities.
1t is in his usual kindly vein that
Mr. Bryan writes in the Commoner:
Democrats aud Republicans differ