The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-07
SOME POINTS FROM THE CENSUS
REPORT.

Two large volumes Of the last census
are filled by what are called Vital Sta
tistics." At first glance the pages look
like endless maze of figures, but stu
dents of sociology and seekers after facts
will find them an exhaustless mine OF in
formation. AS the phrase vital statistics
properly embraces anything relating to the
lives of the people, including births, deaths,
diseases. relative fatality of diseases, etc,
the subject is very comprehensive one.
These vital statistics, in connection with
those relating to population will doubtless
be closely studied by sociologists and SCI
entists, who will find them much more in
teresting than those relating to agricul-
ture and manufactures. 1t will be impos-
sible within the limits Of a newspaper
article to give an adequate idea of their
scope, and only few points selected at
random will be here touched upon.
First, they show that the population of
the Southern States is much more homo
geneous. more native American than that
OF the Northern States. One hears much
more about the Maydower and about Plym-
than one does about the first settlers of
the South, but in reality a much larger
proportion of the population of the South
ern States is of colonial descent than in
the Northern States-perhaps not numeri-
cally more. but proportionately so. The
it's original purity and characteristics to a
greater extent and has been less affected
by interviewing with other stocks than
has that of the North. This is, of course,
States have had such large influx of for
eign immigration, while the Southern States
have had comparatively little. Statistics
show that the total population of the
Northern States is composed as follows:
Born in Northern States, 1864, POI; born in
O57.252. making a total of 55.2SO5OS. The
total population of the Southern States is
q. $50. of whom zoos, 157 were born I'm
Southern States, 656, $50 were born In North
ern States. and 4O2.SSS were born abroad.
The proportion OF foreign-born residents is
much larger in the Northern States than in
the Southern, and as foreigners have larger
families than Americans it is probable
that only about one-half OF the entire pop
ulation OF the Northern States is made up
OF descendants of the original American
colonists. The figures justify a belief that
a very much larger proportion of the popu-
| lation of the South. probably 90 per cent, is
OF colonial descent. In fact. ii is claimed
| for the South Atlantic States that 90 per
cent. OF their present population are de-
| scendants of persons who were living in the
| States at the time of the Declaration OF
| Independence.
The vital statistics show that the native
white stock in the Southern States is in
creasing faster than the same stock in the
| Northern States. The average annual in
crease of births over deaths per loo of ma
tive population is 3.s for New England and
| middle States. 20 for the central and
Northern States. and 246 for the Southern
States. These figures show that the native
white population in the South is increas-
| ing about eight times as rapidly as the
same class in the Northern States. The