The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-02-13
MILLIONS OF WOMEN WANTED
Some Countries, Including America,
Have Grent Many Men Who
Must Be bachelors

The government of one of the Prus-
sian states has just passed a law warn
ing all bachelors to marry under a
heavy penalty.
Some of the men have gone over
to the majority and become husbands
| rather than pay the fine imposed by
the new act; but, generally speaking,
the new move has proved failure, says
Pearson's Weekly.
Instead of it having the desired eff
feet and reducing the number of spin
sters and increasing that of the bene-
diets to any great extent, it has taken
a contrary course. There has been
sort of general exodus of the young
men from the country, who have gone
to live in the neighboring German
states, where they may remain bach
elors.
1t is quite common thing to hear
people in Britain describe a bachelor
as a selfish person, and as an object
lesson for the world to shake its head
at. They have a belief, held in rever-
ence by thousands, that every bach
elor cheats seven women out of
chance of marrying.
As a matter of fact, there are in the
world, 15,000,000 fewer women than
men, SO, therefore, supposing that
every eligible man wanted to marry
happily all men dOn't-there would not
be sufficient number of women for
distribution as wives; indeed, there
would have to remain 100000 bach
elors.
Taking America and Australia there
are 100000 more men than women,
so that bachelordom in those coun-
tries is an enforced necessity.
In Britain there are more women
than men, it is true, and if our I'M
married girls-the surplus who are
not engaged-have any matrimonial
ambitions they have only to proceed
either to Australia or the United
States in order to realize their high
est aspiratio
Now, Jumping the countries of Eu-
rope together, we arrive at great
total of 334,000,000 of human beings,
with nearly 100000 more women than
men. Population statistics show that
it is not every country in Europe
which has a population comprising
more women than men. The greater
powers are placed in that position,
but in Italy, for example, and also
in Servia, Bulgaria and in the states
adjoining Turkey in Europe, there are
more men than women.
And even where she women out
number the men the difference be-
tween the two sexes is really not very
alarming. Six nations of Europe, in
GLIDING Great Britain, have only, on
the total population, 70 women in ex-
cess of men per 1000, whilst in Ger
many, France, Belgium, Austria and
Russia the surplus female population
represents only about so per 1000.
1t is a popular statistical fact,
that where the population is thickest
there you are sure to find the number
of men in the minority.
Asia has a population of 10000 900,
with a male surplus of not less than
16,000,000; Africa has 100000 more
men than women.
In China the question of the sexes is
moot one. The summary disposal
of the newborn female infants by
those of the Chinese who DO not want
girl babies accounts for the dearth %
women in the celestial empire.
In Hong-Kong the sexes are very
uneven, there being fewer than 500
women to every 1000 men. condition
of things which is practically the same
in Hawaii.
In those countries where progress is
marked by the pursuit of an illimit-
able number of industries, such as is
followed by the majority of the ma
tons constituting the hemisphere we
live in, women, from a point of num-
Der, are in the ascendancy.
And by the same rule, where the
people follow a pastoral life, as, for
instance, the Beers. who will find that
their community is made up of more
men than women. Climate, too, ex-
erts considerable influence in de-
termining the multiplicity of either
sex-we mean the climate peculiar to.
the zone you live in. There are more
men than women in tropical zones,
but there are more women than men
! in temperate zones.