The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-03-07
trace Suicide.

a certain part Of the American people
is undoubtedly committing race suicide
through failure to have children, but the
great majority OF the people stand in no I
need Of exhortation from President Rooser
welt OF anybody else to guard against the
extinction OF the race. study of the
census statistics on the subject OF popuia-s
ton increase shows that while In most OF
New England the ma tive race is dying out
through failure to reproduce itself, the
fecundity of thenativessi in the rest9of the
country especially the westand the south,
is so great that the native American
birth rate compares creditably with that
of any other nation.
The census does not go into the subject
Of the wealth or culture OF parents, so
we have no means of knowing statistically
whether throughout the country the peo-
pie of wealth and culture are doing their
part in keeping up the race, but from gen
eral Observation it, may be safely con-
cluded that they are not. While that
fact tends to retard the advance of the.
nation in enlightenment we may rest as
sured that there is nothing in the present
outlook to disturb our confidence that for
many years to come the natural increase
of the United States will be enormous,
and that however much some of the new.
corners may be lacking in opportunities to
acquire manners and higher education,
that they will be a strong and sturdy
stock from which great men may be eX-s
pected to spring, even as Lincoln sprang
from the hunblest ancestry of his times.
1t is true that the United States is lack
ing in accurate vital statistics. A decennial
census can not give them to us, and ex-.
perience shows that enumerators are UNI
able to ascertain the facts. Local health
bodies are properly. charged with collect
ing such statistics, but they have been
careless or without the necessary au
thority and funds. Congress has passed
a resolution urging such bodies to CO.
operate with the director of the census
in maintaining reliable records, and some
improvement may be expected. But TAX
ing what the census offers US as ap-
proximately correct figures, we can find
little to discourage us in the outlook.
Between 1890 and 1900, the natural in
crease of population in the United States
was 12,315,361. This number taken to-
gether' with the average annual death
rate of liza thousand indicates that the
birth rate was 35.1. The census officials
say it may vary two points either way,
but not more. On this basis the annual
| excess of births over deaths for the whole
| country is 1T. Certain European coun-
tries, Austria, Germany, Italy, have a
| slightly larger birth rate than the United
| States, but our death rate being smaller
than that Of any European country except
Sweden and Norway, than which we have
| a larger birth rate, it results that the ex.
cess of births over deaths in the United
States is greater than that of any Eu
ropean country.
The excess of births over deaths amons
the foreign born population of the Unite'
States is about twice as great as anon:
1.-THE native born whites, and the lattersi
a little more than that of the colore'
people. 4. 49, -
How little danger there is that eve
our native population will begin to decln
in the near future may be inferred fror
the fact that it's net annual natural in
crease is almost as much as the birth rat
of France. The remarkable birth rat
among the foreign population is largel
due to the fact that majority of tn
foreign born people are of productive age
whereas the native births are compute
: lagainst the entire native population, in
Guiding millions of children. If allowanc
able that our foreign born citizens woul
not be found to- be much more prolif1
than our natives. $500 :s:- ii
That statement, however, does not appl
to the northeastern states, including Me-
England and New York. In New England
native population increased by excess
births between 1890 and 1900: The tots
increase of the natives in that state wa
about $4,000. The other New, Englan
states actually had an excess of death
over births among the natives, of MOI
, than 70, 900; so the net loss for New Eng
land was about 81, 900. On the other han,
, the foreign pOpulallOn experienced q ne
, tural increase of 4S1;000. When it is ri
membered that no effort is made to di.
:, ltinguish between Americans Of the fir
=. and more remote generations, it is a, ia
: conclusion that the original New Englar
!" stock is rapidly disappearing in the Lar
of the fathers. It is probably the mo
y remarkable case of race effacement} tt
= world can show. New York shows only
q fair increase of the natives, some :225, o
4 in ten years. But in all the rest Of II
states, whether old or new the natl
g stock continues to do very well, with II
+ exception Of Virginia, where the increa
I is not quite SO large as in New York. :
o. Minnesota stands in no danger of ra
: suicide, the annual excess of births ov
y deaths being, among the natives 40, al
among the foreign born 1914 per thousar
!, | In North Dakota the foreign born r,1
a up to 92.1, and the native to 35.S; in Sou
) Dakota the, figures are 52.S and 299, I
: spectively; in Wisconsin the natives be
i. the foreign born 41.2 to 34.5; in Iowa t
( natives and immigrants are almost a
r. at 1913 and 81. Throughout. the west, t
native rate OF natural Increase is: We
n large, being in many states in excess
le that of the foreign born.
= New England statistics are discourage
ID it is true, but they are characteristic