The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-19
THE NEGRO POPULATION OF
INDIANA

The statistics relative to the negro pop
ulation of Indiana, compiled by the deputy
State statistician from the last CEN
sus report, are not new in them
selves, but some of his deductions
from them in the way of percent
ages are. The fact that Indiana has the
smallest number of negro inhabitants of
any Northern State bordering on the old
Mason and Dxon's line refutes the silly
lie regarding, the alleged large importations
of negro voters for political purposes. The
story was started many years ago for cam
paign use and has been repeated so often
since that some persons may have been
led to believe it. There is not word of
truth in 1t, and never was. Whatever negro
has been voluntary and not assisted. BY
the last census Illinois had S5.07S negroes.
Ohio, sc, 9O1; Pennsylvania, 156,Si5. and In
diana 575O5. From 1890 to 1900 the negro
population of the State increased from As
215 to $685. an actual Increase of H. go, but
the percentage of negro population to white
decreased from eleven and nine-hundredths
per cent. to eleven and six-hundreths. The
decrease was small but it was enough to
show that there was no artificial or stimu-
lated negro immigration.
A calculation made by the State statisti-
clan shows that of the entire negro popu-
lation of the State 41.225. or Y per cent. of
the whole, live in the cities. This is bad for
the negroes. but it only shows that they
have the same tendency to flock to cities
that whites have. There is not city in
Indiana nor in the United States that does
not suffer from this tendency and that
would not be benefited and experience a
diminution of crime and pauperism by re-
duction of it's congested population to a
normal point This is as true of surplus
white population it is of colored. OF the
ninety-two counties in Indiana, only ten
had more than 1000 negro inhabitants in
1900. and only eight had between 500 and
LOCO. The other seventy-four counties,
mainly agricultural or having no large
towns had negro inhabitants ranging from
one to a few hundred. Brown county had
only one. Daviess county two, DeKalb
eleven, Franklin seven. Huntington twelve,
Lagrange nine Marshal fifteen, Noble six,
Pulaski six, Scott one, Starke four Upton
seven, Washington five, Wells three. These
and many other agricultural counties could
absorb a considerable negro population
without the slightest embarrassment and,
If they We're honest and industrious, the
counties and the State would be the gamer
just as they would from an equal number
of honest and industrious white settlers
Negroes are good farmers when they turn
| their attention TO that business, and there
is room for thousands of them in Indiana
The last census showed that OF total OF
| 573e 657 farms of all sizes in the United
| States, 76s, 52S were operated by negroes, OF
/ whom ia SAT were sole owners, 50 500 were
part owners, 2s4, $50 were share tenants, no.
| $50 were cash tenants. 1850 were managers
| and I,5s2 owners and tenants. The
| total number of negro farmers In Indiana
was 1o62. of whom $50 were owners. 1s4 were
part owners. 33l were share tenants and
| 40 were cash tenants. If this number OF
negro farmers could be increased by hall
/ of the negroes In every city and large towr
/ in the State the negroes would be In q
better way to become good citizens and tbs
| cities would be benefited by q reduction OF
! their floating population It must be r.