Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1904-01-02

finally the state superintendent of
public instruction has taken part In
the grcwsome revelations by prOduc.
ing figures which would seem to prove
that the school population of the Ell.
tire state has decreased by 46,3Si
since 1000. The last t-namcd official.
however. Is in a dubious frame of
mind. After referring to the theory
that "thc higher the degree of intel.
ligence of any people the smaller the
families" and pointing with pride to
the large percentage of lite,ucy IN
Iowa. which may be taken in conhec.
tion with the deer, asc of population to
Illustrate the truth of the theory. lie
adds: but am not convinced that
more painstaking work by the federal
ar school census cnumcratOrs will not
completely disprove the theory SO far
the work Is inaccurate, but the cOndi-
tions which are noted are not peculiar
to Iowa. n writer for The Nineteenth
Century who made a study of our cen.
s,is reports some time since declared
that the population Of the United
States would decline If 1t were not for
immigration. lie cited figures to prove
that both in the East and IN the West
growth came from foreign additions.
According to the census of 1900 the
population of Massachusetts was g.
SO53lG. of which 1.II3.1iO were for.
cign born" Again: "'Thc population
of Illinois is l.S21.J5O. Of these 0G,i..
I41 are foreign born and 1.I0S.II3 Of
foreign parcntagc." And generally
speaking from 1850 onwards the for
cign birth rate has gained on the
American birth rate" 1t would appear
then that the tendency of the country
Is Enthusiastically toward small fami.
lies. hut It Is by no means proved
that this Is what the writer calls IT,,
"the weak spot IN the republic" That
Is another question. and there Is q
wide difference Of opinion over the
general proposition that large families
are desirable.
The theory of Dr. J. ID. Robertson
expressed before Chicago medical
society. to the effect that the bathing
habit Is injurious and as he said a
dirty habit" an opinion which made
the other doctors gasp. but which they
could not scientifically refutc. reminds
an Observant man of many things
that seem queer. lie Is reminded that
our mountain and plains Indians. who
never batlc except by accident. arc
rarely III and. barring war or accident.
live to good old age. displaying aggrcs
sive vlrlllty and force all their lives.
On the other hand. the natives of the
Pac!iic islands. who are half their
time or more In the water. are weak,
eTcminatc. disease inclined and short
lived. He will recall. also. that in
civilization the children who from any
cause. either poverty or inclination
wallow In the dirt In city, town and
country are generally vigorous. while
| the pnmpcred children. rich or poor
who are scrubbed TO shining are the
reverse. Their vitality seems to slriv.
el up like the skin of q washcrwom 4
hands. lie may recall. also. curious
New York experience. Some years ago
| the authorities. desiring to convince
the slum dwellcrs Of the hygienic value
OF bathing and cleanliness IN general
ana the dlscase.breeding powers of
filth, divided the city into districts, 81
ndjusicd rs tn contrast rs sharply ~
possible the districts where OvCrcrowd
Ing and dirt prevailed with those
wherein the people bathcd frequently
ana wore clean clothes. One district
included the territory east Of Broad.
way, south of Fourteenth street. where
| the population Is dcnscr than any
where else IN the country AMI quite
| rs grimy. Another was the adjacent
ana less odOrOus but still fusty ~.
glon west Of Broadway, and then the
districts ran back by degrees into
the high. airy, cleanly residence re.
glons above ana to the west of Cen.
tral Park. They then took a hyGicnic
or disease census by district lines,
perfectly confident that the showing
would be of appalling prevalence Of
zyn,Otlc ana probably other disease IN
the slum districts as compared with
the others. When the returns were all
In and tabulnted the Jealous work ars
for the soap and water habit were up.
pnlled indeed, but 1t was by the fact
that the figures showed by far the
lowest disease ana death rate In the
crowded district east of Broadway
ana south Of Fourteenth. where they
had expected the highest, ana that the
rate grew. through oil the other divis.
ions, until 1t rose to really alarming
height IN the breezy regions of up.
town The east side was never held
UP to itself rs an object lesson. The
| refOrmers took the whole matter un-
der adviscment and pigeon -hOled the
census. After all. is not this matter
of frequent or infreIuent bathing like
so many other human habits and
tustcs, Il matter OF the individual?
"One mans meat IL another mans
poison" says the old saw, ana any
kind of crank would die II fed wholly
on good common sense.
~eA
According to the internal revenue
u