The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-18
NEW HAMPSHIRE ,DEGENERACY.
Caused by the Shifting of Population
and Loss of Native Stock.

Divorce, drunkenness and irreligfon
are SO on the increase in New Hamp-
shire that one of It's pastors declares
that its religious work today must be
largely of a home missionary nature ("
The picture he draws Is rendered more
pathetic by a comparison of the New
Hampshire of today and of an earlier
generation. By the shifting population,
stock. In 1870 the total population. of
the state was $4,000, says Rev. E. s.
Tasker, writing in lions Herald (Bos-
toni. OF these, $4,000 were native
Americans, and $4,000 were of foreign
birth or perantage. In 1900 the native
population had fallen to 24s, 900 and the
foreign population had risen to 1853 900.
Today it is estimated that nearly, If
not quite, one-half Of the population Is
Of foreign birth of parentage. These
facts furnish. according to Mr.. Tasker,
one cause for the Intellectual and NOR
al retrogression of the state. Another
cause is the weakening Of the native
stock. New Hampshire, he recalls
''once occupied the proud place of third
in the Union for literacy; now she has
fallen to the twenty-eighth." Speaking
Of the decadence in the moral life of the
state, he writes:
Perhaps the most glazing indication
Of this is found in the recent growth
of the divorce evil, which has per-
meated city and country village alike
make 1t a delicate subject. The record
of our state on this question is any,
thing but an enviable one. In 1870 we
had 149 cases of divorce In New Hamp-
shire, and there has been steady and
rapid increase, until, in 1904. we had
525 cases. This is the shameful record
for one year. Indications are that the
public conscience in our state has been
deadened by familiarity with moral
1ooseness. This moral evil may not be
Of ,vrv~ Rrra lon m
lation. The Roman Catholic church, of
which the foreigners are largely mem
hers, is proverbially strong and true on
the divorce question. The fault, then,
must be found largely in the moral
laxity Of our natl native Popr una fines is
found in the increase in drunkenness
during the past few years. since the
overthrow of the prohibitory sys-
tenn. Since the present local option
license law went into effect the COM
mitments to our county houses of
correction. for drunkenness. have in
creased from 473 in 1902 to 2.1s2 in
1906. And there is growing con-
viction that drinking is on the in
crease among the young men OF the
state. Some of our best citizens are
expressing in strongest terms their
horror at the situation. and calling
for some change in the law that may
help to better conditions. A large
share of the blame for our degrade
ton in this respect may be attributed
to the foreigner, who, with his drink
ing customs, stands for the license
system.
Another sign of our present condi-
ton is to be found in the growing
spirit of irrehgion. Our nonchurch-
going element is on the increase. In
the thfrty-seven towns already re-
ferred to the religious census yielded
the following results: Out of total
population of about $4,000 8,00o-or
Observation-Disclosures to have no
church Affiliations whatever, and 49,
0O0-or over one-half-had never
received the rite OF baptism