Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-06-04
CENSUS GIVEN OF
RELIGIOUS BODIES
Comparison Appearing In the Census
Bureaus Report or 6enomgna.
tons For 1905.

Washington, ID. G.. May 3i.-The az
gregate number Of 32.936.445 commHn.
icants or members OF ali rellgl ous de-
nominations in continental United
States was reported for 1906, accord
ing to the u. s. Census q Religious
bodies for the same year. as detailed
in part / Of the 4. S. Census Bureaus
special report on the subject. row ia
press. OF this grand total the various
protestant bodies reported 20.2s7.7&2
and the Roman Catholic Church II
679, LAP.
For purposes Of comparison the cen
sus authorities divided the principal
cities into four classes. those having
in 1900 a population Of 100000 ana
over, constituting the first class
those OF from 100. 900 to BOG. 900 form.
ing the second; those of from so. 900 10
100, 900 making the third; and those Of
from 9 5000 to 10000 forming the
fourth class.
OF the protestant aggregate there
were 1,47S,145 or 10 per cent in the
first cass cities; Al per cen in the
second; and IA per cent. in the third
and fourth classes combined, while
500 per cent. were outside the pria-
cipal cities.
OF the Roman Catholic Cnnrch's
total membership there were ~3,375,453
or 10 per cent. in first class cities;
1,361.132 or 11.3 per ent In the sec
ond; 1,570,944 or 13 per cent. In the
third and fourth classes combined
with 5,771,613 or ATS per cent. out
side the principal cities.
1t is seen, therefore, that the num-
Der OF members of the Roman Cath
Ollie Church reported in cities OF the
first class was considerably more than
double the number reported by all the
protestant bodies, while outside of the
principal cities the number reported
by the Catholics was only a little over
one third of the number credited hv
the report that the strength of the
Protestant bodies, as compared with
the Roman Catholic Church, is greatly
upderstated
Only two of the Protestant bodies,
reported a majority OF their member-
ship in the principal cities, /. e, the
! Church of Christ. Scientist, S2.6 per
cent, and the Protestant Episcopal
Church 51.2 per cent; while of the
membership of the Jewish congrega-
lions, 1871 per cent are in the princi-
pal cities, and of the Eastern Orthdox
churches 70.7 per cent.
OF the total number of communi-
cants or members reported for the
principal cities by all denominations,
6.307 ,529 or 60 per cent belonged 70
the Roman Catholic Church, and 81
935. BAL, or 37.4, to Protestant bodies.
Comparison with the report for 1890
shows that in general there has been
an increase in the proportion of com
municants or members in the princi-
pal cities as compared with those out
side of these cities. In 1906 the per
centage of the total number of com
municants in these cities for all de-
nominations was 31.9 as compared
with 25.7 in 1890.
OF the total number. 10.511,178, OF
communicates or members in the prin
/ cipal cities in 1906, there were 7,34S,-
403 or 500 per cent. reported by the
SO cities of over 100000 population,
and. OF these, 2,432,630 or 33.1 per
cent. belonged to Protestant bodies
and IS, 535 or CAS- per cent. TO the
j Roman Catholic Church. The latter
denomination had in these cities about
ISL per cent Of its entire member
ship in cities of owe $4,000 inhabl-
tants.
In thirteen of the cities more than
one half OF the communicates or mer
bers reported belonged to Protestant
bodies, while in % the majority belong
ed to the Roman Catholic Church.
The cities showing the largest pro
portions of Protestant communicates
, are Memphis, S4.4 per cent; Toledo
I, 70 per cent; Washington. 66.9 pei
cetn.; Kansas City. Mo, So per cent.
and Indianapolis. ell per cent.
The cities showing the largest per
centages of Roman Catholic commuG
icants are Fall River, S6.5 per cent,
San Francisco, s1.1 per cent; New
Orleans. 1917 per cent; New York
1853 per cent; Providence. 76.5 pei
cent; st. Louis, SO per cent; Boston
6S,7 per cent; Chicago, 6S,2 per cent.
and Philadelphia, SIS per cent.
In the 5 leading cities the proportion
OF communicates to population was
New York, 44.7 per cent; Chicago
4O.7; Philadelphia, 1873; Boston, 62.6;
and st. Louis, 46.6 per cent. 1t !:
stated that. in general. cities which
have a relatively large Roman Cath
Ollie population show a higher per
. centage OF church members than cities
in which this body has a comparative
a ly small representation. In Fall Riv
er 1865 per cent of the total numbei
!, OF members reported wre Roman Cath
|, olics and the church membership rep
resented 67.S per cent. of the popula
= ton, while in Memphis, where S4.4 pc