Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-11
In commenting ON these figures Mr..


Parker said:
1T will be- noted that the white pop
ulati0n in communities Of over 2.HOO
in population Increased in per Crntagr
between 1900 and 1910 &c per cent
as against 80 per cent in $500 to
1900. During such prriud. the negro
population in these communities IN
Creased 30! per cent aS against an i'll
Crease of the preceding period of 23.3
per cent. ON the other hand the white
population increased in the country
districts. 1900 to 1910. almost idrnti-
Cally the per cent as from lS9O To
1900: whereas the negro population
shows Il much lower percentage OF IN
crease. as the increase in the country
districts i'm the later period * only H.3
per cent as against la per cent in
the earlier period"
Being very much interested in these
figures We sent them To the director OF
the census for confirmation as To their
correctness and also to ascertain what
''ninc cotton states" are referred to.
From him we learn that the nine
states included in this preliminary eS-
innate given Mr.. Price We're: North
Carolina. South Carolina. Georgia,
Florida. Alabama. Mississippi Arkan-
SaS. Louisiana. and Tennessee. Thc|
acting director also writes us:
"As you will note. the increase is
figured on the basis of the urban and
rural population as constituted III
1890. whereas il should properly DE
based on the areas of urban ana rural
territory as now constituted. which hs-
urrS however, are not al present
available except in the case of the in
CREASE in the negro population ol the
rural districts of the states in question
I IA, A
6.S per cent.
In amy case. the figures indicate one
thing Enthusiastically:
The rural south is rapidly growing
whittier.
AS for that matter, the figures also
indicate Enthusiastically that the whole
south is growing whittier. If We recall
that the country places i'm 1890 en-
braced over eighty per cent ol the
population of these nine states, ana
that the small rural increase of 80 per
cent applies Ia four times as great a
body of population aS the negro o'S
larger urban increase of 300 per cent,
another fact becomes apparent:
The white population of the whole
south is increasing almost exactly
twice as fast as the negro population
probably more than twice as fast.
And we are frank To say that we
heartily rejoice that this is true. We
have no i'll will toward The negro. We
certainly have no desire to keep him
poor. Even from Il selfish standpoint
we realize that the best interests Of
the whole south demand that he be
made more intelligent, efficient, and
prosperous But at best this process
will be- slow: and the proportion of
negroes To whites in the south has
been too large even for the negro $
own good. The best interest of every
body will be helped by Il greater rela-
tive increase in the white population.
The coming of good settlers from 9TH
~ sections should be encouraged, and
the hope should be- that the tides of
migration and immigration will ulti-
matcly equaliZe matters until the pro-
portion of negroes in no southern
state will exceed twenty per cent. Thrn
will il be easier to develop thiCkly set
tied white communities. Prosperous
small white farmers. owning their own
homes and enjoying all modern COM
f0rts-good roads. good schools. rural
telephones. WaterWOrkS, trolley lines,
etc. etc. things il is often hard to get
where large part of the population
consists of negro tenantS-will develop
in the south the most splendid
type of modern rural civilization. and
a kindlier feeling for the negro him
self will develop as his influence be-
comes less oppressive and his numbers
better distributed through the whole
country.
The southern white farmer has
sense enough To See that with intelli-
gent. scientific farming he has far bet
ter chances for making money and
for enjoying life working as his own
boss on his own land than he would
have as SumCbndy'S hircling in some
city factory or shop. Consequently, he
is going Ia stay ON the farm: and for
every negro who goes To town We may
count on getting in the end som" thrift
ty white settler from some other seq
ton.
The question of Saving the Rural
South To the White Race" seems To b"
solving itself Raleigh (N. e. Pro-
%rrSSivc Farmer.