The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-08-31
PERTINENT FACTS
ABOUT The negro

Charles Stelze has furnished the fol-
lowing interesting data regarding the
negro:
The negro problem is shifting from
the south to the north. At any rate,
the censu figures indicate that the
south is becoming whittier, largely
due to the fact that there is a steady
migration of the negro to the north.
Also, the figures show that the negro
is going to the cities in both the north
and the south. The percentage Of ne
groes for the entire country is 10.7; for
the cities of $4,000 and over it is 1876.
Negroes constitute one-fourth or more
Of the total population in each OF TWEEN
ty-seven of these cities. and in four of
them the proportion is more than half.
In each of twelve cities there are more
than 10000 negroes, although in Wash
ington, d. c., the negro population is
94,446.
The widest guesses imaginable have
been made as to the future of the ne
gro race. 1t has been said with equal
inSistence, and with probably equal
authority, both that the negro would
ultimately dominate the United States
because of the large birth-rate among
negroes, and that the negro race would
some day be practically eliminated.
AS a matter OF fact, while during the
past sixty years the total population of
the country has increased four-fold,
the negro population has increased only
two and two thirds fold. But 1t must
not be forgotten that, whereas the in
crease OF the white population was
largely due to a considerable influx Of
foreigners, the increase of negroes de-
pended almost entirely upon native
stock. However, the actual situation
may be arrived at by comparing the
relative death and birth rates OF the
two races.
While 1t is impossible to secure
complete vital statistics in this coun-
try, there are certain registration
areas in which figures are kept. I'm
fortunately these areas are for the
most parts in the cities; there are al
most no records for the country. In
1890 the death rate for negroes in the
registration areas was 1913 per 1000,
whereas for whites II was only 81
per 1000. AS these figures for the ne
groes included a few MongoIians and
Indians 1t would be fair to say that the
actual death rate was about 20 per
1000 for the negro. This means that
for every 1000 negroes, twenty nine
die annually. In the census report for
1900 the figures for death rates are as
follows: negroes 30.2 per 1000; whites
17.3 per 1000. 1t will be seen that not
only is the death rate among negroes
nearly twice as great as it Is among
whites. but that the death rate among
negroes Is increasing, whereas 1t Is
decreasing among whites.
In the matter Of birth rates, all the
facts are against the negro. Absolute
reliable data is not available, but TAX
ing the number of children in the
United States to females between the
ages Of is to Al years of age, we ar
rive at the following conclusions: In
the United States as a whole there
were in 1880 to every 1000 white wom-
en- $50 children; to every 1000 negro
women (~including Indians and Mon
goiians) T59 children. In 1900 there
were TO every 1000 white women sos
| children, and to every 1000 negro wom-
en- 5S5 children. While the birth rate
has greatly declined for both races in
twenty years, 1t has declined more
rapidly among negroes than among
whites: namely rs per 1000 for whites,
and TIA per 1000 for negroes.
These figures would seem to indi-
cate the continued supremacy of the
white race-if present tendencies con-
| tinue. But this fact continues to
| stare us in the face: the negro is ac-
| tualIy increasing in numbers. not as
fast relatively as is the white, but we
may as we'll make up our minds that
the negro is here to stay. It's simply
/ d QuGbLlOn dD 10 WIEbllCE n0 VIII Dc -
good" negro or a "bad" negro. And
the answer to this question depends
as much upon the whites as IL does up
on the blacks. We should also consid-
er it a finaIity that the white race and
the negro race will rise or fall togeth-
err. It Is impossible to have a nation
part free and part slave: Ii is still
more Impossible to have at the same
time IN one country, a morally and
physically decayfng race, and a SUR
viving race untouched by the dying
races fate.
n we could definitely settle this II
would save us from a lot Of nabby
thinking and worse scheming. The
negro VIII never return to Africa to es-
tabiisfi a Liberian republic. He Is the
only man IN America who has been
brought here against his viii. For 25C
Years there was systematically ex,