The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-04-20
IOyVa'S Population.

The attention to our readers Is IN
vited to the census table published in
this issue of Greater Iowa, showing
the population of the state by coun-
ties. 1t furnishes opportunities for
much interesting stuLy and COMPARE
son. For one thing it shows prepon-
derance of males over females by g.
79S souls, which fact should prove
highly encouraging to the ladies this
time of leap year concessions and
privileges. 1t also shows the very
small proportion of foreign born pop
ulation in the state, which may have
a tendency to allay the fears OF GER
tain good people whose dreams have
been troubled by spectres of hyphen-
ated bearing. The colored population
is likewise of small proportions, COM
pared to some other states.
Another thing. When Uncle Sam
&C united the numerous noses OF his
large and growing family in 1910 he
was quite scandalized to discover that
Iowa was the only state that had
failed to increase in population dur
ing the ten year period of 1900 to
1910. 1t is true the falling off was a
very insignificant one, only 1882;
and it is also true that certain other
states saved their regulations only
by the skin of their teeth; neverthe-
less several other commonwealth
proceeded to indulge in hysterical
demonstrations, pointing the finger
of scorn at our own great and glOrl-
Gus body polite and asking all sorts
of embarrassing questions. And
while there was a reason for the de-
creases, very plain reasons and alto
gether simple, and easy to compre-
bend, we failed to convince the
doubters. They flouted our excuses
and eyed us with suspicious looks.
No matter where we went we were
faced with huge question marks.
AS suggested there were reasons
for the backsliding, if, indeed, it was
a backsliding For more than few
we'll posted men have insisted that
Uncle Sam appeared upon the scene
and made his count at time when
something like 10000 or 10000 OF
our citizens were away from home
for the summer, sight seeing in other
states and foreign lands. The hints
of race suicide, and the yelled threats
of having us ''investigated' by Mr..
Roosevelt made US smile. We knew
better. We knew that the stork was
always on the job, working full time
as usual. And it may be remarked
in passing that Iowa takes care OF
the babies she brings into the world.
She has never yet felt the pinch OF
poverty nor lack of maternal respOn-
sibility to the extent that it became
necessary to ship them out by car
loads and dump them into the charit-
able laps of other states, as has been
the misunderstanding no names Of
two or three other commonwealth
that held us up as horrible example
of race suicide in 1910. ...g
The present Pr pulation of Iowa, &C
cording to the recently completed
count, is 2,35S.066, gain, if you
please Of 1925 souls in the last
five years; gain, our censors will
kindly note, that is more than nine
teen times greater than that dinky
decrease discovered at the previous
census, the same which excited the
suspicion and rldicule of our neigh
bors We hope these figures will
prove convincing, sufficiently so that
our critics will forever remove the
ban of suspicion and restore us to the
high place formerly occupied in their
good graces.-Greater Iowa.