Northern Wyoming herald and Garland irrigation era., April 14, 1911, Image 3

About Northern Wyoming herald and Garland irrigation era. (Cody, Wyo.) 19??-1916

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The Romance of the Census
■V -yr
HE future greatness of the United States as a nation of world-wide power Is a theme
that has been exploited by many orators, poets and artists In days gone by’; but the
following quite unknown lines from the quill of Philip Freneau —written prior to the
Declaration of Independence—merit especial notice now that a national census Is
□earing completion:
This versa, composed before the union of
the IS colonies, wee probably criticised by the
practical men of the author's feneration as
being manufactured from the "stuff that
dreams are made'of." But to Freneau's Inspired
vision the changes he foretold were clearly out
lined In time's mafia mirror. If the poet were
alive today and eould read the marvelous
census figures which eome dally from our fed
eral capltol he would find not only every word
of hie prophecy fulfilled, but discover that des
tiny had added even greater surprises to the
prediction.
The first national census was taken during
Washington's administration In 1790. Jefferson,
then secretary of state and under whose direc
tion the oount was made, expressed disappoint
ment when the final figures—3,929.2l4—were
shown him. On August 24, 17(1, he wrote to
William Carmichael as follows:
“I Inclose you a copy of our census, which
so far as It Is written In black Ink Is founded
on actual returns; what Is In red Ink being
conjectural but very near the truth. Mak
ing very small allowance for omissions, which
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we know to have been very great, we 1
may safely say we are above four mil
lions.” 1
Thomas Jefferson personally as- i
sumed the responsibility of correcting
the first census, and with red Ink made 1
Increases In figures, as well as sup
plying such other numbers as he :
deemed correct. He then. In his offi
cial capacity, Informed the world <
through our foreign representatives
that the federal count was Incorrect,
but with hie additions and amenda
tlons could be relied on.
When the second decennial count
was completed Jefferson was presi
dent, and a letter written by him In
1(01 contains the following assertions:
"Tou will perceive that the Increase
of numbers (population) during the
last ten years—l79o-1800—proceeding
In geometrical ratio, promises rapid
growth and the prospect it holds up to
us, not with a view to the Injuries It
may enable us to do others In eome fu
ture day, but to tbs settlement of the
extensive country still remaining va
cant.”
This second census was Intensely
gratifying to Jeffersbn and he assumed
the role of prophet again, but proved
over-enthusiastic when he declared
that the American population would
continue to tncreaae at the same ratio.
Such was not the case, nor Is there
any such definite thing as an exact
ratio In population Increase. In 1813
he wrote to Humboldt:
"In fifty years more (1883) the
United States alone win contain fifty
millions of Inhabitants.”
But the population In 1883 was fig
ured at 33,218,117, showing that Jeffer
son s reliance on a definite ratio In
crease led him about 17,000,000 too
high. In 1815 we find Jefferson writing
as follows to Mr. Maury:
"Forty millions In forty years, and
In sixty years eighty millions! This
would be 1818 plus 80, making It In
1875 as 80.000.000.”
But at that date the enumeration re
sulted In 44,388,107, or about 88,000,000
below Jefferson** estimate. Jefferson
was a careful student of natural In
crease in the human family, but hie
knowledge as to what death, marriage
and Immigration would do for a nation
was meager. If that great statesman
could not form a fair calculation, It la
safe to say that It would be a hopeless
lob for anyone to Indulge In predic
tions of what the population will be
"Ilf years hence, according to geo
metric ratio. Abraham Lincoln wan
another chief executive who endeav
ored to solve the population pussle.
Like Jefferson, be attempted to Indi
cate the exact figures, but acquitted
himself with more credit In the prob- 1
lem of human fluctuations. Lincoln 1
•t one time practically proposed an 1
amendment to the constitution of the 1
United States, with a view to emancl- ,
bating the slaves, and paying the
southern owners a reasonable pur- :
chase price. He pointed out that after 1
the slaves had passed Into the posses- 1
■lon of the federal government they :
could be liberated, and the dreadful 1
civil strife thus be brought to a close. I
In endeavoring to further this project 1
Lincoln set out to foretell the great- 1
In population of the federal union 1
“I see, I see!
Freedom’s established reign, cities and men
Numerous as sands upon the ocean shore.
And empires rising where the sun descends!
The Ohio soon shall glide by many a town
Os note! and where the Mississippi’s stream
By forests shaded, now runs sweeping on.
Nations shall grow, and states not less In fame
Than Greece and Rome of old.”
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at the ceneue periods of 1900-1910
(present census), 1920 and 1930. The
argument he sent to congress in 1882
read as follows:
"The aggregate sum necessary for
compensated emancipation, of course,
would be large. But It would require
no ready cash, nor bonds even, any
faster than the emancipation progress
es- This might not and probably would
not close before the end of the 37
years; at that time we shall probably
have a hundred millions to share the
burden. Instead of thirty-one millions
as now. And not only so, but the In
crease of population may be expected
to continue for a long time after that
period as rapidly as before, because
our territory will not have become
full."
He then proceeded to analyse the
problem of population Increase, and
decided that the population of the
United States grows at the decennial
ratio of 34.60 per cent. He submitted
the following table to verify his deduc
tions:
Increase
. Population Per ct.
11*0 1929.827
wm 1,306,937 16.02
ISIO - 7.239,814 86 46
1820 9,838.13 1 83.18
I*3o 12.866,020 33 4J
!*«0 17.069.463 82 67
£0 23.191.876 86.87
He then added: "It Is seen that the
ratio of Increase at no one of these
periods le either two per cent,
below or two per cent above
the average, thus showing how Inflex
ible and consequently how reliable
the law of Increase In our case (coun
try) le. Assuming that It will con
tinue, It gives the following results:
Population.
1870 42.823.341
'B*o • 66.967.216
18« 76.677 *72
I*oo
I**o 861.690.914
According to Lincoln the census of
1910 should net 138,918,528 people, but,
like Jefferson, "Old Abe” was millions
too high In his estimate. The latest
census returns from Washington, sub
ject to further correction, places the
total at 91,972,266, which would show
Lincoln’s calculation to have overshot
the mark by 46,946,260.
However, It Is only fair to remem
ber that Lincoln's estimates were
based on the possibility of the war
coming to a sudden termination after
the people had learned of his Inten
tions regarding the 1 slave purchase.
But the death struggle went forward
relentlessly, and nothing was done
toward carrying out the life-saving
and humane policy advocated by tho
great president. Therefore the above
decrease from his estimates must be
allowed to his oredlt, since hundreds
of thousands of the male population
were killed outright on battle
fields, and others died later as a result
of their wounds, or disease contracted
through the privations they suffered.
It was the flower of youth that was
offered as sacrifice to the war-god by
both north and south, and It Is an In
teresting surmise ae to what extent
the contamination of the fratlddal
■trite decreased the population. A su-
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rerflclal estimate would easily make
the loss at ten million, placing the
population of 1910 at 101,972,266 —or
about 38,000,000 less than Lincoln's
actual count.
The next and last president to show
definite Interest in the population
problem was William McKinley. His
remarks on the subject are historical,
since he was the first of our chief ex
ecutives to estimate the equation of
population on the basis of the mean
ing of the signature of the nation, or
the great seal of the United States.
In 1899, Just prior to the census of
1900, President McKinley was the
guest of Chicago. He was called upon
to respond to the toast, "The Great
Seal of the United States,” and spoke
In part, as follows:
“On the reverse side of the great
seal of the United States authorised
by congress June 20, 1782, and adopt
ed as the seal of the United States of
America after Its formation under the
federal constitution. Is a pyramid,
signifying strength and duration."
Having described the meanings of
the additional emblem, the president
continued:
“In peace we have been signally
blessed, and our progress has gone on
unchecked and ever Increasing In the
Intervening yt-ara. In boundless
wealth of soil and mine ar.d timber
nature has favored us, while all races
of men of every nationality and cli
mate have contributed their good
blood to make the nation what It la.
From 8,920,214 In 1790, our population
haa grown to upward of 62,(00,000 In
1890, and our estimated population to
day made by the governors of the
states la 87,803,231.
“We have grown from 13 states to
46. We have annexed every variety of
territory, from the coral reefs and
coc-oanut groves of Key Went to the
fey regions of northern Alaska."
After dwelling on the Immensity of
the population and Its future destiny,
he concluded:
“After 123 years the pyramid stands
unbroken. It has had some severe
shocks, hut It remains Immovable. It
had endured the storms of war, cnly
to be stronger. It stands firmer and
gives greoter promise of duration than
when the fathers made It the symbol
of their faith."
President McKinley was correct In
stating that the founders of our na
tion adopted the design of an oufln
lahed pyramid, over which was placed
the eye of Providence, and beneath It
the date 1776, with a later motto set
ting forth the Idea of a "new order of
things." But he omlttAd to mention
tLat the reverse or pyramid side of
the great seal was never engraved,
and never employed as a part of the
signature of the nation. Such is the
case, however, and therefore tho unfin
ished pyramid Is an unknown factor In
heraldic Americana.
The forefathers Intended this device
to mean that not any generation of
Americans would see tbs apex or
crest of imputation—that It woull go
on to eternity, and the cope-stones of
our population's strength and repub
lican triumphs be placer! by divine
and not human hands. It was a grand
symbolic conception, but eagerness to
possess a seal, and slowness in hav
ing It executed, changed our national
signature from a seal enpendant to a
seal enplacard, thus robbing later gen
erations of a splendid emUem of pow
er and numerical greatness.
Nothing Illustrates the magnificent
march of western civilisation better
than the discussion In oongress Imme
diately following the -census of 1830.
and the said discussion also portrays
the progress In transportation, as well
as the western spread of population.
At that data a Mr. Smyth of Virginia.
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while addressing the house of rerre- 1
sentatlves regarding the advisability i
of lending aid to or showing interest i
in the region west of the Stony iroun- ]
tains as the “Rockiet” were then
called—made the following assertions:
“This federation of states can never i
be safely extended beyond the Stony
mountains. I can conceive that mutual
interest In the Mississippi valley may, i
because of common river facilities,
help bind the people to the union; but
beyond the mountains—l can see a
few states formed Just west and bor
dering on .the Mississippi—but further
west the federation system must not
be attempted.“
In the senate Mr. Dickerson of New
Jersey also entered a vigorous protest
In these words:
“The distance that a member of
congress from the state of Oregon (all
west of the Rocky mountains was then
known as Oregon) would be obliged to
travel In coming to the seat of gov
ernment and returning home would be
9,200 miles. If he should travel at the
inurs. u ue buuuiu unm ni iuo
i rate of thirty miles a day it would
! require 306 days; allowing for Sun
. days forty-four, and It would amount
i to 350 days. This would allow the
member a fortnight to rest himself at
Washington before he should com
mence his Journey home. It would be
, more expeditious, however, to come
by water around Cape Horn, or to
pass through Behring straits round
> the north coast of this continent to
, Baffin’s bay, thence through Davis’
straits to the Atlantic, and so on to
Washington. It is true that this pass
- age is not yet discovered, except on
, our maps, but It will be, as soon at
Oregon becomes a state."
The concluding words of Mr. Dicker
i son's address were, of course, spoken
in sarcastic vein. At the time of this
: unique argument the geographic cen-
I ter of the United States was at a
point near Pittsburg, while the center
’ of population was at a point nineteen
i miles southwest of Moorfleld, West
Virginia. In eighty years the geo
graphic center has been moved west
’ ward to a point northwest of the cen
ter of Kansas, while the center of pop
ulation is at Nashville, Brown county,
Indiana. Strange Indeed are the
changes which have taken place since
1830, and remarkable the transforma
i tlon from the census of 1790 —when
the. geographic center was near Wash
ington city’s present location, and the
center of population marked as twen
ty-three miles east, not west, of the
city of Baltimore.
Odd aa it may seem, the movement
of the center of population follows
close to the old “Mason and Dixon's ;
line,’* the boundary between Pennsyl
vania and Maryland, which was estab
lished as early as 1763. This line was
practically the Imaginary division be
tween the slave and free states.
John Randolph said. “This Mason
and Dixon’s line is the partition be
tween those who make slavery profit
able, and those who could not makp it
profitable,” and ever afterward the line
was referred to as the bounds of the
slave and anti-slave states. The cen
t< rs of population have traveled near
ly parallel with it, an apt illustration
of how closely balanced were the con
tending forces in the federal and anti
federal sentiments of 1861.
From 1790 to 1800 the center moved
westward forty-one miles, landing It
about Washington, which was prac
tically the geographical center also.
In 1810 the center shifted to forty
miles northwest of the national capi
tal; in 1820 it had moved fifty miles,
locating sixteen miles north of Wood
stock, Virginia. In 1830, traveling
thirty-nine miles, we find It nineteen
miles southwest of Moorfleld, West
Virginia; while in 1840, a Jump of fifty
five miles places it sixteen miles
south of Clarksburg, W. Va. In 1850,
a move of fifty-five miles sets It twen
ty-three miles southeast of Parkers
burg, W. Va. A remarkable Journey
of elghty-two miles in 1860 placed It
twenty miles south of Chilllcothe,
Ohio; but the terrible intervention of
the life-destroying Civil war is seen in
1870, when it moved only forty-two
miles, landing at forty-eight miles
northwest of Cincinnati, Ohio. In
1880 the’center shifted to a point eight
miles west of Cincinnati, after travel
ing fifty-eight miles. In 1890 it had
gone west forty-eight miles, arriving
twenty miles east of Columbus, Indi
ana; in 1900 It went but fifteen miles,
landing at Wlggs, Indiana; and the of
ficial records of 1910 show the center
of population located »t Nashville,
Brown county, Indiana.
In order to determine exactly how
strong the nation is at piesent, and to
get at an approximate estimate of our
assembled under the Stars and Stripes,
the government Is now laboring with
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indefatigable zeal to
count and systematize
the census of 1910. An
army of experts Is ea
gerly toiling to bring
forth the figures in
which not only Ameri
cans, but the world at
large, Is interested.
Upon the result de
pends more than the
average reader real-
lzes. It is impossible for anyone to de
termine the influence the census fig
ures will have upon the educational,
political and religious interests of the
people. These numerals will affect
every state, county, city, town, village
and hamlet in the union. The size of
the United States senate, as well as
many state senates, will be immedi
ately enlarged, and in a few casee di
minished. The national house of rep
resentatives and state assemblies will
also share in this change. Even states
will be bounded differently, and the in
ternal outlines of the present map of
our country will undergo most drastlo
alterations. Governors of certain
states are anxiously anticipating sub
divisions of their respective domains.
Each fears the setting up of another
state government on the east, west,
north or south of his present undis
puted territory. The size of our army,
the strength of our navy, will be
shaped into accord with the findings
of the household of Uncle Sam.
Millions of books are being held
— -v.»
over in the press until such time as
the exact and official information of
this census is made public. Absolute
ly nothing which the government does
seems to have so far reaching a power,
and exerts such an Influence on the
destinies of the nation as the taking
of the census; and nothing la accept
ed with such calm indifference by the
people concerned in its findings. Like
the Passion Play, it Is In evidence
every ten years; and not unlike the
business inventory which takes place
every year, it establishes untold
changes, causes many unforeseen alter*
ations, and brings to the surface val
uable details of both retrogression and
progression.
Trivial and profound themes alike
| receive earnest attention. Even the
oft recurring argument that the capi
tol of the United States Is not central
’ ly located will be thoroughly threshed
out in many columns of space ere the
official report of the census is sent
broadcast through our land.
DECISION LEFT WITH JUDGE
International Tribunal Is Compared
With Unsatisfactory Case of Hyp
notism in Murder Trial.
P. J. Corcoran of the western avia
tion circuit said at a recent banquet
in Salt Lake:
“The international tribunal has de
cided against us in the Grahame White
claim. Well, that International trib
unal is always unsatisfactory, anyway.
It is almost as bad as the hypnotist
j In the murder trial.
“In the days when hypnotism fig
ured in every murder trial, a famous
hypnotist offered to hypnotize the
prisoner and get a confession out of
him. This offer was accepted.
“Accordingly, after a thrilling scene
in the courtroom, the accused man
fell back stiffly in a trance, the hypno
tist ceased the weird movements of
his white hands, and there was a
tense pause.
“ ‘Well,’ said the Judge In a low
voice, “you’ve hypnotized him, hav
en’t you? What are you waiting for?’
“‘I am waiting.’ the hypnotist an
swered, ’till you tell me whether I’m
to make him confess that he did it or
make him confess that he didn’t.’ ”
An Eye for Composition.
An artist in Chicago tells of a wom
an in that town, who. with her maid,
went to purchase a still-life picture for
her dining room. She selected a can
vas on which were painted a bunch of
flowers, a pie cut In two, and a roll,
and was about to pay $25 for It, when
her maid approached to whisper In
her ear.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” said the serv
ant. "but you are making a bad bar
gain. I saw a picture very much like
this sold the other day for sls.’’
“And was It as good as this?’’
“Better, ma’am. There was a good
deal more pie in it."—Lipplncott’s.
Would Compel Housework.
Frau Woerner Is the German suf
fragist who would make a course In
housework compulsory for every Ger
man girl, Just as military training Is
compulsory for the boys. She is try
ing to Interest the men In the project
by telling them that they will reap
the benefit, as all the German house
wives will soon be good cooks.
Quit Whining.
Do you whine? Do you find fault
with everything and everybodyT Then
make an effort to quit It. You are not i
only harming others, but what is
worse for a selfish person of your
stamp, you are harming yourself.—
Atchison Globe.
CHANGE
IN WOMAN’S
LIFE
Made Safe by Lydia E. Pinkham’i
Vegetable Compound.
Qranltextile, Vt “I was passing
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Lydia E. Pinkham'a
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pound has proved
worth mountains of
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ft restored my health
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I never forget to tell
my friends whai
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during this trying period. Complete
restoration to health means so much
to me that for the sake of other suffer
ing women I am willing to make my
trouble publlo bo you may publish
this letter.”— Mrs. Chas. Barclay.
8.F.D., Graniteville, Vt.
No other medicine for woman’s ills
has received such widespread and un
qualified endorsement No other med
| (cine we know of has such a record
of cures as has Lydia £. Finkham's
Vegetable Compound.
For more than 80 years it has been
curing woman’s ills such as inflamma
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prostration, and It is unequalled for
carrying women safely through the
| period of change of life.
Mrs. Pinkham, at Lynn, Mass.,
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and Always helpful.
>“Lame
Leg
Well”
“I wish to
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Sloan’s Lini
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to try Sloan’s Liniment. The first
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Hunter, of Hunter, Ala.
Good for Athletes.
Mr. K. Gilman, instructor of
athletics, 417 Warren St., Rox
bury, Mass., says :—"l have used
SLOAN’S
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with great success in cases of ex
treme fatigue after physical exer
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a i.TiIHMi I
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Prices, 250.,60c.t*1.00
Flnan'i book on
horiM, cattle, sheep
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free. Address
Dr. Earl 8. Sloan,
Boston, Mass., U. 8. A
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