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Show x cnriM: eu The population of the United States is now estimated by the latent cenus to be about sixty two and a half millions. It was expected to be about Mxty-five. This anticipation was based on the former census, the increase by immigration, and tbe calculated natural Increase by births, deaths of course being deducted. This has caused some speculation and tome scientific inquiry. And It Is demonstrated that tbe increase of population from native-born parents is for below what it ought to be, and, as stated by one of the speakers at our General Conference, the natural increase is largely dependent de-pendent upon foreigners who have made their homes in the United States. The Massachusetts census shows some-peculiarities which have been tabulated, and from which it apjiears that a large proportion of the married mar-ried women in that State are child- lesis and that tho non-productive clas of women there are chiefly native-born. The New York rrcu says, on this sulject, that "the time has come when we must face tbe fact that the increase cf population by birth is decreasing;" also that this is chiefly "among ell to-do Americans," the tendency among them being to small families or no increase. And tho rress declares that "one-fifth of the native married women of the countrj are childless.' The figures show that in no country coun-try on earth except France is this non-prcdectlon so marked as in Massachusetts. .New England is supposed to b3 the home of culture, of intellectual progress, and of all that is distinct! vely American. Vet it is there that the evil complained of Is most prevalent. Sin is proportionate in degree to the intelligence of the sinner. Thus knowledge itself does not decrease siu, neither is Ignorance its parent. He Is the worst culprit who knows most of the nature of wrong and tbe obligations to do right. Tbe destruction and prevention of natural natur-al Increase are therefore more heinous hein-ous In the sight of heaven when perpetrated In New England, than if accomplished among the ignorant classes of tbe old or tbe new world. The people of that advanced region re-gion make greater pretensions to morality, and stronger efforts to force other people to their moral standard, than any other In tbe nation. na-tion. Yet they are, many of them, steepsdin Iniquity and todden In sin. One of the damning crimes of the age la practiced there with Im- punlty, It b known In the moat refined circles, It la winked at by I hi pulpit, It Is Ignored on the platform, It Is handled gingerly by the prsas, and it clothes Itself in silk and Telvst, flaunts itself In society painted and powdered, and covers itself with tbe halo of religion, vaunting Itself in Its "Christian" civilization, advanced ad-vanced education andjofty Puritan morality. It is singular that tbe country priJes itself on the high ratio of increase in-crease wherever It occurs, that It speaks disparagingly of those localities lo-calities where it Is small, and Jeer-ingly Jeer-ingly of such as show.no Increase of population for the decade, and yet its "upper classes" are opposed to large families, and its high-toned American ladles think nothing of tampering with the fountains ot life, and throttling nature In lis most delicate and magnificent effort ef-fort the bringing forth of a living soul. As sure as retribution Is a law of the universe and effect follows cause, a fearful reckoning will come for those who thus violate tbe laws of Qod and nature, and for tbe nation or community that will foster the shameful and debasing Iniquity. |