and vice prevail. Hoffman has shown that two-thirds
of the negroes in Chicago live in three wards, which contain all the
houses of ill-fame in that part of the city. The same is true of
Philadelphia, Boston, and Cincinnati.[29] In these sections negro
prostitution has become an established institution, catering to the
Italian and other lower grades of immigrants, and supporting in idleness
many negro men as solicitors.

We have seen that the negro population has not kept pace with the native
white population. The reason is found in the smaller excess of births
over deaths. Statistics of births are almost entirely lacking in the
United States. Statistics of deaths are complete for only portions of
Northern states and a few Southern cities, containing, in 1900, in all,
27,500,000 whites and 1,180,000 negroes. Of this number, 20,500,000
whites and 1,100,000 negroes lived in cities, so that the showing which
the census is able to give is mainly for cities North and South and for
rural sections only in the North.[30] It appears that for every 1000
colored persons living in these cities the deaths in 1900 were 31.1,
while for every 1000 white persons the deaths were only 17.9. That is to
say, the colored death-rate was 73 per cent greater than the white
death-rate.

In the rural districts there was much less difference. The colored
death-rate was 19.1 and the white death-rate 15.3, a colored excess of
25 per cent.

=Morals and Environment.=--In explaining the excessive colored mortality
there are two classes of opinions. One explains it by social conditions,
the other by race traits. The one points to environment, the other to
moral character. The one is socialistic, the other individualistic.
These different views exist among colored people themselves, and one of
the encouraging signs is the scientific and candid interest in the
subject taken by them under the leadership of Atlanta University. A
colored physician who takes the first view states his case
forcibly:[31]--

"Is it any wonder that we die faster than our white brother when he gets
the first and best attention, while we are neglected on all sides? They
have the best wards and treatment at the hospital, while we must take it
second hand or not at all; they have all the homes for the poor and
friendless, we have none; they have a home for fallen women, we have
none; they have the public libraries where they can get and read books
on hygiene and other subjects pe