Chapter XXXVI · (continued 2)
Reading edition
Mr. Tait loses no opportunity to hurl a sly dart at New York. Thus (on page 38), after quoting the words of the Rev. Mr. M‘Dowall as to the character of an abandoned woman in New York, he (Mr. Tait) continues:
“He says nothing of the state of religious feeling among the prostitutes there; and if we are to regard his statement of the number of prostitutes as strictly correct, it may very well be questioned whether any considerable number of the inhabitants of that city are under the influence of sincere religious feeling.”
Some of our New York City readers may probably recollect that the publication of Mr. M‘Dowall’s “Inquiry” produced very considerable excitement here at the time, and opinions were freely expressed that he was either very ignorant on matters of that nature, or intentionally colored his statements, and was in either case entirely unfitted for the task he had assumed.
Mr. Tait assumes the population of Edinburgh at about two hundred thousand, the number of public prostitutes at eight hundred, and of private prostitutes at nearly twelve hundred, or a total of two thousand abandoned women. This gives one prostitute to every thirty-two adult males, if we adopt his system of calculation; or one prostitute to every twenty-five adult males, if we adopt the system of calculation which has been applied to the United States in the present work. From his own figures, then, it can be seen, that although New York City is so awfully irreligious, it has less prostitution than pious Edinburgh.
Again: on page 189, while speaking of the demoralizing effects of theatrical representations, Mr. Tait says:
“In the report of the House of Refuge in New York, it is stated that one hundred and fifty boys and girls, out of six hundred and ninety, are guilty of theft and impurity to get a seat in the theatre.” He does not mark this as a quotation, nor does he state the report from which it was extracted. As he has printed it, it must be supposed correct, although we must confess we can not see very clearly what connection exists between the New York House of Refuge and prostitution considering the ages of children generally admitted to that institution; and while we have very little doubt that many of the inmates thereof have committed theft for the reason he assigns, we are rather dubious as to the acts of impurity alluded to, except in a very few exceptional cases.
Farther: on page 194, Mr. Tait quotes “The address of the Rev. Mr. M‘Dowall on prostitution in America” as follows:
“At the very hour in the morning, afternoon, and evening of every Lord’s day when the people of God assemble for religious worship, then, in a special manner, do the children of the wicked one meet in troops at harlots’ houses. On the Sabbath days the rooms are so filled with visitors that there is no place for them to sit down, and on that account many are refused admission at the doors.” These palpable exaggerations require no contradiction. They show, however, the extremes of misrepresentation to which an enthusiastic and incompetent writer may be led.
Inclined to exaggeration as Mr. Tait has been proved to be, he yet protests (in page 251) against some opinions upon infanticide by prostitutes in New York, advanced by his informant, the Rev. Mr. M‘Dowall, and quotes the opinion of Parent-Duchatelet to prove that mothers are generally very fond of their children. This fact warrants the conclusion that his other opinions upon social morals in New York are entirely derived from Mr. M‘Dowall, who is shown to be any thing but a credible witness. His reliance upon such a source is much to be regretted as materially impairing the value and truthfulness of his otherwise interesting and useful volume.
The following extracts from the “Compendium of the Seventh Census of the United States, 1850,” will be interesting, from their relation to various points which have been discussed in the progress of this work. They have all a more or less direct bearing upon the subject of prostitution, and the condensation of them here will give readers an opportunity of verifying many of the previous remarks.
The estimated population of the Union at the present time (1858) has been already given as 29,242,139 persons (including slaves). The proportion of females to males at each census from 1790 to 1850 is stated as follows:[402]
1790. 1800. 1810. 1820. 1830. 1840. 1850.
Males 100· 100· 100· 100· 100· 100· 100·
Females 96·4 95·3 96·2 96·8 96·4 95·6 95·
This relates only to the free population. In enumerating slaves no distinction of sex was made earlier than the year 1820. The ratio of male and female slaves since that date is as follows:[403]
1820. 1830. 1840. 1850.
Males 100· 100· 100· 100·
Females 95·19 98·36 99·55 99·95
From these tables it appears that the males in the free population and the females in the slave population have been steadily increasing, but with no determined ratio of progression.
Taking the total of free and slave population since the census of 1820, the excess of males is stated thus:[404]
1820. 1830. 1840. 1850.
Males 4,898,127 6,529,696 8,688,532 11,837,661
Females 4,740,004 6,336,324 8,380,921 11,354,215
Excess of males 158,123 193,372 307,611 483,446
It will be seen from this that in 1850 the males were in excess at the rate of 2.08 per cent., and by applying the same rule to the population of 1858 a fair estimate of the relative number of each sex at the present time may be made as follows:
Males (1858) 14,925,188
Females 14,316,951
Excess of males 608,237
Total estimated population 29,242,139
In the several geographical divisions of the Union the proportion of white males to white females is thus shown:[405]
New England States (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut), 100·87 females to 100 males.
Middle States (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and District of Columbia), 97·70 females to 100 males.
Southern States (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida), 98·54 females to 100 males.
Southwestern States (Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee), 91·66 females to 100 males.
Northwestern States (Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa), 92·11 females to 100 males.
California and Territories, 36·73 females to 100 males.
Two facts are developed in this statement. In the New England States females are in excess of males. From this district comes the majority of all the native-born prostitutes who find their home in New York City. In the Northwestern States, to which it has been proposed to remove some of the surplus female labor of New York, the males are in excess, and any women sent there would aid in restoring the equilibrium of the sexes.
The following table gives the relative percentage of each sex at different ages, and also the number of females to each hundred males:[406]
Ages. Percentage of Males. Percentage of Females. Females to each 100 Males.
Under 5 years 14·68 14·95 96·76
From 5 years to 10 years 13·69 13·98 97·03
" 10 " 15 " 12·23 12·35 96·00
" 15 " 20 " 10·39 11·42 104·46
" 20 " 30 " 18·64 18·46 94·08
" 30 " 40 " 12·85 11·84 87·55
" 40 " 50 " 8·38 7·86 89·09
" 50 " 60 " 4·97 4·83 92·15
" 60 " 70 " 2·64 2·69 96·88
" 70 " 80 " 1·11 1·18 101·01
" 80 " 90 " ·31 ·36 110·11
" 90 " 100 " ·04 ·05 123·16
" 100 years upward 120·45
Ages unknown ·07 ·03 44·09
100· 100· 95·
Experience has proved that the age at which female virtue is exposed to the most temptations, or at least the age at which the greater part of the prostitutes in New York have embraced their wretched calling, is from fifteen to twenty years, and the table above shows that at those periods females are in excess over males nearly 4½ per cent. Is it to be supposed that the numerical predominance is the cause of the temptations; or may it not rather be concluded that both are co-existent, and equally contribute to the sad result; or even would not temptation be more aggravated, because concentrated, if, at that critical period of life, males and females were in equal numbers?
The following table gives the relative ages of the whole population without distinction of sex, but compares the white, free colored, and slave classes:
Ages. Percentage of white Population.[407] Percentage of free colored Population.[408] Percentage of slave Population.[409]
Under 5 years of age 14·81 14.00 16.87
From 5 years to 10 years 13·83 13·86 14·95
" 10 " " 15 " 12·28 12·04 13·61
" 15 " " 20 " 10·89 10·08 11·15
" 20 " " 30 " 18·55 17·85 17·86
" 30 " " 40 " 12·36 12·71 11·04
" 40 " " 50 " 8·13 8·73 6·86
" 50 " " 60 " 4·90 5·60 3·96
" 60 " and upward 4·20 5·56 3·68
Ages unknown ·05 ·07 ·02
100· 100· 100·
BIRTHS.
The ratio of births is in the[410]
United States 1 birth to every 36 persons, or 2·75 per cent.
Great Britain 1 "" 31 " 3·22 "
France 1 "" 35 " 2·86 "
Russia 1 "" 36 " 2·75 "
Prussia and Austria 1 "" 26 " 3·87 "
EDUCATION.
The importance of education and its influence upon the social problem of prostitution is a sufficient apology for the following extracts, in addition to what has been said already on the subject.
There are in the United States
239 colleges with an annual income of $1,964,428
80,978 public schools 9,529,542
6,085 academies and private schools 4,644,214
87,302 educational institutions which cost $16,138,184
These institutions are attended by 3,644,928 scholars.[411]
There are in the United States
Natives 858,306
Foreigners 195,114
Total 1,053,420
persons above twenty years of age who can not read or write. This number is subdivided thus:[412]
White. Free colored. Total.
Males 389,664 40,722 430,386
Females 573,234 49,800 623,034
Total 962,894 90,522 1,053,420
This shows a remarkable preponderance of uneducated women. The percentage of children attending school in the United States, calculated on all between the ages of five and fifteen years is
Natives 80·81 per cent. [413]
Foreigners 51·73 "
a proof of the fact intimated already that foreign parents do not endeavor to avail themselves of the facilities provided for the education of their children.
The illiterate of the population are thus minutely analyzed:[414]
White illiterate to total white 4·92 per cent.
Free colored illiterate to total free colored 20·83 "
Native white and free colored illiterate to total native white and free colored 4·85 "
Foreign white and free colored illiterate to total foreign white and free colored 8·24 "
Native illiterate white and free colored to total of both (native) over 20 years of age 10·35 "
Foreign illiterate white and free colored to total of both (foreign) over 20 years of age 14·48 "
Foreign illiterate over twenty years of age 195·114
Foreign illiterate to total foreign over 20 years of age, supposing the illiterate to be all white 14·51 "
Following the geographical sections we obtain the following results:[415]
Sections. Percentage of Pupils to the white Population. Percentage of Pupils to the white and free colored Population. Percentage of illiterate to white Population.
New England States 25·90 25·71 1·88
Middle States 21·79 21·02 3·16
Southern States 14·52 13·92 9·22
Southwestern States 16·32 16·10 8·45
Northwestern States 21·72 21·51 5·03
Sections. Percentage of illiterate to Natives. Percentage of illiterate to Natives over 20 Years of age. Percentage of illiterate to Foreigners. Percentage of illiterate to Foreigners over 20 Years of age. Percentage of illiterate to free Colored.
New England States ·26 ·42 14·63 24·39 8·45
Middle States 1·84 3·00 9·55 15·92 22·42
Southern States 9·30 20·30 5·28 8·80 21·20
Southwestern States 8·41 16·63 9·12 15·20 18·54
Northwestern States 4·97 9·92 4·63 7·72 21·44
California and Territories 17·50 21·63 14·13 23·51 12·47
OCCUPATIONS.
In the tables of occupations the only class noticed is the white and free colored male population over fifteen years of age, no returns of female employment being given. As interesting to the general reader, although not in immediate connection with the subject, the following is given:[416]
Occupations. Ratio per cent. to the total employed.
Commerce, trade, manufactures, mechanic arts, and mining 29·72
Agriculture 44·69
Labor (not agricultural) 18·50
Army ·10
Sea and river navigation 2·17
Law, Medicine, and Divinity 1·76
Other pursuits requiring education 1·78
Government civil service ·46
Domestic service ·41
Other occupations ·41
100·00
A similar but more elaborate statement of the occupations of the people of Great Britain was published in the British census for 1841, and is reprinted by Professor De Bow in his compendium.[417]
Occupations. Percentage to total Males. Percentage to total Females. Percentage to total Population.
Commerce, trade, and manufactures 26·24 7·12 16·52
Agriculture 15·33 ·84 7·96
Labor (not agricultural) 6·99 1·21 4·05
Army 1·42 .... ·70
Navy and merchant seamen, boatmen, &c. 2·35 .... 1·17
Clerical, legal, and medical professions ·66 ·02 ·34
Other pursuits requiring education 1·17 ·36 ·76
Government and municipal civil service ·43 ·02 ·22
Domestic servants 2·78 9·48 6·18
Persons of independent means 1·47 3·88 2·69
Pensioners, paupers, lunatics, and prisoners 1·11 1·01 1·06
Unoccupied (including women and children) 40·05 76·06 58·35
100· 100· 100·
WAGES.
In introducing this subject, Professor De Bow remarks, “The money price of wages, unless the price of other articles be known, gives but an unsatisfactory idea of the condition of the laboring classes at different periods and in different countries.” In the following tables of the rates of remuneration in 1850 this difficulty will scarcely exist, so far as New York is concerned at least. The large number of domestic servants who have been added to our population since that year precludes the possibility of any considerable advance in the rate of wages, and, as every reader has an idea of what a woman’s necessary expenses must be, each will be enabled to decide for himself whether the compensation is sufficient, or whether society at large would not be benefited were some of the surplus domestic servants removed to other localities, and thus, by increasing the demand, augment the wages. The following was the average weekly wages (with board) of a domestic servant in the year 1850:[418]
States. Wages.
Alabama $1 41
Arkansas 1 67
California 13 00
Columbia (District of) 1 31
Connecticut 1 36
Delaware 0 84
Florida 1 83
Georgia 1 52
Illinois 1 14
Indiana 0 90
Iowa 1 07
Kentucky 1 09
Louisiana 2 57
Maine 1 09
Maryland 0 89
Massachusetts 1 48
Michigan 1 10
Mississippi 1 52
Missouri 1 17
New Hampshire 1 27
New Jersey 0 97
New York 1 05
North Carolina 0 87
Ohio 0 96
Pennsylvania 0 80
Rhode Island 1 42
South Carolina 1 42
Tennessee 1 00
Texas 2 00
Vermont 1 19
Virginia 0 96
Wisconsin 1 27
Territories.
Minnesota 2 25
New Mexico 0 78
Oregon 10 00
Utah 1 46
The following is a table of the monthly wages in factories in the different states. It is, of course, exclusive of board and lodging. Looking at the amount received by female operatives, will any one feel surprised that they should abandon the incessant and poorly paid employment?
WAGES PER MONTH (WITHOUT BOARD).
States. Cotton. Wool. Pig Iron. Iron Castings. Wrought Iron. Fisheries.
M. F. M. F. M. F. M. F. M. F. M. F.
$ c. $ c. $ c. $ c. $ c. $ c. $ c. $ c. $ c. $ c. $ c. $ c.
Alabama 11 71 7 98 ... ... 17 60 ... 30 05 ... 15 29 ... ... ...
Arkansas 14 61 5 88 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
California ... ... ... ... ... ... 23 33 ... ... ... ... ...
D. of Col. 14 02 8 00 30 00 ... ... ... 27 05 ... ... ... ... ...
Connecticut 19 08 11 80 24 12 12 86 26 80 ... 27 02 8 00 31 59 ... 20 81 ...
Delaware 15 31 11 58 18 79 17 33 ... ... 23 36 ... 25 53 ... ... ...
Florida 32 14 5 00 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17 58 8 40
Georgia 14 57 7 39 27 47 14 10 17 44 5 00 27 43 ... 11 35 5 00 ... ...
Illinois ... ... 22 00 12 52 22 06 ... 28 50 ... ... ... ... ...
Indiana 13 02 6 77 21 81 11 05 26 00 ... 25 74 ... 27 45 4 00 ... ...
Iowa ... ... 11 14 ... ... ... 32 35 ... ... ... ... ...
Kentucky 14 95 9 36 15 30 11 11 20 23 4 70 24 89 4 15 32 06 ... ... ...
Louisiana ... ... ... ... ... ... 35 60 ... ... ... ... ...
Maine 29 35 12 15 22 57 11 77 22 00 ... 29 00 5 00 ... ... 19 12 ...
Maryland 15 42 9 48 18 60 11 89 20 14 ... 27 50 ... 24 31 ... ... ...
Massach’sts 22 90 13 60 22 95 14 22 27 50 ... 30 90 ... 29 46 12 79 15 70 ...
Michigan ... ... 21 65 11 47 35 00 ... 28 68 ... ... ... 22 43 ...
Mississippi 14 21 5 94 ... ... ... ... 37 91 ... ... ... ... ...
Missouri 10 93 10 00 32 00 6 50 24 28 ... 19 63 ... 30 00 ... ... ...
N. Hamp. 26 00 13 47 22 86 14 53 18 00 ... 33 05 ... 31 34 ... 10 00 ...
New Jersey 17 98 9 56 25 22 8 60 21 20 ... 24 00 ... 27 31 13 34 ... ...
New York 18 32 9 68 19 97 11 76 25 00 ... 27 49 ... 28 91 ... 20 35 ...
N. Carolina 11 65 6 13 18 00 7 00 8 00 4 00 23 46 ... 10 43 4 78 23 64 11 77
Ohio 16 59 9 42 20 14 10 90 24 48 ... 27 32 ... 29 58 ... 19 07 ...
Pennsylv’a 17 85 9 91 19 23 10 41 21 65 5 11 27 55 6 00 28 31 6 57 ... ...
Rho. Island 18 60 12 95 20 70 15 18 ... ... 29 63 ... 57 85 ... 34 00 ...
S. Carolina 13 94 8 30 ... ... ... ... 13 59 4 00 ... ... ... ...
Tennessee 10 94 6 42 17 66 6 00 12 81 5 11 17 96 4 50 15 20 5 00 ... ...
Texas ... ... 20 00 20 00 ... ... 43 43 ... ... ... ... ...
Vermont 15 53 12 65 24 46 11 81 22 08 ... 28 27 ... 32 08 ... ... ...
Virginia 10 18 6 98 18 17 9 91 12 76 6 86 19 91 9 44 25 41 ... 21 70 ...
Wisconsin ... ... 22 48 ... 30 00 ... 26 73 ... ... ... 21 50 ...
The number of hands employed in these manufactures is as follows:[419]
Manufactures. Men employed. Men’s average Wages per Month. Women employed. Women’s average Wages per Month.
Cotton 33,150 $16 79 59,136 $9 24
Wool 22,678 21 49 16,574 11 86
Pig-iron 20,298 21 68 150 5 13
Iron castings 23,541 27 38 48 5 87
Wrought iron 16,110 27 02 138 7 35
Fisheries 20,704 20 49 429 10 08
Total employed 136,481 76,475
PAUPERISM.
From tables relating to pauperism in the United States we learn that in the year ending June 1, 1850, when our population was 23,191,876, there were supported (in whole or in part) at public expense:[420]
Natives 66,434
Foreigners 68,538
Total 134,972
The cost of such support was $2,954,806. This is much less than the outlay in England, where, in the year 1848, there was expended £6,180,764 sterling (or over thirty million dollars), the population being 17,521,956.[421]
CRIME.
There were confined in the various state prisons throughout the Union on June 1, 1850:[422]
White males 4643
"females 115
Total whites —— 4758
Colored males 801
"females 87
Total colored —— 888
Aggregate 5646
Of these there were
Native whites 3259
"colored 866
Total natives —— 4125
Foreign whites 1499
"colored 22
Total foreign —— 1521
Aggregate 5646
INTEMPERANCE.
It need not be repeated that habits of intemperance and prostitution are closely allied. The following figures give the statistics of the breweries and distilleries in the United States:[423]
The total number of these establishments is 1217
In which is invested a capital of $8,507,574
They employ 6140 hands, and consume during the year,
Barley 3,787,195 bushels.
Corn 11,067,761 "
Rye 2,143,927 "
Oats 56,607 "
Apples 526,840 "
Hops 1,294 tons.
Molasses 61,675 hogsheads.
Their yearly production is,
Ale, 1,179,495 barrels, or 42,471,820 gallons.
Whisky, etc. 41,364,224 "
Rum 6,500,500 "
Total 90,336,544 "
If these stimulants were used in the United States, exclusive of export or import, the average allowance for each man, woman, and child in the community would be nearly four gallons per year. The figures show how much we produce, but will not aid the inquiry as to how much is consumed.
NATIVITIES.
The words “Natives” and “Foreigners” have been so frequently used in the course of this investigation, that the official census returns as to their relative numbers can not but be interesting.[424]
Of the white population of the United States there were
Born in the state in which they are now living 67·02 per cent.
""United States, but not in the state in which they are now living 21·35 "
Total of natives 88·37 "
Born in foreign countries 11·46 "
Unknown nativities ·17 "
100 "
Thus of every hundred white inhabitants of the United States, eighty-eight were natives of the soil.
Of the free colored inhabitants there were[425]
Natives 98·59 per cent.
Foreigners ·94 "
Unknown nativities ·47 "
100 "
The slave population are (for all practical purposes) entirely native.