Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-04-09
From our washington ,Otr"POndens'

From our washington NorrepOn"e"Sl
-- =. WAsHINSTOS.- april 5tlA 1870.
On Friday last Gen. Garfield made an able
speech on the general question of the Iar'n'
He commenced with the remark that the schoi.
arship of the civilized world was in favor OF
free trtdE No one would deny that the lar
ecs, mart Of tbc thinkers of the world were in
favor of free trade. And though MIR. Kelley,
of Pennsylvanis as one OF the leading sup
portcrs of high tariff denied this statement.
think Il is substantially correct. Mr.. Garfield
then euiogized the system of internal revenue
taxation as applying to three things. First, 1t
taxed the vices Of the peoplc-their drinks,
their smokes. and their chewe. Second, II tax
ed the nations luxurics, raising one fourth OF
the internal revenue from that source alone
And third IL taxed the realized wealth OF the
country in the shape of income and gross re-
ceipts OF the 465 iron furnaces in blast in
the United States, 10 were in his district. IL
was here proposed to reduce the duty on pig
iron to two dollars per ton and he should not
resist that reduction though his CONSTITUENTS
were opposed to it. Mr.. Garfield procecded 10
say that if the Republican party, as such, treat
ed Protection as one of the planks in their plat
! form, il would cost them nine states and ulti'
mately tend to wholesale revision OF the tariff.
| Texas is now reconstructed State. On
Thursday last her Senators and Representa-
tivcs we're admitted TO Congress. One of the
| Representatives named Connor was demo-
cratic carpetbaggcr and his admission to the
House was offered by Gen. Butleron the ground
that lie whipt negro soldiers during the war
and that he boased of suDOrnation of perjury
Dawes and others said that the House never
inquired inquired into the previous character
of its members. Mr.. Stevenson answered But
Ter that 1t would not do TO believe all people
said that he did not believe that member of
this House had ever taken clergymen and chain
ed them to a gang of negroes and made them
work nor that any member had ever carried
off the wealth of any city. He evidently re-
ferrcd to the accusations very prevalent at the
I South against Butler himself.
, The past week has also been remarkable for
the Proclamation of the Fifteenth Amend
ment. A rumorprobably ii ctnaId, was spread
through the Republican ranks that the Nir
gina Legislature on the day of its assembling
would withdraw the assent of that state to th
amendment and thus defeat its passage. Th
Republican majority therefore pressed the vot
for the admission of Texas through the Scnat
and sent the news to the President. And III
thcrcupon Immediately announced that th,
! 18th Amendment was part and parcel of th
= Constitution 0i the United States. On the mex
day Pre- rtsidtnt Grant sent in message to Con
grcss announcing the fact and calling publ
X attention to the new duties and responsibilities
y that now pressed upon the republic, He csp'
II cially mentioned education as one of the NJ
IL ccssities of those thus suddenly entitled TO til
~ franchise.
Looking back upon an eight years rcsidenc
r, in Washington, no fact strikes me as so IT
n marknble as the steady upward growth of tn
10 colorrd race When | came here, black pee
it pIe were not permitted to ride in the cars, nc
l. was there II school in the city where they coul
learn to write. Every avenue of occupntio
u was closed to them except the lowest wor
+. manual. From that day their progress ha
Y been steadily upwards They are now number
II ed in the schools hy thousands, and one {
% their number sits on the floor of the Senate
If On the lollirst height that crowns the rear I
Washington rise the buildings of the llowar
University. Here over three hundred sluden
=
=. daily pursue academical and collegiate studio
~ and prepare themselves for struggle with I'll
- white man on II full equality. On Wednesda
- of this week attended the examination an
heard as good rrcitations from Aenophen an
Virgil as ever heard from white lips at
Northern College. The statistics of the Freed
4" mems Bureau show that during the past yei
80 there has been an increase of 130 schools All
% 11G scholars at the South. But this lncrca
~ by no means measures the educational progrc
- of the black race during the year. There is
growing thoroughncss which was not possib
ed four years ago. Even the black man acknow
to edges that il is n good thing TO bear the rod
ne his youth, when the rod is in the hands Of Il
so school master, not of the slave. Punctuali
lis and stcudincss Of attendance begin to he rccoi
r. nizcd MS virtues, and the plalder finds that Il
n schoolroom il II benefit to him ii brings rour
it better class of negroes. One who is ai
to ful in education is also faithful in his dai
nd work. WORCESTER.