Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-09-14
IFor the Fayette County Herald
BEHOLD THE LIARS!'


August 31st, contains an editorial un-
der the above caption, in answer to a
statement of yours, which, without
presuming to attempt, in any sense,
reply for you. beg to notice.
The editor attempted to show that
Mr.. Williams. our Representative, last
winter, .voted for bill admitting col
ored children into common schools,
and does it all in these words:
''We wrote to Columbus for copy
of the bill and the vote thereon, as it
appears on the House Journal, and
now present it to our readers:
House Bill, No. 496.-By Mr.. Say
Ter, of Preble county.
A Bill for the re- organization and
maintenance of Common Schools.
Section SO. The schools established
by this act SHALL BE FREE TO
ALL youth between six and twenty one
years of age, that are children, wards,
or apprentices of actual residents of
the school district!
For this bill, Mr.. Williams voted
AYE, t.cteeF'
+
"'ALL YOUTH ," must certainly
mean colored youth, if we are capable
of understanding the English Ian
guager'
1t may be promised here, that this
year, the School Commissioner de-
signed publishing large number of
the School laws of the State, in pur-
suance of the 54th section of the gen.
eral act. They had been SO often
amended that in many cases it was diff
ficult to tell what the law actually was :;
so he determined to prepare bill, en-
bodying in systematic form, all the
School laws of the State, with sach
notifications as he deemed proper, for
the consideration of the Legislature.
His labors, in conjunction with those
of the School Committee of the House,
resulted in the production of House
Bill 496, which was introduced in the
House by Mr.. Sayler, the chairman OF
the School Committee, and in due pro-
cess of time, was referred to that COM
mittee, and was never before the House
afterwards, and was never, therefore
voted for or against, by Mr.. Williams
or any one else The committee, how
ever, reported back substitute for it
known as Substitute for House Bill
1885," which changed, very materially
: the original, and was, in fact, sub
: stantial embodiment and codifcatioI
: of the existing School laws, withou
e essential alteration. This came VI
s for final action near the close of tn
session.
This substitute was prepared wit
much care and investigation, and was
among other things, intended to give
; as it would have done) Boards of Ed
II ucation> complete power, and to re
. qasire them to establish separate school
le for colored youth, when the sam
1t would, in their opinion, promote th
interests of education; and al the sam
d time not be obnoxious to any objet
lie ton of conflict with recent Congress!
ir ional legislation, or with the chang
$, in the fundamental law.
u To effect this, the language ws
u made general, and boards were autho
az lied and required to make just sac
m assignments of any (Germ an, Colore
or other) youth, as would, in the
opinions. promote the interests of e'
40 ucation.
- It embodied the provision of tt
= 18th section of the present law, givin
boards authority to establish separa
y German Schools, &c, and of the 81
section, authorizing the establishmel
- of separate Colored schools. It COZ
: ferred greater authority, as to esta
= fishing Colored schools, than the pre-
ent law; the latter requiring at lea
30 scholars before they can be a
We signed to separate school, while al
d. less number could be separately 6
a signed, under the provisions of sa
on substitute. Such was the view t
n committee took of the matter, VIII
We they reported the substitute to t
re House, both the Democrats and 4
pu6licans Of the committee joining
'p- a report recomm ending ats pdsSat
he When the bill came up for final actio
in no one denied that boards would ha
The ample authority under it to establi
The separate Colored schools The l
ter was popular one and much demar
EN- ed throughout the State. The I
md mooracy knowing this, seized up
9TH the occasion to defeat it, and thrt
ate the responsibility of failure upon
OILS dominant party. This they could b
far effect under the pretense of desiri
further modification of section
They proposed numerous amendmer
ned but none gave any additional authc
.LD ty to establish separate schools,
In nat They were, in fact, restrictive of t
- y conferred in the original substitr
and were, therefore, properly oppo
# if by Republicans.
,ub Sufficient has been said to show t
,ro- Mr.. Williams did not vote for any
-