The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-03-16
The NdiOnal Educational Bill.
From the Natiou.l

SenCatlFtE is dlIefent measure IN
several ISrticuiars from that which
was disc lssed in these columns few
weeks agJ. Our remarks were then
based oht The original bill, as proposed
by Mr.. Pierce on the eighth of Janu-
ary; but In the fifteenth of that month
the SAND gentleman reported some
very con I:derabie notifications of the
measured and, a few days later, the
House ID de still further amendments
on it, anf then, on the eighth of Feb
ruary, adopted the amended bill. We
have alrt hdy stated the principal con-
ditiOns II the enactment as it now
stands Awaiting the action of the SEN
ate. 1t clear, however, that there
is much Asisapprehension in regard to
it, in cInsequence of the changes
which hfl'e been made in it. AS an
instance # this, we are told in the re-
cent conj jention of the friends of agri-
cultural Ind scientific education held
in Washington, the bill as reported,
and not the bill as passed, was con-
stantly ltferred to. We advise all
who are Especially interested in the
subject tt read the bill in its true form,
which thu daily journals might advan-
tageouslH reprint.
In disclosing its merits, there is a
fundamental question which thought
ful men ORE sure to raise, and that is
the geneltl land policy of the govern
ment. 9ne' person holds that the
public lafds should be retained as q
part of tlIe national capital to meet
the unforeseen contingencies of the fu-
ture another contends that the ma
ton should get rid of them as quickly
as possibi ie T; another, that they should
be reser> ed for actual settlers, and
should b1 so disposed of that specula-
tors and tniddlemen could get advan-
tages WI fch should accrue solely to
the occlbant and cultiyator. The
bill befoSe. us does not touch any of
these points. 1t does not prescribe
the amount or the time of sales. It
reserves to Congress the right to be-
stow land bounties, and leaves the
homestead and presumption laws
wholly Iatouched. 1t does not inn
pair the over of Congress to confer
land CRAFTS upon railroads, scientific
schools II any ether object. What
then dofk it accomplish 1t conse-
crates all the money received from
the sale of public lands to popular
educatioI. Instead of blending such
funds with other income, it keeps
them apart for the enlightenment of
the people. To bestew land grant
ON a railroad will, therefore, if this
bill should become law, simply re-
duce by so much the amount which
might otherwise reach the treasury
for the support of eomaon schools.
In each new grant this ''taoral OBJ
stacle must be overcome.
It is urged against the bill that its
passage will be an assumption by the
national government of rights which
belong to the several States. This is
not so, as any one may see who will
read it.. The general government will
still have nothing to do with the es-
tablishment and management of
schools in the various States of the
Union. The bill simply, requires as
a condition of receiving the national
bounty, that each State or Territory
shall provide by it's own local laws for
the free education of all its children
between the ages of six and eighteen !;
that it will apply to this purpose all
moneys received by the operations of
this act; and that it will report an
nually the condition of its schools.
All such questions as the establish
ment of normal schools, high schools,
evening schools, truant schools, as the
right qualifications of teachers, courses
ofstudy, times of session and vacation;
as the amount of local taxation,
method of collecting it, character OF
buildings, biblical instructions, corpo-
raj punishment--in short, all the eie-
ments of +" free popular education p
are left underlined and open to local
discussion and decision. The nation
al treasury bestows grant for a spe-
cific purpose-public instruction
each State is left free to decide upon
its special system. Indeed, so far is
the bill from interfering with State
rights y that one of its ablest advo-
Gates, Mr.. Hoar, bases his appeal for
it on the argument that its adoption
will foster State rights by preventing
that tendency to Capitalization and
imperialism which popular ignorance
makes easy and probable. His
speech on this subject is a very inge-
nious aud telling response to the
State rights advocates.
For ten years, as the bill now reads,
the distribution of the fund to the
several States and Territories "shall
be made according to the ratio of the
illiteracy of their respective popula,
tions," as shown by the last preced-
ing census. This clause may receive
advantageously a little clearer ex-
PLANTATION of what, g the ratio of illit-
eracy" is to be, or, in ether words, oi
what amount the more illiterate
States shall receive; but the main in
tent of the phrase is clear. Here, in,
deed, in our view, is the chief merit o.
the bill. 1t is a generous offer to tht
South of redemption from Ignorance