The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-10-14
MR.. OBERLY AND THAT SCHOOL

BILL.
The Ava Register OF the 18th inst.
campaign paper published in the interest
of the Hon. F. E.::Albright, contains
the following:
"Hon. John H. Oberly, the bogus cam
didate nut out BY the sore heads, Is the
same gentleman that voted for the mixed
school bill when in the legislature four
wears ago. How do the voters OF this
county like that bill? 1t is nice law
that puts negro and white children on
the same bench in school. 1t Is law.
however. and John II. Oberly is the
father Of It."
The history of the linked school bill"
so called by class of people ignorant
| or malicious. or both, has been
repeated until all fair minded people are
not only familiar with it but have long
since ceased to attach any Importance to
such mis- statements as the foregoing.
The Register should not have spoiled the
columns of its first issue by such base
less aud WORKOUT charge against Mr.
Oberly. In the first place, there is no
such law among the statutes of Illinois
as the mixed school law" The schools
| of the state have never been mixed
by any state law referring to them.
Section first OF article eighth of
| the new constitution says 1.-The gen
! eral assembly shall provide thorough
and efficient system of tree schools,
whereby all the children of this state
may receive a good common school
education" The imaginative gentle
men Of the Register may construe
this provision of the new consttu-
ton as mixing the schools. since it does
not say "all the white children OF the
state" nor "all the eolored children Of
the state" but simply "oll the children
The members Of the constitutional
| convention were not in iYno-
rance OF the fact that very consider.
able proportion of the school population
of the state, notably of Southern Illinois,
were colored children !; but no gentleman
raised his voice against the broad word
| ing of the section that gave TO them. as II
gave to the white children, the benefits
| of the common school system OF the
state. and il passed.
The bill, mis-named by the Register
the mixed school BILL" passed by the
legislature March "a, 1874, is entitled
"an act to protect colored children in
their right TO attend public schools
not he public schools. but public school.
provided for them, and imposes penalty
upon any person who shall by threats O.
intimidation, prevent any colored chile
entitled 10 attend public school in thl
state. frou attending such schQol,..
the Register: the board OF education o.
Cairo have provided all efficient schoo
for the coiored children of this city; al
the colored children OF thi. cit,
are entitled 70 attend this school. III,
bill OF 1874 provides we quot'
Mr.. Oberly's language in speech deliv
cred in this city two years sgo-"shst il
any white or black ruiiian shall attemp,
to keep 4 colored child out Of this school,
| by knocking him over tho head with z
brick bat. the ruf!lan shall suffer a pre-
scribed penalty" In that speech, Mr
Oberly declared that he had voted for THU
law and We reiterate the statement for
him now. The Register may make wha,
| it will out Of this. 10 its small attack on
Mr.. Oberly il lies with ability, and will
doubtless keep up the plan marked on,
| for il by its managers.