New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-06

and more mass-meetngs are held In cooper
Institute our reformers will have no excuse
for not knowing what they are about.
NlTyONfL EDUCATION And STATE RIGHTS.
1t may be instructive to observe how the
recent and rather energetic revival OF the
question of State Rights will affect the scheme
for organizing National " system of educa-
top. which has developed itself more or less
distinctly in bills of one form or another in
troduccd during every session OF Congress lot
dozen years. Projects for founding a great
National University or still greater Na'lohai
Polytechnic Institute at the Capital, attempts
To get hold of the public lands and the
cotton fund.- and the patent Office fund'
and the interest on the Governments
railroad securities, and schemes for the
establishment of new funds" out Oh
the National revenues to be divided up
among the States for the purpose OF educat-
ing everybody in general, or particular classes
of unfOrtunates, as for instance " females
and the blind-all these projects would seem
calculated by their very nature to arouse me
liyeliest hostility of Congressman who con-
stantly stand on picket duty to guard the
rights of their States from invasion, and to
prevent the Federal Government from usurp-
ing any new authority. Last Winter emil
npnt educators were invited to meet In
Washington for the avowed purpose OF
influencing Congress in this direction, and the
extreme apostles of State Rights manifested
no alarm. Perhaps the South is willing to
repudiate this doctrine If any money Is 10 DE
made by the operation, and it is evident
where the bulk of any fund would lodge II
divided on the "basis of illteracy."
1t may be worth making a note of, that at
the sessions of tho National Educational
Association in Philadelphia last week 1t
was a delegate from Texas-a Professor
Hogg-who introduced the stock resolution
appealing to Congress for Federal aid This
deliyerance was only mildly paternal, recitlng
that whereas Congress had given a portion OF
the National domain for the purpose OF en-
downing and maintaining colleges of agr1cul-
ture and the mechanic arts In the various
States and Territories of the Union, therefore
resolved, that the General Government should
look to the feasibility of giving another
slice Of the public lands to each State
for the purpose of endowing an IN
stitution for the higher education OF
"women.n More specifically the association
Endorsed the schemes " for the education OF
females - placed before Congress by the
Hon. r. Q. Mills, of Texas, and Senator Nor
Gan. of Alabama. 1t would be unfair, how
ever, to consider this an exclusively Southern
movement, even though it is approved oy
such staunch opponents of Federal lnierier-
ence in State matters. All the paternallsts
and maternalIsts from the North gave the
|
measure the sanction of their hearty support
OF course the Honorable John Eaton, Com
missioner, ETC., was present, as he always nap
mems TO be when any resolving OF this sort Is
to he done.'
The tendency of all this Is manifest; and
although the Naturalization OF our Schools "
is disayowed officially as an ultimate object OF
desire and hope, there are some courageous
spirits who accept and frankly adopt the
logical results of this agitation as their own
theory of the proper functions OF the General
Government In the premises. One OF the
visiting educators at Washington last Winter
"A Doctor of Laws from MissOuri-had the
candor TO declare that the Government could
" not do a wiser thing than determine the policy
r. of all the States in regard to education"
This sounds like strong doctrine, but it Is the
only ground which can be held consistently by
the good people who are always begging the
Federal authorities to help along the school
teaching business with a little money here or
there. If the Federal Government has any
warrant in constitutional law or In reason to
NEEDLE with education IN the States, it has
the right to control it altogether. Statesmen
who shndder at the thought of Capitalization
should keep one eye, at least, upon the Educa-
tiOnal lobby.