Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-04
Frre,s ISLANDERS Refuted.


Mr.. Frye, of Maine, in his bilious,
anti-Southern speech in the Senate few
days ago. among other things, took oc
casion to say something about the lack
of education in the South, aud the OBJ
stacles here thrown in the way
of the dissemination of proper
knowledge among the masses.
This charge he made, of course,
in utter ignorance of that of which he
was speaking, for your modern Radical
stalwart cares nothing for facts, all he
desires being, at any cost, to make
capital for his party. With him
literally the end justi6es the
means, and he never, for moment, al
lows such small matters as knowledge
and truth to stand in the way of the &C
complishment of his designs. True his
ignorance will be exposed and his mis-
statements corrected, but that, in his
opinion, is a matter of no consequence.
He only wishes to influence his constit-
uents, and as he is well aware that by
far the greater portion of said constitu-
ents will see his statements, which he dis
tributes broadcast among them under the
Congressional frankfurt will never see
the corrections and exposures which he
carefully suppresses-he goes on, as be-
fore. repeating his stale ISLANDERS regard
less of honor or rectitude.
For these reasons it will make but
little difference to Mr.. Frye that his mis-
representation of the Southern people
by the assertions that they oppose popu.
lar education, and that they do all they
can to prevent it, is effectively, though
unintentionally, answered by the report
of the proceedings of the Trustees in
charge of the distribution of the Peabody
fund in the South. In their last report
those gentlemen say:
"The good feeling and cooperation of
the very best part of the population ex-
coed all expectation. 1t would seem as
if the people were looking directly upon
the beaming countenance OF our venera-
BILE friend, and were carried away with
gratitude and admiration. This cordial
" does not expend itself in compliment
tary speeches, but shows itself prac
tically and in a most sub
stantial way. Our advice is
most eagerly sought and our suggestions
most readily accepted. In the many in
terviews have had with men who have
come to propose different plan and to
suggest different mode of action there
is scarcely an instance in which they
have not said in the end: We'll, your
plan is the best 1t is hardly an exag-
geration to say it meets with universal
appreciation. All the teachers are ex-
amined; all the houses are provided; all
failures from sickness, incapacitY, want
of discipline, want of repairs, or
breaks from any other cause, are speedi-
ly remedied. How could we provide
for these things where there is no school
system, no school authorities? We now
have all the machinery of the State, the
city, the village, for school matters at
our service, and they are the persons who
see that the people raise their part of the
money The Mayor and Council, even
In small places with only two hundred
children, have generally done the work
for me with the people"
The statements of these gentlemen
show the deep interest the Southern
people take in education, and how
gladly they avail themselves of the
assistance provided by that princely
philanthropist whom they represent
If Frye & Co. were susceptible to
shame, they would blush and apollo
gize for their SANDERS instead of which
they will repeat them at the first provo
cation. 1t is truly said, 81 stalwart
conscience is as hare as stalwart
cheek"