Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1881-05-03


an admission The spendthrifts. pau.
pers, and ignorant men of Massachusetts
all Democrats
1t required courage to make a confes'
sion like that before the world. II wa:
true, undoubtedly, and the distinguished
Senator might have gone one step fur
,her; he might have declared that IN the
State prisons, in the reformatory institu-
tions, in the penitentiaries Of the great
Commonwealth of Massachusetts there
were thousands more of adults, and that
the doors of the prison were closed against
them on election day, and that if the
State would have opened these doors,
they, too, would have voted the Demo
cratic ticket, and that would have been
true.
Sir, it required courage on the part OF
distinguished Senator from Florida MIR.
CALI to make two days attack upon
Massachusetts, the greater part of It an
attack upon the industries Of the Com
monwealth. Why, sir, | was always
delighted with the story in the Bible of
that consent between David and Goliath.
watched David picking his pebbles,
placing them in his sling, and with such
courage and confidence hurling them al
! the mighty giant before him, and it was
| boyish delight to see the giant tremble
and fall. But, sir, while there was cour-
age on Dayid's part, yet he knew that
the Lord was on his side. The Senator
from Florida fights this Goliath of Msssa-
chuse,ts. and takes these pebbles, throws
them at her, and she neither trembles
nor falls. and the Senator knows that
the Lord is not on his side in this fight.
That required infinite courage.
Now, sir. let me tell the Senator from
Florida tha, DO not rise here to defend
Massachusetts,. Her schools and school,
houses, her colleges and universities, her
great philan,hropic and charitable insu-
,utions, her mechanical and manutactur-
ing industries, her intelligent and pros
porous people make Commonwealth the
grandest that the sun shines upon today,
and she needs no defense even at the
hands of her own Senators.
But the Senator from Florida charges
upon Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
and Connecticut that they deprive people
of the ballot. How deprive people OF
the ballot: Why, he has the boldness to
say tina, they do require men TO be able
to read their ballots. 1t took courage on
the part of the Senator, for he did il in
the face and eyes of the fact that MaSsa-
chusetts today raises for her schools 3d.
600 900 a year, opens school-house doors
in every hamlet and then enacts laws to
compel parents TO send their chi dren to
school. while the State of Florida raises
but Sl3i.O00 a year for the same pur'
pose. The Commonwealth Of Massachu-
setts which put that limitation of educa-
ton upon her voteis, raises Sl6 a head
for children between five and fifteen years
Of age. while the State of Florida only
raises fifty cents per capita Of the popu-
lation: and the Senator from Georgia
was bold enough when he made the same
attack if he remembered that Georgia
raised but sixty cents for white and but
fifteen cents for black scholars. The
Senator from Florida was bold
.Hr. Broirn.-Mr. President. will the
Senator permit me again: do not rec
ollect having made any such statement
in the Senate.
NJ. Frye have not said that the
Senator from Georgia made any state.
ment.
.Mr. Browu.-I certainly understood
him 10 say this moment that the Senator
from Georgia was bold when he made a
statement that we raised sixty cents per
head
.H. Frye did not say that, Mr..
President. said the Senator from Geor-
gia was bold to make that charge that
Massachusetts, did wrong when she pu,
qualification of education upon her
voters. while in Georgia, the gentleman s
own State, they raised but sixty cents
for white scholars and fifteen cents an
nually for black ones, and Massachusetts,
raises Sl6 annually per capita for hers,
regardless of color or anything else.
.M. BrOirn.-Will the Senator permit
me to ask if he says there is any dis
,inc,ion in the laws OF Georgia between
the amount raised for black and white:
lh. Frye so understand it certainly
in the appropriation of the funds after
they are raised.
.Nr. Bro.cn.-Then you entirely mis-
understand it; there is no such thing.
M. Frye. - Now, Mr.. President, |
wish to call the attention Of the Senator
from Florida to little comparison be-
tween his State and Rhode Island, for he
had the bravery to attack Rhode Island,
too. have here some comparative school
statistics Of Florida and Rhode Island for
the years 1877 and 1873, taken from the
reports of the Commissioner Of Educa-
ton.
Rhode Island, Al, 900 pupils; Florida,
SO, ,OOO-very little difference in number
of pupils. Teachers employed in Rhode
Island, 1912, in Florida, go. School
property in Rhode Island, S2,634 900.
Florida, $4,000. Whole receipts for
public schools in Rhode Island, s709, ,444,
in Florida, SlSS,Sll. Whole amount
expended in Rhode Island, S679,77l, in
Florida, $l34, $50. Per capita expendi
ture in Rhode Island, Sll.54, in Florida,