The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-01-12
Senator Blair's School Bill.

4 Senator Blair's School Bill.
we gave the other day the substantial DC
tons of the bill introduced in the United Stat
Senate by Mr.. Blair, Of New Hampshire,
appropriate money annually for ten yea
from the Federal Treasury to aid in esta5lis
ing and supporting free education in the Stat
and Territories, beginning with sl5,0000t
the first year, and diminishing the sum 81 ,00(
0oo year until the ten years shall be con
pleted-the distribution to be upon the bas
OF llllteracy in each State and Territor
among the inhabitants of ten years of age an
oyer
we declared from the first our approval {
THIS wise and magnanimous proposition an
the more we consider It, the better we like il
That it does not propose perpetual aid to til
tree schools is one of its best features,-fo
the surcst way to destroy the free schools as
State sys TEN anywhere within our borders
to permit it to be understood that these school
nave become, so to speak "the wards of tn
Nation" 1t is only by the temporary foster
ing and nurture which this bill offers that fire
/ schools can be established now as eflicien
| systems in the impoverished States of til
South; and the aid and encouragement are t.
be extended only so long and under such con
ditions as will best conduce to making tn
systems wholly Independent of outside hell
at the earliest possible moment. The seventh
section provides as follows:
-
to establish IN independent system of schools
but rather to aid for the time being in the de
velopment and maintenance OF the school sys
TENS established by local power and which
must eventually be wholly maintained by the
States and Territories wherein they exist, it is
hereby provided that no part OF the money APP
propriated under this act shall be paid out in
any State or Territory which shall not during
the first five years of the operation of this act
annually expended for the maintenance of
common schools free to all, at least one-third
of the sum which shall be allotted to it under
the provisions hereof, and during the second
five years of Its operation a sum at least equal
to the whole it shall be entitled to receive I'M
der this act and if such expenditure shall not
be shown to the Secretary of the Interior at
the end of each fiscal year by each State or
Territory, respectively, or by such other evil
dence as shall be satisfactory to him, then the
allotment under this act for each subse-
quent year so long as there shall be deficien-
cy OF such expenditure by the State or Terri
tory from the proceeds of local funds, whether
derived from taxation or otherwise, shall be
expended for the support of common schools
therein wholly in the discretion of the Secre
tary who shall apply the same to the support
of existing or TO the establishment OF new
schools in such way as he shall deem best.
These provisions are designed to secure libe-
raj appropriation from the States for their re-
spective systems, and to prevent that careless
dependence on National generosity which
might arise under benefactions from the Fede
raj fisc not so guarded.
The bill seeks to establish no Federal con-
troll over the system in any State-such con-
troll being confined wholly to the money which
is to be expended by the advice and concur
renee of the school authorities in each State
This benefcent measure comes from fore
most and ardent friend of the Liberal move
ment in Virginia, and is one among the first of
the gracious fruits borne by the goodwill to-
ward this section which has grown up among
Northern statesmen and people as the result OF
;iprocation of our Liberal advance by extend
ng helping hand toward us, and that in
natter where our necessity is greatest and
most urgent, both from material and political
point OF view We say that he extends this
land TO us--to the South, and the terms of
he bill, including the basis Of distribution &C., !
Indicate conclusIvely not only that we shall be +,
chiefly benefited by it, but that it is so intend
I'd by its patriotic author. II isapotent hand |
90, 1t is not Bourbon or Southern hand in |
he act OF grasping or duplicating, but
Northern and Administration hand as strong |
o do as it is ready.
Under the scheme of Mr. Blar's bill So will |
'e distributed to the education of every illt- |
rate in the country the first year of it's opera
for that year Vrginias share will |
We about 81 100000 What vast deal of good
u all time could and would be accomplished |
or public education among us by that sum in |
id of our State, county city and district APP
,ropriatons
Thus we see how REIMBURSEMENT is influence
ne even the National mind and the National |
egslation in behalf Of the great objects of our
LIBERAL movement. With the South under |
Bourbon domination, working, either covert
Y or overly for the betrayal and destruction !
i our tree schoos-with a Governor in VIr- |
nia declaring free education luxury we
annot afford and disgrace to its recipients,
With another Governor armed with torch to
nut the school-houses to. the flames, we
onld never have hoped for help from the
North and its ruling party; but our own Lib
rasm has begotten spirit of liberallty even
mong those once most hostile toward US, and
We may at last hope to be full sharers in the
lessings of q restored Union. Not helping
ur own schools we could not properly ask
or expect aid from other sources Bourbon
SIN in Virginia, from 1874 to 1879, both nclu-
i've, not only by every direct and indirect
leans sought to cripple the schools and bring
hem to disrepute, but actually robbed OF di-
erted their funds to over one million and a
alf OF dollars, Within two years after COM
ng into power the Readjusters have returned
yer $3.50 900 of this stolen money, and now
ave bills pending in the General Assembly to
eturn the whole OF the diverted sum- with
interest, at the rate of 100000 per annum by
ocular appropriation and, to further expedite
be settlement, by awarding to the schools
100000 of the half million to be received for
he States interest in the Atlantic, Mississippi
nd Ohio Railroad Moveover-under the
school bill, the uhole of the annual
7 accruing dues to the schools (instead of
hree-fourths of an estimate, as under the Hen
eel billy are to be awarded them in taX-receiv-
Bile certificates until the REIMBURSEMENT bill, in
I'LL effect, shall p1y them al their dues IN cash
n the meanwhile, too, under Mr.. Riddleber-
ers bill for that purpose, the remaining
100000 of the money for the States interest
n the Atlantic, Mississippi ard Ohio road is
0 be applied to the establishment of college
r normal school, under the direct manage
nent of colored men fitted for the task, to
i've higher education to colored youth that
viii fit them for teachers, for the various pro-
essions, and all the walks OF this progressive
nd enlightened age.
Our school system was established in 1870.
The following table (which we published first
bouta week or two since) gives at a glance
he different results of the Bourbon Funder