The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-01-19
CITY TICKET.


In the Senate Vi Weot 'hkta"i Va
Wednesday last, DR.. Barbee offered a joint
resolution instructing our Senators and re-
questing our Representatives. in Congress to
favor National aid to the public schools oil
the country. 1t might have been thought
that this proposition would have been
heartily endorsed by the Senators Of a
State which out Of a population Of 49S,OOO
over ten years OF age has $1,000 who can't
read and 5 1000 who can't write.
The resolution being offered by a mem
Der Of the Greenback party, which is not
in control OF the National Government,
nor likely soon TO be, there was less par
tisan reason why the Democratic Senators
should be stirred up. But the bare propo-
sItion had the effect Of a red flag in a bull
pen. 1t was then and there discovered
ma. money aid to the public schools Of
the country is not within the constitutional
power OF the National Government Pre-
sumably the same Senators would not hold
that the National Government has no
power to grant lands 10 State for school
purposes or to q corporation to build a rail-
road.
The resolution-which did not emanate
from a Republican, but from a Green
hacker Of Democratic antecedents who
served in the Confederate army-was seen
10 be another evidence Of the centralizing
tendencies Of the Republican party. We
are not sure but that at this stage Senator
Price frothed at the mouth. The idea OF
the National Government coldly, cruelty
aiming to centralize itself by disseminating
among the people the seeds OF primary
education must have sent the Bourbon Their
mometer up to the boiling point. Another
keen thrust came from a Senator who
thought the scheme not unconstitutional but
undesirable; the National Government
would want to control the schools support
ed by its funds. Very likely the Govern
ment would want to know something
about the use OF the money and the
general progress Of the missionary work.
But we think itwould not insist on control.
The State would still control, but the Gov
ernment, being a benefactor, might be al
lowed to advise. In the school district the
State, not the National Government, would
be known and felt.
We might perhaps be spared the humil-r
iating spectacle Of a government visitor
travelling through the school districts, a
thousand postmasters, innumerable mail
carriers, revenue officers and the like rep
resent the power Of the National Govern
ment in West Virginia-it is not many
years since the State was glad to have that
power represented by an armed force-but
these things give concern to State Rights
Democrats chiefly because they are
not called on to fill those
representative places. This may be
called the boot phase Of the Slate rights
objection. The National Government
lives with us and forms part OF us-is in
the air we breathe-and 1t has been shown
that we can't easily shake it oil. Why
should we make faces ut it and call 1t
names? 1t is OF our own making, by our
will and for u good.
OF a population Of over thirty.six mil
lions nearly five millions can not read,
and more than six millions cannot write.
The bulk Of this dead weight Of illiteracy
liesint the Southern States, which, for obvious
reasons are not able to do all that ought to
be done for their own protection and for
the welfare Of the country. Congress has
power to "proyide forthe general welfare"
1fthe power to extend this aid were
found nowheree else this would be sufficient;
and he is no friend Of the people or Of his
State who sets upa partisan objection to
aid 80 necessary. West Virginia is one OF
the States which need it, and she needs it
now.