The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-10-23
The Educational Bill and the South.

jections Mr.. Tucker has urged to what is
known as the Blair Educational Bill and
the excuses he has given for interposing
his fatal objection to its consideration.
when motion WAS made to take it up in
the House. To meet all of his objections
and all his arguments against this NUM-
ficent measure and the policy it involves,
we give below, from the Iron Age. of Bir-
mingham. Ala, the great iron centre of
the extreme South, extracts from report
that paper contains of speech of United
States Senator Pugh, of that State. His
argument is practical, clear and convin-
cling, and must address itself to the under
standing and approval Of every impartial
mind And in the degree that it does, Mr..
Tucker is condemned from one of the first
statesmen of the South sustained by 9TH
ers Of equal ability. whose names Mr..
Pugh gives.
Mr.. Pugh;s remarks, too, indicate that
he is as much, if rot more responsible for
the presentation of the bill than anyone
else. and in this meets and refutes the po-
sition of Mr.. Tucker, where the bill itself
does not, that it was measure to inject
Northern and Federal influence into the
educational methods of the South. even
were this thought worthy of consideration
or that the South would ever be justified
in accepting the benefit, because it was of
Northern origin and suggestion. Upon
every point, indeed, Mr.. fuckers views
are confronted and Oyerthrown, and the
scheme presented as a great benetaction to
the Southern States. Said the Senator:
Impoverished by the war, as we were,
we had organized splendid public schoo'
system; but we had no money The
schools were kept open only four months
in the year, the teachers were poorly paid
and the time that the pupils attended WAS
almost lost to them. The last sci DOL fund
which was raised by taxing the people Of
the State, was 100000. We must look To
the Federal Government for the aid we
need. Applause We need not give the
Federal Government power, however.
There was great difference between the
Government helping the State to exercise
power and the Government taking charge
and assuming jurisdiction. Senator La
mar had done him the honor to say he had
furnished the keynote to this whole ques-
tion in saying there was a broad distinction
between aid and jurisdiction. This prin-
ciple was established in the Ogden case, by
one of the country's greatest legal lumin-
aries, Chief Justice Marshall. No one
would deny the right of the Federal Gov
eminent to aid the State. 1t had as much
right to aid the State in exercising it's power
for education as it had to aid the State in eX-
ora ,ctn itc NJ ,a
ment had several times aided States in the
exercise Of police powers. Every common
school in ttS tate owed its existence to
the Federa Government.
Alabama . schoo.S received $4,000 a
year OF interest on IL fund furnished by the
Government. Colleges, universities and
as lums all over he land had been endowed
by the Government But. it was urged,
this was done with land not with money.
His mind was not capable of distinguishing
between the right to buy another Alaska
and give it to the cause of education and
the right to give the money that this new
territory cost, or to sell the land and give
the proceeds. He did not quarrel with
those who denied the constitutional right
of the Government to aid education by the
States. But it was fortunate for Alabama
that he happened to believe in this right
Applause "a right that involved the
power to furnish Alabama $4,000.000 in
aid Of her public schools.
After reference to the Blair educa-
tional bill the Senator gave history Of il
as below:
when the bill reached the Senate com
mittee it was referred to Senator Blair and
me. and the bill reported to the Senate. in
so far rs it differs from the original bill, is
mine. The bill reported is in my hand |
writing and lisa totally different thing from
Blair's bill Blair gave the control of the
appropriation to Federal school officers |
Such Il bill could never have passed the
committee, the Senate or the House. My
bill reported the same amount, but gave
exclusive control to the States, and under |
the bill as it passed the Senate, the school |
officers OF this state would have just as
much exclusive control of the State S share |
of the appropriation as they have of the |
$500.000 we raise ourselves. The seventh
section OF the bill distinctly expresses that
the Federal Government shall have 10 con- |
troll. the purpose of the bill being tempo
rary aid to the State managing an affair of
its own. Now, as the money belongs to
the people and to Congress as trustee, ism t |
it right that reports should be required by
Congress of the school officers of the
States, to see If they have used the money
to carry ont the purpose OF its appropri- |
dUlUH l)ldiI ) Dlll anu mine appropriated
500, 100000 to be paid in eight years. I'm |
der either of these bills Alabama would |
have got 81 100000 year. The Senate
bill appropriates ST. 100000 and requires |
that each State shall raise an amount |
equal to what it receives from the govern
ment Under this the State of Alabama |
would receive only $500,000 year. The |
bill passed the Senate three to one, Gibson |
and Jonas, of Louisiana; Garland and
Walker, of Arkansas Lamar and George. |
of Mississippi; Williams, Of Kentucky |
Jackson, of Tennessee; Pugh, of Alabama |
Brown and Colquitt. Of Georgia; Jones
and Call, of Florida. and Ransom and |
Vance, of North Carolina, voted for the
bill and | think l was in pretty good COM
pany. | think some of those men know
something about constitutional law If !
we erred we erred on the side of an OPP
pressed and impoverished people"
: The bill went over under the |
rules until next session because several
ambitious Democrats had similar bills of
their own that they wished to substitute
for it. He felt no doubt it would pass the |
House next session.
= 1t had been said the people |
would better educate themselves that |
they would grow love the Federal Govern
ment too much if they got aid from it, and |
that this would encourage Capitalization.
He didn t believe any Of this. Nor did he
believe it would hurt the people to educate
them with money more than it would to
educate them with land Laughter and |