The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-10-09
MIR. Tueker ana Popular Fdueation.

"
der it. the North would force such school
books on the South as would educate the
children of the Southern States to applaud
such men as Grant and Logan and reflect
unfavorably on the prominent men of the
South; and that it would open the way to
mixed schools. $3.50
This may not be the exact language MI.
Tucker used but it is in substance, we I'M
derstand, the reason he assigned for OPP
posing the magnificent donation of IS, 500,-
600 to Virginia for primary educational
purposes. He had on another occasion,
as we learn, ina discussion with his oppo-
nent for Congress, advanced the same ex-
cuse for his utterly indefensible position
on this question, and was then cited to the
bill itself to show that there was not a
word OF syllable in it to sustain such an
assumption. 1t is presumed that Mr..
Tucker remaintd Intentionally ignorant
of the provisions of the bill as it passed
in the Senate imApril last, and was killed
in the House by his objection to its con-
to believe that he would not have made
such a reckless statement, if he had been
familiar with the conditions of the meas
ures. So far from any possibility of either
National or Northern interference with
the fund appropriated in the act to the
Southern States, it expressly provides
against it, leaving the quota of each State
to the control of the authorities of such
State, to be used as the other school funds
raised under State laws, are disbursed.-
The 4th section of the bill. as 1t passed the
Senate, is in this form: as
''Sec. 4. That the amount so apportioned
to each State and Territory shall be drawn
from the Treasury by warrant Of the Sec
rotary OF the Treasury, upon the monthly
estimates and requisition of the Secretary
Of the Interior as the same may be
needed and shall be paid to such officers as
shall be authorized by the laws of the re-
specific States and Territories to Teceiue the
same. -
This provision is positive, distinct and
conclusive that each State and Territory
shall have the exclusive control Of the
quota to which it would be entitled on the
basis of llllteracy, under the bill. The
9Th section provides ''that instruction in
the common schools wherein these moneys
shall be expended, shall include the art of
reading, writing and speaking the English
language. arithmetic, geography. history
of the United States, and such other
branches of useful knowledge as may be
taught under local laws" And the 18th
section declares that the design of this
act not being to establish an Independent
system of schools, but rather to aid for the
time being in the Development and mairete-
nance Of the school systems established by
local government, and which must eventu-
ally be wholly maintained by the States
and Territories wherein they exist. it is
hereby provided that no greater part Of
the money appropriated under this act
shall be paid out in any State or Territory
in any one year than the sum expended
out of it's own rev ennes OF out of moneys
raised under it's authority in the preceding
year for the maintenance of common
schools, not including the sums expended
in the erection of school buildings
1t will be seen from these provisions Of
the bill that every dollar appropriated to
the States and Territories under it, was
expressly directed to be placed under the
control Of the State authorities, and de-
signed to develop and maintain tie school
systems existing under State or Terrific
rial laws. Nothing could bemore explicit
and unquestioned. Yet, MI. Tucker, in
the face Of these plain and unmistakeable
conditions had the effrontery to state that
the fund so appropriated would be devoted
to infiicting upon the South what he
called obnoxious school books and paving
the way for mixed schools
We have heretofore, in referring to- Mr..
Tucker, not only during this canvass, but
before he became q candidate in this dis
trict and even when we had no idea that he
would be thrown into district including
Augusta county, gave 1t as our belief that
he was sincere in his political views, and
that his integrity of purpose could not be
questioned. We must admit that this
confidence has been very much strained
and that in order to escape the RESPONSE
bility for an unpopular and indefensible
position, fixed upon him by his own act in
Congress, he has deliberately attempted to
pervert the plain meaning of measure,
to the end that he might retreat under
cover of prejudice and passion aroused by
his own false and unfounded appeals. We
leave it to the pnblic to judge, after read
ing the substance of what Mr.. Tucker has
stated in public speeches. and the provis-
ions of the Educational bill itself, which
we have quoted, whether Oh not we are
justified in modifying the high opinion we
have expressed of him, time and again, as
a man guided by sincere convictions. and
the more dangerous because of this in the
political heresies he supports.
Let us look little further at this i'm
portant, aye, vital question, and see what
it was that MI. fuckers fatal objection
in the House, deprived Virginia of. The
Educational bill passed by the Senate. the
consideration of which was arrested in the
House by Mr.. fuckers objec ton, based
its apportionment to the several States
and Territories on the illiteracy of such
States and Territories. 1t is sufficient for
our purpose, as we are discussing Mr..
fuckers relation to the subject, as a rep
resentative Of Virginia in the Congress of
the United States, to confne our reference
to this State only. According to the CEN
sus Of 1880 there was 1888 per cent. of the
population of Virginia, over ten years old,
that could not read OF write. Out of total
population of ,512 $50 there were 430, 352, 4
over ten years Of age who could not read or
write, divided into 1852 whites and
3l5, $50 colored. There were enrolled in
public schools 200, 736-average attendance !
13S, 404, or little over half of the enroll |
ment. The average annual cost! to the
State, under our present system, as fur |
nished by the census for each pupil is
1892. The quota of Virginia, under the
National Educational Bill, was estimated |
at SIS, 100000, for the eight years the appro-
priation was to run the total appropri-
ton for all the States being seven millions
FOL. the first year, ten for the second. fif- /
teen for the third, thirteen for the fourth,
eleven for the fifth, nine for the sixth,
seven for the seventh and five fo, tbo