Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-19
sRALL WE AID TIE SCHOOLS At THE
SOUTH?

SOUTH?
Judge Tosrgee abates nothing of his de-
mand for Federal appropriation in aid of
common school systems at the South, and
he is receiving large measure of support.
We have already fully stated his case. In
brief it may be summed up in these words ::
" Having freed four millions of people held
in bondage, it is duty the Government
should not avoid TO tit them by education
to enjoy the fruits OF liberty. The sppro-
priation is justifable, because the Gov
eminent may de any act of this character
to lit men for good citizenship, since the
first and chief aim of the Government is
to foster good citizenship. a prerequisite
to this qualification is knowledge sufficient
to enable the voter to cast his ballot intel.
! ligently and guard himself against imposi.
ton at the polls. Federal aid TO educa-
tional systems, therefore, is action directly
in the interest Of the permanenoy, pros
perity and unity Of the republic and ia de.
fensive against ignorance. fraud and sub.
version Of the elective franchise 1t is,
! therefore, competent for the Federal Gov
eminent To use the general funds to pro-
mote the one and countsract The other as a
matter OF self.protect;on and in order to
preserve the integrity of the bsIIot and
elevate the standard of citizenship among
the freedmen"
We have not believed that the Govern
ment has the right 10 use the general
funds TO aid any State in fostering a COM
mon school system. If Congress- has the
right to give 81, there is 40 limit to its
exercise of that right by enlargement until
the entire contents OF the United States
treasury and all the Federal income may
be voted away for purposes foreign to the
scheme OF toe republic. For we main.
tain that the public school system is to be
maintained, if at all, by the sovereign
States, and she Federal Government has
nothing 20 do with it further than in an
advisory capacity. The giving of public
lands in the States for educational purposes
is a very diff rent matter, and no parallel
to the proposed donation of money from
the common fund.
But perhaps the weightiest reason 70 be
advanced against Judge Tourgee's plan is
the fact that such assistance viii be abso-
lutte detrimen- to the States aided, since
by relieving them of duty incumbent
upon them it will reduce their capacity and
disposition 70 discharge the duty here
after 1t may be laid down as a rule that
20 teach STATE TO lean upon the General
Government n matters to which it should
be equal, Is to do i most serious HARM
Our Democratic friends might well ad.
vance against the proposition, too, their
favorite argument concerning the dangers
Of Capitalization and the menace of Fed
e7al entertainment upon the prerogatiyes OF
sovereign States.
But, aside from these considerations, 1t
Is not clear that there ia inability on the
part OF the South t. educate the freed
men. Rev. a. D. Mayo, who is very IA
miliar with the subject. writes recently to
an Eastern paper to say that tae people OF
the South are awake to the necessity of
broadening the common school system, al
though he draws sad picture o' the
necessity for speedy reform.
The Louisville C1prer-Jomual, though
a Southern paper, will hardly be challenged
as to its sincerity when it declares that the
South is neither indolent nor Indifferent on
this subject, nor has she exhausted her re.
sources. She is fully alive to the evils of
illiteracy, and is aroused to the duty of
removing them. The rehabilitation of
the South, says the contemporary referred
to, Ibid not begin until 1876. All that
has been done has been done since that
time, We object to the assumption of
pau2erism it is not consistent with the
actual condition OF affairs. The Southern
States have suffered, and most grievously, |
but the worst is passed and a new era of
prosperity and of power which comes with |
prosperity has already dawned. What has
been done for education is only the begin
ming, is only the promise. WHAT We need
ia greater seli.confdence, greater self.reli-
ance. This work of regeneration cannot
be done from without it must begin, con-
tinue and end within US, among our own
people"
This latter sentence puts the whole mat.
ter in a nutshell, and is a complete answer
to the bill OF Mr.. Willis, which is an Act
to further the plan originated by Judge
Tourgee. 1t proposes 20 treat the public
schools as benefciarias OF the Federal Gov.
eminent, and raise money by taxation
hereafter to support them. This we be-
Heve to be wrong in principle, dangerous
as a precedent, aud so iar-reaehing in its
effect as to involve the stability OF the Gov
ernment itself, as We think may be easily
demonstrated by reference to our past his
tory and the scheme of the compact that
makes this indissolubls union Of sovereign
States nation.