National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-03-19
COMMON SCHOOLS.
Senator Blair'S Able Speech in Behalf Of the
Bill for Their Aid.
The Postoffice Appropriation Bill Passed
by the House,
A Ripple Of Excitement Caused by Tilt Between
MesSrs TownShend and Reed.
The Gentleman from Maine Comes Off
Decidedly the Best.
THE SENATE.

THE SENATE.
The following petitions were presented and ap.
proprately referred:
By Mr.. Hill, from the chamber Of commerce Of
Denver: Praying for the retirement of small treas.
ury notes.
by Mr.. Cullom, from members OF the Wyoming
Territorial legislature: Praying for additional
compensation for the members in said legislature.
BY Mt Mitchell, Eom the Vessel owners asso
ciaiion of Philadelphia Praying legislation to en-
able suits TO be brought against the United states
IN cases OF collision with government vessels.
bllls were introduced and appropriately re-
BY Mr.. Hawley: To authorize the secretary Of
the navy 70 ohera reward or $4,000 for rescuinR
or asoettaining the fate ofthe Greedy Arctic ex-
petition.
Mr. Hawley said such n reward might in.
uuce some OF the many ships cruising in or about
the Arctic seas to keep lookout for the exploring
party or to turn occasionally out of their course Iii
order TO gather Information about 1t.
Mr. Aldrloh reported favorably from the COM
mltlee on France, aud Mr.. Frye moved to put at
once upon its passage, bill TO authorize the West
WaterVllle National. bank, of Oakland, Me-, 10
change Its name to that Of the Messolonski Ma.
uonal bank. The bill was read three times and
passed.
The bill to aid in the establishment and tenn.
pofary support of common schools was taken up.
Ut approprlates for tho first year Slb0OOOUO the
second Sli,00OOOO the third year, sl3 100000, aud
so on for ten years, Decreasing 81 00O yearly to
be expended for common school education, the
expenditure In each state to be on the basis of
States in the first instance to the treasurers of the
respective states or such other agents as the states
may designatec.-she secretary OF the interior to
The bill asserts the object to be not to establish
an independent system of schools but simply to
ald ~ the maintenance Of the state schools, and
provides that no part of the money Appropriated
by the bill shall be paid out in any State which
shall not during the first five years of the opera
tlOn OF the ACT annually expend for common
schools at least onethird the sum allotted to IL by
the bill, aud during the second five years a sum
equal to the whole amount 1t shall be entitled to
receive under the act. One-tenth of the moneys
paid to the states may be expended in training
Mr. Blair addressed tho senate on the bill.
This was the most important measure, he
said which had been brought before the
listed everywhere and In sufficient numbers all
over the United States there would have been no
war. Knowledge and virtue were naturally
OF republican government and free institutions.
IL was, therefore, paramount duty of the nation
10 sec tnat us clti2ens were educated. The Ameri-
can citizen had continuous public liie even
without holding public Office. He was the gov.
erning power OF his Countrywide was king. The
education of the common school was all that
twenty-iour twenty-ffths OF our citizens could
secure, and the effort of the nation should be TO
secure to all the highest possible good from the
According to the census OF 1880, out of the
bo,OOoooS OF population in the United States there
were 9.s2 per ceat. who could not read aud 1874
per cent who could not write The proportion of
white people who could not write was 6.06 per
cent and of eolored 47.7O per cent The number
OF persons OF school age was 1857 332, while the
number enrolled was only 07Sl, 52l, and even of
that number the actual average attendance was
only 5,SO53i2. That is to say the average attend.
hnce was about two-thirds of the enrolment or
about third of the number that should attend
~ thirty cities Of the union so to 81 per cent
OF tne children wore not enrolled ut all that Is
would never know how TO read or write. More
than one; ninth OF the citizens of the United States
were unable to read or write.
Mr. Blair cited statistics to show the varying
proportion of illiterates TO the whole population
for several years past.
The average immigration was now he con.
tnued, equal IN Intelligence TO the average of our
native population-a fact not familiar to the pub.
lie mind. Nearly three. fourths of the iiiiterate
votcs of the country were In the southern stn
those states having ne-third of the voters Of the
country. Between 1870 and 1850 there had been
no dlmlnuuon III The proportion of illiterates 10
the whole population, as shown by the census
table. Not more than threefourths of tho voters
Mt blair thought, really had such measure of
education as TO enable them intellgenty TO weigh
the reasons for and against the public measures
which must come before them and which must
ultimately be adopted or rejected by the body of
the people. number of the foremost educators
of the different sections of the country had come
before the committees on education of the two
houses OF congress to advocate a legislative meas
ure which should aid the school systems of the
states they had expressed the conviction that
many OF the states were unable to meet the dihi-
culties which illiteraCy was imposing on them
1.-THE safety OF the republic" the &c gentlemen had
said, sis the supreme law" Mr.. Blair read at some
length from the statements OF II number of the gen.
tlemen referred to-
Mr., Blair sent to the desk and had the clerk
read number OF memorials already presented to
congress and referred TO the committee on educa-
tiOn, urging the passage by congress of Il compre.
hensiye measure In aid of education, among
them being memorials from the American Social
Science association and the Union League of New
York city.
Referring to the general industrial and social
condition OF the colored population of the SOUTH
Mr.. Blair averred that IL was rapidly becorning
worse the people being discontinued and demor-
allied, the young men becoming more and more
disposed 70 yiolence aud drifting into condition
which bodies harm 10 the republic, unless eduea-
ton be brought promptly to bear. When England
feed the slaves In Jamaica she paid Sl0C 100000 TO
the former slave owners, but made 40 provision
for the education or elevation of the slaves them.
selves The result was seen in the fact that sixty
per cent of tho births in the island of Jamaica
were illegitimate.
Mr.. Blair read number OF statements and sub
United number Of tables of statistics to show
the relation of illteracy TO crime
From these II appears that one-sixth of all the
crimes committed were by persons wholly illite-
rate one'third by persons wholly or substantially
ilNter9te, and the proportion of criminals among
the educated,
illustrating the difference in expense between
the support OF schools md of Jails penitentarles
&C.. Mr.. Blair remarked that New York oitv had
TO spend 100000 per annum for the pnnisi mont
or crime while expanding only s3,5JOOOO for
schools
for much OF the ignorance which existed in Inc
United States the whole country was to some ex.
tent responsible because the southern states were
not alone in the responsibility for the,exislence of
slavery And, since the existence of tho nation
was as much dependent on intelligence as was
the perpetuily OF the states the nation us who lie
could not afford to be Indifferent to the education
Of its citizens.
on the conclusion of Mr. Blalrs speech the
senate, on motion of Mr.. HOar. ut 1880 r. m, went
into executive session, and, on the doors being
reopened adjourned.
THE HOUSE,