The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-10-16
Democracy and Popular Education.

had contr0lof 1.-THE House having about
10 Democratic majority-to have it con-
sidered. AS the session was nearing to a
close, Mr.. White, of Kentucky, Il Repub-
lican, moved to suspend the rules, with a
view TO considering the measure. 1t re-
CURED unanimous consent OF the House
for this to be done. The objection of any
one member was sufficient to virtually kill
the bill. This objection was made by Mr..
Tucker and the bill was thus lost.
That it was the policy and purpose of
the Democrats to kill the bill, is evidenced
by the authoritative expression of their pol
icy, contained III the platform OF that party
in National Convention assembled in Chica-
go last July. 1t declared that F:
I'VE are opposed TO all propositions
which upon aug protect would convert The
General Government into d machine for
collecting taxes to be distributed among
the States and the citizens thereof.
This was evidently designed 20 strike
at the Blair Educational Bill; it certainly
included it, and makes the record of the
party distinct aid positive, as opposed to
the policy and purpose of that important
measure. 1t was designed in this decla-
ration to confront andl antagonlze the an
nouncement of the Republican party in
National Convention, assembled in Chica-
go, a monh previous, when it was re-
solved that,
I'VE favor wise and judicious system
OF general education by adequate dppro-
praation from the National Revenues,
wherever the same is needed
In these several declarations, drawn out
by the discussion of the Blair Bill in the
Senate and the agitation of the subject by
the press, the two great parties join is
sue and confront each other sQuarely.-
The policy advanced in the position ia
ken by the Democratic Convention is in
accordance with the State Rights declara-
tions of Mr.. Bayard and MI. Tucker
They can see where it is constitutional to
appropriate moneys from the public treas
ury for the improvement Of Rivers and
Harbors. to facilitate commerce and to
guard the coast of the country, but they
cannot see where it is constitutional to APP
propriate moneys from the same source,
to remove illiteracy, and thus strengthen
the conservative forces of tie govern
ment through an intelligent and patriotic
ballot. When we reflect that our govern
ment is based Oh the consent of the PEG.
ple-that they are the primary source of
all its power-that their votes give direc-'
tion to the character of our laws, i'll the
representatives they select to serve them
in Congress, and that the institutions of
the country receive their impress and
standing in the eyes and estimation of the
world from the legislation and enactments
of Congress, all other considerations
dwindle into lnsignihcance when COM
pared with an educated, intelligent ballot.
This view of the subject should address
itself with singular force and Importance
to the South, where we have to contend
with a mass Of illiteracy, without adequate
means to remove it through the school
house. When we at first realized the fact
that the former slaves had become citi-
zens, and that the necessity was impera-
tive to prepare them, byeducation, for the
discharge of the high duties of citizen
ship. it was staggering. But the emer-
gency was met brayely, and by degrees
healthy advancement has been made, with
gradual improvement each year, where
liberal sentiment has prevailed and a
proper appreciation of the situation OBJ
| tanned.
The burden is regarded as onerous, not
only among ourselves but throughout the
country. And as soon as the condition of
the government was such that it w0d1d
| justify aid and relief from the public
treasury-four-ffth of the revenues of
which come from the Northern and
Western States, scheme was devised and
bill framed commensurate with the neces-
sites of the case. 1t met the approval Of
large majority of the representatives in
Congress from the States from which the
bulk of the taxes are drawn, and is sus-
tanned by public sentiment in every State
north of Mason and Dixon's line. But
strange to say, the States which would be
most benelitted-which have the largest
number of illiterates-w which pay into the
public treasury the least volume of money
furnished the men. who. as authorized
representatives Of the people, entered
their protest against, land virtually defeated
legislation designed primarily for the re-
lief of the Southern States. Under va
rious pleas this is justified by them
Mr.. Tucker, when in one of his grand
moods and forgetful for the moment, by
reason of partizan surrounding, that his
seat in Congress is in danger, places his
objection upon what he calls high consti-
tutional grounds, and asks them in vindi-
cation of himself whether they would
have him violate his oath to support the
constitution When confronted with the
fact that far ADLER and wiser and better
men than he-men who have higher
claims to recognition as constitutional
lawyers, find ample warrant in the funda-
mental law for the enactment of such
philanthropic measure as the Blair Bill,
he drifts his objection to one of sectional
jealousy and social security. He charges
that it is the desire of the North to intro
duce Northern text books into Southern
schools, to educate Southern children to
revere Northern men and depreciate
Southern men of eminence. and even
tually to fix upon us mixed schools. He
assumes this IN the face of the fact that
the fund appropriated by the bill, was to
have been placed under the control of:the
authorities of the Southern States for the
express purpose of developing and MAIN
tanning the school systems established by
local government. The fund so appro-
priated was to be used precisely as the
fund raised by local laws-was made sup
Elementary to local provisions, and de-
signed to aid the Southern States in meet
ing the heavy responsibility placed on
them by reason of the greater number of
illiterates among them.
This tender of assistance-this munifi-
cent donation was rejected by the action
of representative from Southern State,
and that State Virginia. It would have