St. Paul daily globe., 1884-04-05
CONGRESSIONAL.
Senators Bayard and Gibson on the
Education Bill, but not Much
Progress Made.
The Indian Appropriation Bill Passed and
the House in Committee on the
Private Calendar.
The Senate.

The Senate.
WASHINGTON, April 4.-Senator Vest re-
ported the bill favorably from the committe
on territories to authorize the appointment of
a commission by the president to run and
mark boundary lines between a portion of
the Indian territory and Texas, in connec-
ton with q similar commission to be appoint
ed by the state of Texas. Placed on calen-
dar.
Senator Logan presented a petition from
the Chicago board Of trade protesting against
the further coinage of silver dollars. Also,
from the Chicago trade and labor assembly,
protesting against the repeal of the present
patent laws
The following bills were introduced and
referred.
By Senator Plumb, to grant the right of
way over public lands to the Utah and
Northern railway company.
BY Senator Lapham, to authorize the ap-
pointment and retirement of wounded and
disabled offices of the regular army, honora-
bly, discharged, under the act of July Is,
1870
Senator Jones submitted joint resolution
which was referred to the committee
on the improvement of the Mississippi
making an appropriation Of 500, 900 for the
protection of the existing lower Mississippi
The education bill was then taken up, and
Senator Bayard addressed the senate He
said this measure was proposition, accom-
panied with Il condition, and that condition
being, that in proportion to the ignorance
existing in states money was to be eXpe nd
ed by the general government. He knew
the south To the south, he said, he had
hn
of its people, and had observed their
struggles after the war. He had observed
that the flower of their manhood were slain,
their strong men and warriors crippled, the
desolation of their homes, the upheaval of
their social system, but there was one cause
more devasting than all others, and that was
after the plOughshare of desolation had done
its work, and at the moment when every self
governing agency that the law could supply
was coming into operation, the party in con-
troll of the general government adopted an
unhappy policy, interdicting every vestige Of
self-goYernment in the south, until it was
absolutely annihiIated. Bayard did not cite
this for purposes of reproach or discrimina-
ton, but merely as part of its history. The
traditions of the south were the
common glory of country, the name
of Washington would ever be the watch
word of liberty and the password to every
American heart. He believed the position
of the men and women of the south in their
adversely since the war, would be regarded
by history as that which established their
highest claim to the respect and affection of
all good people. When the great military
leader of the south had surrendered all save
honor, the counsel that he gave was worthy
of him: EGentlemen,' said he, eve must
pt,1 rpr1c
had sunk into the minds and hearts of his
countrymen. This bill, in Bayard's opinion,
invaded the harmony of our political system.
He then entered on an elaborate argument
to show the unconstitutionality of the bill
The concession to congress of the power as
sumed in this educational measure, will be
to start the country on a course which must
end in the whitening of the states.
Senator Gibson said fhe senator from Del
aware, Bayard, had referred to the recent
occurrences at Cincinnati as teaching lesson
to the senators, and requiring them to be
more faithful in the observance of the guar
antees of the constitution. Gibson read by
the light of the same burning court house an
other lesson, namely, the importance, nay,
necessity of educating all the people, in order
they may understand how to govern them
selves, that they may understand not only the
duties but the responsibilities of self-govern-
ment. While such incidents showed the
dangers of ignorance in one part of the
country, what was the condition in another?
A vast number of ignorant men, enfran-
chised without preparation, were arrayed in
almost solid mass in one political party,
while the intelligence, character and
virtue of the people were arrayed in
another. This condition of things did not
fI,o 6 -
measures with which practical craftsmanship
should deal. The order of things prevailing
in the South was the result of the apprehen-
sion of the white people that if those state
governments be turned over to the emanci-
pated slaves they would pervert the power of
taxation, and that the result would be such as
had oyertaken San Domingo, and would en-
danger the Anglo Saxon civilization in the
South. Gibson then made constitutional
argument in favor of the bill. Continuing,
he said he did not appear here to solicit
bounty for his state. He did not represent
Louisiana as ntermG paatpeTiS. He did not
appear here on behalf of that state to pick up
crumbs from the paternal government;
neither was he here to rake up the
bitter memories of the past, nor to
accuse anybody, nor to ask any favor, nor to
make apologies, but he felt it incumbent on
him, having the power under the constitu-
ton as he interpreted it, to employ the re-
sources of this government in every legiti-
mate and proper manner to remove the illit-
eracy and ignorance that threatened all the
guarantees of self-government throughout
the whole union, but especially in the south
ern states.
Senator Morgan spoke against the bill.
Senator Butler will propose the following
amendment to the bill when in order to do
so, the money to be provided for in this bill
shall be raised by direct tax to be levied an
nually upon each of the states, which shall
be apportioned among the several states ac
cording to their respective numbers. Ad-
journed until tomorrow.