Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-12-12

tie Virginia Democratic members see that the
Blair Educational Bill is passed without objection
-iStaunton Vir,dicator.
And we say let the Virginia Democratic
members work, by vote, and in every other
legitimate way, to defect the Blair Education
Bill, which to our mind, is a bill more at war
with the spirit of our institutions than any
which has been before Congress for twenty
years. 1t is Capitalization run mad" as
Senator Bayard denominated it. We are will
ing to do anything for the public schools
and the cause of education, that is right, but
we protest against the violation of the Consti
tuition, which will certainly be done in the
passage of this bill. We hope Virginia S
representatives will stand for right principles,
and not be swervel from their duly by the
promise of money from the Federal treasury
by this BILL It is infamous. Rockingham
Register.
Our esteemed contemporary the Register,
contrary to Its usual custom, deals in
denunclation without argument in its
treatment of the Blair Educational bill,
bill that as an unimpeachable constitu
tional measure, a large majority of the
best Democratic and Republican lawyers
in the U. S. Senate voted for. Senator
Bayard whom it cites as authority, is not
more noted for his watchfulness of the
spirit of our institutions than many of the
Senators of both parties who gave it their
hearty support. We should be glad If our
contemporary would state its reasons for
SAYING that the bill is unconstitutional, "
why 1T is Infamous" and wherein its
GENERALIZATION" is contained. By this bill,
as we read it, the State of Virginia simply
receives large and needed amount Of
money, paid into the hands of her State
authorities whose only responsibility to
the general government is to state at the
end of each year how they spent it. The
bill. though it may be defeated as the
Register demands it shall be, will be heard
from again in Virginia next fall with
damaging effect to whichever party can
be shown to be responsible for that defeat,
either directly responsible, or Indirectly.
We have just experienced. at the cost of
many Democratic votes in this district,
how Democratic opposition to the Blair
bill Can be made TO tell when handled by
Republican of ability. We want some
valid objection to this bill which will sat
lsfy the people that those who oppose it
are acting in their interest. From the
Democratic vote polled in this district
loo or If hot Oh n
constitutional lawyer as Mr.. Tucker was
not able to thus satisfy them. We shall
be glad to read in the columns Of our
friend of the Register anything that is bet
ter calculated to answer the purpose.
We cannot say that we clearly appre-
bend the meaning of the Register when it
calls On Virginia s representative not to be
''swerved from their duty by the promise
of money from the Federal treasury by
this BILL" The morey appropriated by
this bill is Virginia's own money paid in
to the United States Treasury by that
war tax known as the Internal Revenue
She has paid millions into that treasury
and here, at the first opportunity to get
some of those millions back, objection is
raised by those who should be the last to
raise objection. AS highly as we prize the
opinion of our Rockingham contemporary
we must question whether in this it would
be sustained by. or whether it represents
the views Of, the people Of that county.
Rockingham is entitled under this bill to
thousands of dollars for her schools, and
we say with perfect confidence that
if the proposition to accept it un-
der the terms of the bill were
submitted to her people, the vote in
favor of acceptance would be five to one.
and the same proportion would prevail
if the vote was taken among the Demo-
cratic voters only. Always providing the
provisions of the bill were read in the vo-
ters hearing. This is no parry measure;
1t ls d great and bonefcel 1T prpject for the
welfare of all the people, especially those
at The South, and WAS supported and vo-
ted for in the Senate by Democratic and
r. publican Senators alike 1t was voted
for by Southern Democratic Senators who
are no more iikel. to tolerate "centrali-
zatioa" than Senator Bayard is; it WAS sup
ported and voted for by Democratic SEN
ators who are no more likely to tolerate
anything unconstitutional than he is, and
who would be the last men to support auy
measure however profitable to their con-
stituents, to which could be truly applied
the term Infamous :"
Even as a party policy the Democratic
representatives of Virginia in Congress
could not ford to take the Registers ad-
vice, and oppose this bill. We all know
how sensitive the people of Virginia are
en- this subject Of the schools. It was we'll
illustrated in the readjuster movement in
which many thousands of Democrats
went into the readjusser ranks Oh their
promises regarding the schools. and staid
there until they had made it possible for
those promises to be carried out By the
''elimination" of large portion of the
public debt. If they were sensitive then
think yen they would be less 50 now in
full sight of a great benefaction to these
schools withheld on grounds which do not
meet their approval. In the face Of the
fact that some of the best lawyers Of both
political parties in the Senate held that it
is constitutional, you object on the ground
of its aconstitutionality! Very we'll, let
the House settle 1t by p assing the bill and
letting it go to the courts That is the
quickest and best way to adjust a di.
vided opinion.
We believe the peope are in earnest in
this matter. They have recently shown
it, very close to home. They are tired of
Virginia forever pouring into the Nation
al Treasury and never getting anything
back, while the States to the North of US
have been made rich by the Federal gov