Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-04
AT THE NATIONS CAPITAL
MIR. PENDLETON SPEAKS ONTHE
EDUCATIONAL BILL.


before the Senate to-day a message from
the President similar to that read in the
House of Representatives yesterday in
relation to the protection of the levees of
the lower Mississippi.
After the transaction of miscellaneous
business MIR. Blair moved that the Sem
ate. dispensing with the calendar of
cases unobjected to, proceed at once
to the consideration of the educational
bill. The motion was agreed to, Mr..
Cockrel saying that he would not
object to such a motion this morning, but
gave notice that in the future he should
object to interruption of the morning busi-
ness.
Mr.. Pendlet0n said that his Judgment
was clear as to what should be DONE but
his sYmpathies and sensibilities were i'm
pelling him in another direction. This
was bill to appropriate $105,0O0,000 for
education within the States, the money to
be expended through series of ten years.
If $3OO,OOO,0OO had gufhced for the eX-
penses of the government heretofore,
additional taxes must be levied to
meet this EXPENSE tax on tObac-
co or whisky produced within the
United States, or ON iron or something
else imported into the United States. The
Government of the United States had no
Independent fortune. 1t had not a dollar
except what was contributed in taxes by
the people, ,and five were wise we would in
the first section of the bill impose the tax
which the second section eXpends. 1t
would have been well if in this bill the
first section had said that on all wooden
goods or on all iron and steel manufac-
lures imported into the United States, and
all whisky and tobacco manufactured in
the United States, the taxes heretofore
imposed should, for the purposes of the
bill, be increased by so much per cent.
object of the bill, recognized
the suffering and losses experienced by
the Southern people and appreciated the
statement made by DIR. Mayo and others,
and had heard those statements with a
feeling of honest pride that the people of
the South were brethren of ours, co-heirs
of the same liberty and worthy to be men,
berS of the same free government. Mr.
Pendleton paid a high tribute to the
energy and impartiality of Mr.. Blair as
Chairman of the Committee on Education
tor the spirit which he had displayed in
connection with the bill and the willing
ness that he had shown to have the bill
amended in any way that would not de-
stroy1ts substance. Mr.. PendletOn agreed
fully with the remarks of the Senator
from Mississippi Mr.. Lamar made some
days ago regarding the advantages of ed
ucatiOn to men as citizens of free re-
public. If the alternative were between
this bill and the illiteracy complained
of he would be strongly inclined to favor
the bill, but there was another and a con-
stltutiOnal way out of the difficulty. Mr..
Pendleton could not find in the constitu-
tion any authority for bill of this char
acter. The Senator from New Hampshire
Mr.. Blair had said that the government
had the power to perpetuate itself. He had
said that the education Of the citizens was
necessary to the perpetuatiOn of our form
of government. In making that state
ment the Senator had gone
far beyond the tenth amend
ment to the constitution. The government
had no such power to perpetuate itself as
was intimated by the Senator from New
Hampshire. If within the limits Of the
constitution no power could be found to
enable the government to perpetuate IT.
self the government must fall even though
the alternative should be the life or death
of the government. He had diligently
looked into the constitution, but could not
find there the grant invoked by the sup
porters of the bill. If illiteracy was fatal
to a rightful exercise of suffrage it was
as fatal in the States that were able but
unwilling to educate their children as it
was in those that were unable to do so, and
if the bill were correct in principle
Congress would have to educate the chill
dren of unwilling States as well as those
of States that were unable to educate
them.
Mr.. Pendleton was followed by Mr..
Beck in a speech upon the tariff and reve-
nue. and incidentally upon the education
al bill.
MIR Williams inquired of the Chair as to
what the business before the Senate was.
The Chair replied that the pending ques-
tion was on the motion of the gentleman
from Kansas Mr.. Plumb) to recommit
the bill to the committee.
'ETo recommit what?' asked MIR. Will
liams.
''The educational bill," replied the
Chair.
"AhI" remarked Mr.. Williams, amid
the LAUGHTER of the Senators.
Mr. Williams continued that this de-
bate had covered so wide range
that he had got out to sea.
some effort to collect his thoughts to get
back to the subject which the Chair had
informed him was the subject before the
Senate. The bill he said had been debated
for three weeks and everything but educa-
tion had been talked about. The pro-
vision of the constitution imposing on
Congress the duty Of promoting the gem
eral welfare was the same as that requir-
ing it to provide for the common defense,
Whatever right Congress had as to one
it had as to the other. No one doubted
the right of Congress to provide for the
common defense. Mr.. Williams had no
doubt as to the constItutionality of
the measure, and if he had
a doubt he would give the
benefit of it to the poor, struggling hu-
man soul living and dying in ignorance
and vice. He would try'to get some light
into the prison house of the ignorant that
would lead them up to higher plane of
manhood. In reply to question by MIR.
Morgan, Mr.. Williams said that educa-
tiOn made better men of the negroes as
well as of white men. Referring to Mr..
Sherman's remark that the Southern
States could not be trusted with the money,
Mr.. Williams said that that Senator over
estimated the race question in the South.
Every man who knew the South knew
that there was more prejudice against the
negro in the North than in the South.
To say that there was any intention or
prospect of this common school machin-
cry becoming political engine, was to
tritle vita great subject. Those who
supported the bill, he said, even the prin-
cipal promoter of it, the Senator from
New Hampshire Mr.. Blair lin reply to
question by Mr.. Williams, had distinctly
disclaimed any intention of the sort, and
Mr.. Williams had not the remotest idea
that any such question would ever arise
in connection with it. There was no force
in the objection that the Federal Govern
ment might interfere. 1t had not hereto
fore interfered in the States to which il
had given land grants for schools. There
could be no freedom, Mr.. Williams con-
tinued, where ignorance and prejudice
prevailed The bondage of taskmaster
was not half so Calling as the bondage of
ignorance and vice, for while one en-
slaved the bOcy the other enslayed the
immortal sonl.
Mr.. Morrill, said that from the tariff
character of Mr.. Beck's speech he sup
posed that the Senator was afraid
that if be did not get a sreech off
IN connection with the educational bill he
would have no opportunity of getting it
off at all, and Mr.. Morrill, said thatif the
country could be assured that the Morri-
son bill would never reach the Senate. he
thought that the country would feel
greatly relieved.
Mr.. Bayard secured the floor, bat
yielded to q motion to adjourn. Be-
fore adjournment a bill was reported
favorably from the Public Buildings Com
mittee authorizing the erection of pub
lie building at Asneville, n. G.
IN THE HOUSE.
In the House to-day, on motion of q. ID.
Wise, of Virginia, joint resolution was
passed authorizing the Secretary of War
to loan flags and bunting to the Mayor of
Richmond, Va, to be used at the fair to
be held in that city in aid of the home for
disabled Confederate soldiers.
The resolution reported from the Com
mittee on Accounts authorizing the
employment in the bookkeeper's de-