Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-04-17
The Aurkrille Guqairer.
YORKVILLE, s. G. {:
THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL II, 1884.
PTJBLIC EDUCATION.


s'Blair Educational bill" which passed the
Senate last week, and was transmitted from
that body, after its passage, to the House.
This measure is important, because it is
stride in the direction of educating the
masses of the children Of the United States,
on grander proportions than has ever before
been undertaken by this government; not
scheme, however, for taking in hand by
the general Government the education OF
the children, but only to aid the States in
that work. No greater part of the money
appropriated under the Act shall be paid
out to any State in any one year than the
sum expended out of its own revenues, or
out of moneys raised under its authority in
the preceding year for the maintenance OF
common schools, not including the sums
expended in the erection of school buildings.
It will thus be seen that each State is expect
ed to contribute no less to the cause of COM
mon schools than it would have expended
for that purpose in the absence of the con-
templated appropriation by the general Gov
ernment.
1t is said by the advocates of this meas
ure that the States of the North do not ask
this aid, though they will, of course, be ben
efitted by it. Both Northern and Southern
advocates of the bill admit that the great
proportion of the illiterates in the Southern
States, especially among the blacks, de-
mands relief, which the Southern States are
powerless adequately to extend, just as the
Northern States would be under like cir
cumstances. Under the rule prescribed for
the distribution of the appropriation, the
five States of Alabama, Georgia, North Car
olina, Tennessee and Virginia would each
receive s45O,OOO the first year; Louisiana,
Mississippi and South Carolina would each
receive 100000, while the State of New
York would receive about 100000.
The measure has its opponents, the oppo-
sition coming mainly from the Southern
States; and though the hostility is osten-
sibly under the guise of veneration for the
Constitution, and fear of Capitalization, to
which, without giving the subject thought,
it might be inferred the legislation tends,
vet we see no reason for concealing the fact
that the opposition is founded really on the
idea of desire to withhold educational IA
cilities from the negro. Those persons are
slow to learn. While all children will de-
rive equally the benefits of this Act, its op-
ponents would deprive the white children
of the South any advantages from it, rather
than see the colored children progress in ac-
quiring a limited, free school education!
This class of statesmen should begin to
learn that it is time to look facts calmly in
the face. Theories, though advanced only
for ostensible purposes, are very nice, but
even with substantial foundation they must
weld to solid realities. The reality in this
question may be found in the following
paragraph which we extract from one of
Mr.. Randall's recent Washington letters to
the Augusta Chronicle. He says:
''Much valuable time has been wasted in
splitting legal hairs over the Educational
bill but here is the true inWardness of it:
The North is determined to educate the Ne
gro. The South is offered public funds to
carry out that programme by the machinery
of her State Governments. If she refuse,
the Paternal Government will take the mat
ter in hand most unpleasantly. Practical
statesmen prefer to take the cold end of the
poker Arcadian statesmen are uncOn-
sciously attempting to force the red-hot end
upon us. The cold end appears preferable"
With this view, there is but one practical
BILE course for the Southern States to pursue,
and that is to accept the benefits of the Act.
This will give the States control of their re-
spective quotas. Otherwise, the general
Government will assume control ofthe mat
ter, and, as Mr.. Randall intimates, in a
manner that may be most unpleasant.
For the information of our readers we
publish the leading features of the bill as it
passed in the Senate, which will enableth
more clearly to understand the future legis-
lation to which it will be subject before it
becomes law.