St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-21
OUR LAW GIVERS.
The Whisky Bonded Bill a Great
Bone of Contention.
Northern Senators Against Placing
Educational Grants in Southern
Hands.
They Pretend to See a Great Big Swindle or
Grab in the Business.
The Senate.

The Senate.
WASHINGTON, March 2O-A resolution was in
troduced by Senator Van Wyck and agreed to,
calling on the secretary of the treasury to fur
nish the senate copies of the accounts ard
vouchers of the disbursing agent of the depart
ment of justice for miscellaneous expenses, re-
lating to cases during the last three years
Senator Hoar then called up, and the senate re-
sumed the consideration of the bill increasing
the salaries of United States district judges to
$1,000. The pending question was on Morgans
amendment providing that the increase shall
only apply to judge. hereafter appointed
Senator George opposed the bill, and Senators
Dolph and Mcpherson supported it.
Senator Morgan spoke in favor of his amend
ment, and Their the bill went over until to-mor-
row.
Senator Allison, from the committee on appro-
priations reported favorably the house bill to
provide for certain most urgent deficiencies in
the appropriations for the service Of the govern
ment for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884.
Placed on the calendar.
Senator Allison gave notice that he would call
it up tomorrow
Senator Morrill,, from the committee on
finance, reported favorably the bill to provide
the refunding of the excess of duties on imports
of raw sugar. Placed on the calendar
Senator Mcpherson offered resolution which
agreed to calling on the secretary of the navy, TO
furnish the senate with copies Of the contracts
mad with parties in Sheffield, England, for the
turret or mat arial therefor, for the iron clad
Mitonom ali.
The consideration of Blair's education bill was
resumed.
Senator Van Wyck remarked that the elective
franchise has been conferred by the United
States on the colored people of the south, and
had been made secure by constitutional amend
ment, and he inquired of Blair whether even
that secured to the colored people the right
which had been sought to give them.
Senator Blair replied, he did not think it had,
but one of the reasons was, because the colored
people were not educated. If the colored peo
pie were more intelligent they would not be
found deprived of their rights in that respect.
There was no other means than education
open to aid the colored people to the rights of
suffrage. We had abandoned all other means.
What had We done TO protect the ballot box since
1876? IL this were political question at all,
which Blair disclaimed what better course could
the Republican senators consistently take, than
the one which would secure to the colored peo
pie the education which would enable them to as
sert for themselves their right to exercise free
ballots Senator Blair reminded the Republicans
of the education planks in their party platform,
and enquired whether the Republicans were not
willing to stand by them. He read from the in
augural address of President Garfield, in which
it was stated that the nation was responsible for
people, and was equally responsible for seeing
that they were prepared by education to exercise
the rights of freedom. The vote was taken on
ingalls, amendment, specifying the school age.
Lost
Senator Plumb moved an amendment which
would require that the several states should ex-
pend on education, for tina first five years opera
ton of the bill, amounts equal to the amounts
received by them severally from the national
fund, the provisions of the bill only requiring
the expenditure by each state for that period q
snm equal to third of the sum to be received
from the national fund. There was no pretense,
Plumb said, that Massachusetts, Connecticut or
New York needed this money, and he did not
think state that did not provide for the educa-
ton of its own people would benefit by fund
provided for it by other people. Reform in that
direction had to come from within
Senator Jones of Florida inquired of Senator
Plumb whether he did not regard as a benefit the
granting by the general government Of public
lands in aid of education.
Senator Plumb replied, whatever argument
might be drawn in favor of that view would ap-
ply only to communities entirely new. So far as
Kansas was concerned, its people had built 5000
schoolhouses. The school had been to that state
the sign by which it conquered. Plumb thought
it bad precedent for the federal government to
undertake this kind of aid. 1t would lead to con-
staut commissions of inquiry into the application
of the money, and if that application shonld turn
out unsatisfactory, it would finally result in the
instrumentalities for application being taken
from the states and resumed by the general gov
eminent. He believed the best plan to be to let
each state attend to its own education.
Senator Hampton remarked that the southern
states expended S7,000,000 annually for public
schools.
Senator Blair stated that the last educational
report showed the expenditures to be over $751;
100000.
Senator Logan said Ohio alone spent 81, 100000
annually for its public schools.
Senator Plumb objected to illiteracy being
made the basis for the distribution of the fund,
as that would put premium on ignorance. 1t
would be giving to a state sums of money not ac-
cording to the number of persons it kept at
school, but the number it did not keep there.
The school should be brought close to home. 1t
should be made neigborhood affair, that was its
proper place, there, and nowhere else would it
flourish. Plumb showed the great progress
made by his own state, Kansas, under this plan
Senator Blair gladly admitted the high stand
taken by Kansas in regard to education, and her
great development, he said, showed what would
be done by due regard to education. He read
from statistics, to show that the southern states
taxed themselves for public schools substantially
as much as did the New England states, taking
into consideration their capacity to pay.
Senator Vest declared the bill to be a hetero
geneous admxture of state and national instru
on the Democratic side of the chamber, in de-
Tense Of the state rights violated by the BILL He
felt lonesome, now, on that side, although few
days ago, there has been great alarm about the
rights of states. If there was any warrant, at ALL
in the constitution for measure of this character
it was to be found in the clause relating to gener
al welfare, which, Sancho PanZa had said about
sleep, covered men all over like blanket but
if found under that clause, any other, the evil
should be national and the remedy applied by
national instrumentality alone. This was
not such case, nor did this bill furnish such an
instrumentality on the subject of the education
of the colored people Senator Vest
thought that much sentimentality pre-
vented. The rules for educating the Caucasian
race would not work in the education of negroes,
any more than they would work in the education
of Indians. Vest had seen an Indian day school
in the west, with roll on which was 500 names,
but 500 were only on hand on ration day, the at
tendance on the remaining days being so to 100,
yet the government paid out 81, 600 for teachers
in that school.
Senator Garland felt no uneasinese in voting
for this bill. He thought it proper case of the
intcrposition of the general government. The
southern states had done the very best they
could for common school education and if the
Plumb amendment should pass it would kill the
bill as TO some states.
He thought Plumb's position inconsistent, for
only day or two ago the senator had secured
the passage of a measure which took the national
government into Kansas to eradicate the foot and
mouth disease from cattle. The measure now
before the senate effected very much more Sc
rious disease than that-a disease effecting hu-
man beings.
Senator Ingalls, criticised the bill as defective
in several particulars.
Senator Blair said the senator was bringing
microscopic and telescope examination to bear
on it.
Senator ingalls, thought a bill appropriating
S105, 100000 might well be examined microscop-
icaly and telescopically, also horoscopcally and
polariscopicallY or BY any other ..scopical',