Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-10-01


dertook TO manufacture party capital out Of
that result. As member Of the committee
in the 47th Congress I accord to its rcpubl!-
can majority the utmost sincerity and zeal
in behalf of the educational bill, but
accord equal zeal to the democratic majority
of the 4Sth Congress. Both were victims OF
a set of rules which hope the present Con
gress will promptly overthrow.
IS THE BLAIR BILL A REPUBLICAN
MEASURE?
Nor, if we look to the Senate of the last
Congress, will there be found any fact upon
which either party can claim PARTISAN
advantage. Mr.. Blair, whose name the bill
bears, would, am sure, promptly dsc}aim
it as a republican measure. Some of the
strongest enemies of the bill in the Senate
were men whom the republican party has
always delighted to honor as its leaders.
Senator Sherman on the 10Th March, 1854
when the Blair bill was under discussion,
said:
Although this thing 1.-THE educational hiIil
has been talked of in sentimental kind OF
way in this country for some years i = :
vet do not think the public opinion of the
United States is now prepared for any such
measure as this and if it should pass the
Senate, especially if it should pass Congress
it would at once excite great agitation, great
complaint, great discomfort, and l do not
believe the system would stand long before
n general public voice would demand its re
peal on the ground Of injustice and Unequal
ity.
Mr.. Plumb, republican. Of Kansas, in the
same debate, page 2290 Of the Congressional
Record, said II shall regard the passage Of
| bill of this kind as the death -knell of the
present school system Of the United States
Tho appetite once created, the demand for
more will be presented here each year, until
finally the government will appropriate for
all the expenses and take full and sole con-
troll.
Senator Hawlcy, republican, Connecticut,
was equally emphatic.
l might cite from Senator Ingalls, ald
other prominent republicans passages equal
ly strong.
THE BLAIR BILL DID NOT AND COULD NOT
PASS THE SENATE BY REPUBLICAN VOTES.
Nor will the vote on the final passage CT
the Blair bill in the Senate bear out the
des that it was republican measure. The
vote was taken on April 7, 1854, and is to
be found on page 1916 Of the Record OF the
76 Senators only II actually voted. Of the
| 80 remaining pairs were announced for 20,
| leaving u Senators who neither voted nor
were paired. Ofthcse ~ all but were re-
publicans. 1t is believed that of these 10
absent and impaired republican Senators al
| least lour.G(ths were against the hl,!.
Among these "absent" and impaired Scna-
! tors / find Sena!nr Sherman a@d Senator
Malone. The yea vote actually cast was
/ 80, Of which 90 were republicans and Is
democrats. OF the pairs for the bill the re-
publicans had and the democrats 6, add.
ing which to the actual vote will give the
Yea" vote for passage Of the biil-republi-
cans a, democrats 19-which is the relative
numerical proportion of tha two parties III
The Senate. OF the vote actually cast 81 ma
ori!y was %; of the votes favorable to the
bill, including these actually cast and those
| ''pairad," 33 would be q majority. In
neither case would the republican vote have
been sufficient to have passed the bill. The
bill passed the Senate by the combined
votes of both parties.
THE QUESTION OF FEDERAL AID i IN no
SENSE PARTY QUESTION.
While presenting these facts will not fc
understood as regarding this school question
party issue. With the sincere friends Of
education throughout the Union join III
solemn protest against such q view as sci
h:b. unpatriotic and fatal to the great
measure we all support. Iu all cur disc"a
sioGs during the past eight years upon the
| floor of the House and in the Committee
the voice of party was unhcard or heard
only to be rebuked. The question was treat
ed az one above party; as a sacred duty
which We owed to the children and to pos
terty; as a proposition identified with the
highest hopes and pretending the dear
est interests of our repubic-the success Of
which alone could enableu Worthiiy to fu!fl
the noble destinies involved in our free il
| stiutons.
| Tr the Senate the same feeling prevailed.
need not refer to the services of Senator Blair.
His zeal. activity and broad patriotism are known
to the whole country. Acting with him III sap
port of the bill and conspicuous for their earnest
| ness, were Senators Harrison, loar. Logan. and
Morrill, On the Democratic side. We find Scna-
tors Garland Lamar. Brown, Call. George,
Hampton, Jones of Fla, Pugh. Ransom, Vance.
Williams, Gibson and Voorhees, all Of whom
| made able and eloquent arguments urging the i'm
mediate passage OF the bill. The debate, one of
the most memorable in the history Of the Senate.
continued for three weeks. On the last day--thc
day the bill paSsed-Scnator ingalls,, OF Kansas,
undertook to give the discussion :; political turn.
hut was promptly met by his republican colleague
the junior Senator from Virginia. Mr.. Riddle
berger.
Inc senior Senator rem Ill" same state was
not heard from either by voice or vote, upon the
passage of the bill and we arc left in doubt II. t.
his position, but l assume that you have found
his colleague during your present canvass
promptly and vigorously rcbuking the unwiSe
and unpatriotic attempt to discus politics in
an educational bill"
VIRGINIA IL THE VAN OF EDUCATIONAL
MOVEMENTS.
Ifso it is consistent with his record in the Sen
otp and with tho uniform pplip,- If hi- nntiyn
State. Virginia can point with honorable pride
to her action in the past upon this important
question. The first provision made for . free
school in America was made in Virginia. One
year after the MayAower had touched Plymouth
Rock a great free school was established ut
Hcnrco. This was twenty two years before New
England began her educational system Cocva
with our independence your State Legislature
gave special consideration to the subject OF popu-
lar education. Your immortal citizens, George
Washington and Thomas Jefferson, the first ana
third Presidents of the United States, both by
word and deed urged universal education rs
essential to free government. The munifccnt
gift by which Virginia cedcd TO the Federal