Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-17
SATURDAY. JANUARY IL, 1885
The Interstate Commerce Bill.


The CLARKE Courier seems to be bent
upon securing the opposition Of the
Dispatch to Mr.. REAGAN's bill. We
suspect that our contemporary has in
mind some Virginia bill which it has
heretofore favored rather than the bill
Of Mr.. REAGAN. We are not at all
anxious to discuss the REAGAN bill, or
to point out its defects first, because
there is no reason whatever to expect
its passage by the Senate, and, second
ly, because the fact Of its passage by
the Senate would be strong proof that
the measure is one Of much merit.
Nevertheless. we will answer the only
point the Courier tries to make against
us. That paper says:
"0nc Of its Tthc Dispafch'sl objec-
tons is that the bill provides that ne
groes and whites shall have the same
privileges, but the accommodations shall
be separate. But adds the Dispatch,
the next Congress may provide that sep
arate accommodations shall not be pro-
vided.' Now, does not this objection
obtain in the Blair school bill, which the
Dispatch so earnestly advocates? The
Blair school bill demands that the fund
appropriated shall be applied for the
benefit Of white and colored children
alike. but says they may have separate
schools. Now, it would be an easy mat
ter for u subsequent Congress to strike
out the provisions in regard to separate
schools
We answer emphatically that the OBJ
lection named does net apply to the
BLAIR bill. The BLAIR bill takes
charge Of no school in any State, where
as the REAGAN bill takes charge of all
the railroads in all the States, and, as
we said last week, in providing that
there may be separate cars used for
blacks and whites. assumes for Con-
gress the power of providing next year
that there shall not be separate schools
for whites and negroes.
But the Courier will say that the
BLAIR bill contains similar pro-
vision. We beg leave to say that there
is all the difference in the world be-
tween the two cases. The BLAIR bill,
we repeat, does not provide for Federal
control over the school system of any
State, whereas the REAGAN bill pro-
vides for Federal control over all the
in every State. The States
are free to accept or reject in any year
The money appropriated by the BLAIR
bill. The States are not consulted at
III in the REAGAN bill, but all their
are seized, bound, and con-
rolled by UNCLE SAM. In order, there
ore, to render the two cases similar. ]
he REAGAN bill would have to be
lmended so as to allow the several ..
states to accept or reject its provisions
n regard to railroads.
If Congress should next winter '
mend the BLAIR bill so as to provide q
hat the money appropriated by it
hould be paid to no State which had .
eparate schools for whites and blacks,
ny and every State would have the right t
0 refuse to take the money on that con- t
ition, and the law would fall power
css at the feet of any State Legislature. =
,ut just The reverse would be the case :
Congress were next winter TO pro- v
ide that separate cars should not be
royided for whites and negroes; for =
he Federal law would override all
tate laws, the several States would /,
ave no choice in the matter, and State b
legislatures and State laws would fall C
owerless at the feet Of the REAGAN bill. u
II the BLAIR bill were changed so as g g
, give the Federal Government such a y
ontrol over our schools as the REAGAN n
Ill gives it Over our railroads, we would
among the first to denouncc it. s.
Is the Courier answered? :,
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