Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-21
SUNDAY. DECEMBER 81. 1884.
A Convincing Letter.

House OF Representatives TO pass the bill.
Irpon every stump we shall hear oil that
failure. Tbe tables are already prepared
shelving how many thousands OF dollars
each county In Virginia would have re-
cti,cd but for Democratic negligence. DR..
CurwY does not touch upon this point. We
did not expect that be would. But IL IS
ore which the leaders Of the Democratic
p,rty csnpot avoid. Mr.. BARBOUR is men,
Der OF the Democratic National Committee,
the Democratic National Executive Com
mittee. the Virginia Democratic State Gen.
frsI Committee, and the Virginia Demo-
cratic State Executive Committee. He can
exercise a wonderful influence in favor OF
fhe BLAIR bill.
We now introduce DR.. CURRY:
Federal Aid 90 Public schools.
To ne Editor Of the Dispatch:
A pressure OF official duties has prevented
an earlier response 70 your request for my
views on the Senate bill, now before the
House OF Representatives. giving Federal
aid 10 pubHc schools. The subject has
been so exclusively discussed in the last
few years that II is difficult TO present any
thing. either new or interesting. As the
question. however, Il one OF paramount
importance-the most vital before the coun-
try-I am more than willing 10 cooperate
with you I'm trying 10 get the Representa-
tiyes TO recognize its "urgency" and to act
on Il promptly.
Much misapprebenslon exists as TO the
character Of the "Bl ,ir bill "as 1t passed
the Senate. The fears Of the pGr.eIcel!ence
-. nd of 20 ~
iticians have been excited by what Is IN
their perturbtd imaginations rather than
by what is In the proposed legislation.
TAI The basis OF distribution OF the
money TO be appropriated Is not population
in the aggregate but the iIi,eracy OF the pop
ulsiion. As the immediate peril, iustifying
ard making imperative tue legislation. IS
illiteracy. the bill applies the remedy where
the evil or disease exists.
(b.l Tie aid proposed il temporary, TO
meet present exigeDcy, and the appropri-
alton is seli-lmited. and diminishes accord.
ing 10 9 fixed rate. The aid Is not in per.
pc,uity. nor Is the policy intended TO be
permsnent. II Is q means Of immediate re-
1ief TO meet conditions which the States
chiefly 10 be benefited did not create, and
could not control. The operations OF the
law are to cease ct the expiration OF def
n.tely-prescribed term oil years.
(c.) Federal aid Is applied at the weakest
and most critical point, but there is no
subor6instion Of State systems OF educa-
tion 10 Government Bureau or TO Federal
SUPERVISORS and control. The money Is TO
be applied through State stockholders.
and there is no ofbcious or distrustful in
termeddiug with the State machinery.
The Blair bill Is characterized by great
libera,ity and by tender concern for State
jurisdiction and authority. II proceeds
on the right principle, that the States
are 10 establish and manage their
own systems OF public education. and that
the education OF the youth Is primarily and
properly charge on the property OF the
citizens OF State, and hence Federal aid
is In be withdrawn as soon as the emergency
ceases. Much as i desire Federal aid, 1t
should. in my judgment. be resisted Ito
The bitter end" aud Indignantly spurned,
ii il has the effect OF paraiyzing local effort
or inducing the States 10 give up the essen.
Tia. idea Of local taxation for the support oil
public schools.
The constitu,ionaliiy OF snch temporary
aid ought not TO he questioned even on
the basis Of ante-war Interpretation. All
the States are estopped from the denial oil
the power. Every State. old and new, over
- and over sgaiu has accepted and used FOL
purposes of education money, or its equiva'
lent. given by the General Government
Tue discrimination sought to be made be
twixt direct appropriation from Tue
Treasury gnG using money from the IRE :
sury TO buy land, aud then selling the land
and diSbursing the proceeds OF the sale
hardly merits diguined reply. Soldiers AND
sailors and Indians. the deaf, the dumb, aad
Tie blind. have been educated at public cost
Agriculture and mechanic arts have nae
colleges endowed for their benefit. TO t2'
..End" states. ~ called because oil puOii'
lanes living within their boundaries, 100,
CcC. 600 acres OF the public domain hay
been given 10 support schools, and col
Ieges. and universities. While the prac
tice Of the Government is consistent an'
Uniform in granting aid for purposes o
education, no patriot nor statesman cal
deny tina, To- preserve imperilled lihertie
and institutions extreme measures OF eyel
doubtful constitutional sanction may bf
come a necessity and duty.
Uniess the fsthers OF the republic wer
grossly deceived and all writers on govern
mtnt are stupidity ignorant, the census
1880 diselOses state OF facts which shoul
make all Patriots trcmble for the safety q
the country. The testimony OF such me
L. concurrent in reference TO the dangers c
uncducated citizens upon material prosper
i,y and the perpetuity OF our represents
tive government. Nearly one eighth OF u
entire population OF the United States owe
ten year, of age caunot write the
NAMES. Those who have given much a
teutlon TO census returns know III
the picture Is not sufficiently dari
In the 10 southern States. there We
1,Gse, $3.50 illiterate whites over ten years
age, and 3,o5i.e34 ilhterate blacks. Mo
- Of a
sisyeholding states cannot read the B.o
or the Constitution. In the thirly-eig
States" saws the Hon. Mr.. Willis. OF Ke
lucky, "there are 1.s7t, ait illterate voteI
They hold the balance OF power In 4
northern aud all the southern States"
Souih Carolina more than half OF the m
over twenty-one cannot read. In the 9th
southern States the proportion Of su
voters is fearful. On the influence OF su
citizens, endowed with suffrage and {
prey OF the vicious demagogue, II Is I
necessary to enlarge.
These statistics have been produced
often that the pablic ear Is becoming d,
TO the appeal which they make. Insen
billy TO danger does not lessen our duty
avert 1t, nor It's power to harm us.
II II well known tina, large percenta
oi the national illiteracy . In the Soul
What the southern people have done sin
Appomattox In reconstructing.. their &c
ernmenis, preventing chaos. laying ans
The foundations OF a slow-eoming mater
prosperity and establishing and maintai
Ing systems equally for the education
the black and the white, Is not so W,
known. Upon the education OF the childre
our people will spend this year full 81:
100000. snd yet nearly one half OF the chi
drcn are not receiving any education
schools. Relatively, some southern Stat
ond communities are taxing themselves II
school purposes as much ~ northern stat,
and communities. The difference In q
aggregate amounts expended grows out
The difference In taxable property. Viii
the population Of the southern States sine
1900 has increased, aud the edueab
population immensely because Of emai
cipstion. the assessed valuation (
property has increased slowly, Z
perhaps has actually diminished. Wit
favorable opportunities for acqusintanc
With sehool.Nerk In the South. j DO no
hesitate 70 silim that II Is pecunisrily la
possible 10 educate ali the children Of bot