Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-08-14

the interior. That is all there is
of it.. At last it is "A question OF
State rights. II there is any way
of bridging over this little Difficult.
~, something that will adjust itself
10 all the conditions, / am ready
To vote for IL. If the Senators do
not want to have the governor of a
State report to the Sccretar, of the
Interior, then let him report to the
President OF the United States.
The underlying principle Of this
whole bill is that Of general educa.
ton, aud all this matter of reports
is, if may be pardoned the eX.
preston, mere bubble.
What | want is that this money
shall so right down to Virginia for
the benefit Of the children of that
State, and care not who may be
called upon to make the report nor
to whom he may make it, so that
there shall be an officer Of that
State on the one hand and an Off.
Ger OF this Government on the
other, each being recognized, the
one by the State and the other by
the Federal Government.
say agaln-and | want to call
the attenti n of the Senator from
Georgia to it-this will not meet
the situation. Three Senators
have answered that there is no
such officer as commissioner Of
education in their States. Two
others have answered that there is
no such officer as secretary of state
in their States. We all know that
there is governor in each State
and the governor can make the re.
port. If there be an objection of
that sort that the governor ought
not to report to the Secretary Of the
Interior, then 1 ask the Senator
from Georgia to change that so
as to require him to report to the
President Of the United States.
Mr.. Brown. | will offer the
amendment in tins shape: After
the word "until," in line II of sec
ton 3, insert "the officer of the
State in charge Of public education
shall, under the direction Of"
The Presiding Officer (Mr. Harris
in the chair). The amendment of
the Senator from Georgia Mr..
Brown to the amendment of the
Senator from Indiana Mr.. Harris.
Oh will be reported from the desk.
In reply to Senator Call on same
amendment, Ibid 2G07.
Mr.. Riddlebcrger. Mr.. Presi.
dent, | am getting a little interest
ed in this bill at this stage, because
up to this time | have thought
that all Of us who were in favor of
general education were going to
vote for it. 1t is in pretty good
condition now to pass except that
there may be some sort of difficult
ty, as 1t seems, in the mind of the
Senator from South Carolina that
you can not issue a mandate
against the governor of a State or
you can not compel a governor to do
this, that, or the other thing. |
should like TO say TO the Senator
from South Carolina that writ of
mandate does not lie against the
governor of a State and does not
lie against any other officer of
State. There has been no question
more certainly settled than that.
Now what is the difference?
Only this, that in dealing with the
governor we are dealing with a
constitutional officer whose tenure
we know, who has some response.
bllity, who has Il constituency be.
hind him. The other officers
named by the Senator from Geor-
gia do not exist in some of the
States, and in those in which they
10 exist they depend entirely on
the action Of the Legislature itself. |
The superintendent Of public in. |
and the whole board of |
education in Virginia can be re-
moved at any session of the Legis- |
aturc, and within the last sixty |
lays ! have seen the whole system |
If public education in that State /
overturned.
Why not deal with the constitu-
.ional officer? There can be but
me reason, and that is that YOU
lold that the governor of a State
should not report to a Cabinet Off
Ter Of the United States. If that
DC your reason, then let the COVER
Tor Of the State report to some.
BODY whom You may regard as his
have the report made
" a commissioner of education, or
a superintendent Of public instruc-
ion, or any man whose tenure Of
,flice depends upon the vote of
majority of the General Assembly
If a State, but some officer who
las constltutionally some tenure
hat we know.
| am as jealous of what | under.
stand to be State rights as any
Gentleman on this floor. | must
'ecOgnize the fact that some of
hose things that | called State
lights once have been licked ont
If me, and do think that we can
make an appropriation hero for the
purpose OF public education, and
t is not beneath the dignity of any
governor of any State to make a
epOrt to any officer Of this Govern
nent that gives the money for the
purpose indicated in the bill.
Congressional Record, page
'7l5, April :, 1881.
Mr.. Sherman. ] would prefer to
AXE the rule Of distribution ac-
ording to the llliteracy of children;
mt | take the same rule that is
provided for the distribution of
he money among the States under
he bill, so that the same distri.
ution would be applied to |
Geographical divisions, taking the {
ensus of 1880 as 4 guide, and |
hat is the only guide in both
asses, taking the same rule a
recisely. 1t IS to be applied in c
ne distribution OF this money b
mong the geographical portions 6
I the different States as it is APP d
lied when they receive the money P
ON the national Treasury. The c