The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-01-29
Blair Education Bill.
SPEECH OF HON. JOHN S. WISE IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES,, JANUARY 2S, 1885

5.
REPRESENTATIVES, JANUARY 2S 1885.
Mr.. Frank Hurd, Of Ohio Free-Trade Demo-
srat. who is opposed to the Blair bill. having
offered a resolution to refer the bill to the Ju-
dietary Committee, presided over by Hon. John
Randolph Tucker, of Virginia, who is also OPP
posed to the bill,-the question being whether
the Senate in originating this and other bills
making appropriations of public moneys had
not invaded the privileges and prerogatives of
the House of Representatives,-Hon John S.
Wise spoke as follows:
Mr.. Speaker.-It seems to me that the propo-
stion advanced by the gentleman from Ohio
INF. Hurd involves in the first place the idea
which emasculates utterly the Senate of the
United states, and that in the next place it in
wolves the proposition that money raised by
the Government does not become revenue I'M
Til it has not only been collected but spent.
M1W. ~ Woua nv w rntin III ftIi iS Iru
at this late stage OF this Congress, to establish
the proposition that money does not become
revenue until it is collected and spent. But as
l understand the provision of the Constitution,
it restricts the origination of bills for raising
revenue to the House. Its object was to con-
fine the power of taxation and the burden of
taxation to that body, which came directly
from the people, was presumed to know their
wishes as to bearing taxes, and whose mem
bers are to be returned in a short time. On the
other hand the expenditure of the money of
the Government may we'll be made by the Sen
ate. According to the theory of our Govern
ment, the Senate is the body of wisdom, of pru-
dence, OF sagacity; and in the disbursement of
the revenues of this Government it is presum-
ed to have the good of the people at heart and
TO understand how to spend the money, al
though it may not be freshly informed as to
how to raise it,. And that is the sole distinc-
tiOn.
The original draught of the Constitution
tanned provision which not only confined the
power of originating bills for raising revenue
TO the House of Representatives but also the
power of originating appropriation bills. No
Two things could be more distinct than the
power to raise money and the power to spend
money. The two ideas and expressions are
antlthetical. In the constitution as adopted
the provision limiting the origin of revenue
bills to the House was retained, and the pro
vision restricting the origin of appropriation
bills to the Senate was stricken out.
1t was stricken out from the original propo-
sltion, which confined to this House the power
to make appropriations. and to-day the words
are no where to be found in the Constitution,
so that the power to raise revenue is the only
power which is confined to this House. The
gentleman from Ohio has seen fit to cite in this
connection authorities and examples from
England. wish to say to him that we are not
IN england ana 10 remind MN that some OF MS
English authorities and presidents are not al
ways opposite or applicable here, as we have
learned from experience IN somewhat cele-
in which they were not intended to work when
cited.
At the time of those authorities which he
cites there was in England such spirit
that which prevails here, and there
such power behind the Lords and Commons OF
England as there is behind the Congress OF the
United States-tbe sovereign majesty of the
people of the United States, not Her Sovereign
To say thar at time like this. when the
greatest danger which is impending over this
chlse. at the moment when this great structure
OF American liberty, raised by the people and
for the people is in danger from the Ignorance
OF the people, to tell us at such time that the
great CO. ordinate body of this Government-the
Senate of the United States-cannot see the
danger, cannot realize destructive influences
that are abroad and take a step which VIII pre-
vent this Government from falling TO pieces
through the ignorance of those who exercise
the franchise merely because it takes money
to carry out the measure, is to tell us that The
Senate of the United states is not coordinate
power of this Government, with equal dignity
and equal rights and equal responsibilities with
this House i'll devistng measures of pubic safe
ty and that 1t is senile and emaSculated body
sitting and waiting simply to record the Will of
this sovereign body-the House of Representa-
tives; for the measures which may be origi-
mated by either body of Congress which do not
involve the appropriation of money to give
them vitality and efficacy may be enumerated
upon the fingers of one hand
do not believe, sir, that that is the theory OF
our Government; l do not believe that It was
the purpose of the trainers of the Constitution
to put the whole power OF legislation In the
hands of the House of Representatives as such
a construction would put it. do not believe
that the construction which takes the word
revenue, ~ which means coming back into the
Treasury and makes it mean going out of the
Treasury, is the construction which was in
tended by the trainers the Constitution
And. Mr.. Chairman, feel a peculiar solicit
should prevail, because L look upon the reso-
luton offered by the gentleman from Ohio,
privilege, as direct attack upon what con-
ceive to be the most important measure before
this Congress, as it sends the question to com
mittee whose chairman is | learn. hostile to
the education bill. Sir, come from portion
of this country in which 47OOOO0 out Of I, 100000
illiterates reside. / come from land that hun
gers and thirsts for knowledge, land where
the franchise has been poured out like water,
but where intelligence and education of the
masses has been withheld, until of late yers. as
il 1t were distilled poison, dangerous and pow
erful as aconite. come from region of coun-
try xVh
CARELESS of party, come forth. whenever their
representative appears exclaiming with almost
religious ferVor:
IT'S thing we long to know.
Oft it causes anxious Thought;
Will you pass this bill, or no?
Is it ours, or is it not?
come from people who demand the pas
sage of this measure, who believe that it has
been constitutionally originated, and that it is
the purpose of this Congress to pass it; their
expectation is that it will be passed; and say
TO the gentleman from Ohio that it will not do
in dealing with q hungering and thirsting peo-
pie who pant for knowledge, to tell them when
they have asked for bread and you have given
them a stone-it will not do to tell them that
you would have passed the bill but for the fact
that it had originated in the senate. and there
fore yOu did not have the power to pass 1t; 1t
is the pledge ofevery party that this bill shall be
passed. tits the prayer OF every body that snail
BET and say to The gentleman, now and here,
let him, if he will, assume the responsibility OF
defeating the passage OF this measure by snch
technicality as this and let the responsibility
rest where it ought to rest, for the people will
rise in their wrath and scout lhe idea InaG The
Senate of the United States is the powerless
nonentity which his contention implies, lying
bound hand and foot at the mercy of the House
OF Representatives, unable to respond to the
great needs of the Nation, unable 10 avert the
greatest of National calamities, unable TO do
aught afflrmatively, and but a negative power
until this House shall see fit to originate SAeas-
ureS.
On measures like this, responding TO great
need, the people are wise and visilant 1t will
not do to tell them that it failed by Iechnicai
tiles. The passage of this reSoi ption means de
lay, and delay at this late hour means death
LII .arinina fed 1,neM :. Il. ,..i,. "iiOlll .os