Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-02


Tho Ear ni,l II Virginia.
NAIovg sllpcklta when hc Iina< 4
heoclas.e paper in Virginia opps lug
he IifAsn BIZ. He Is not going into
The ssmpaiga Of t!.is year on . plassorn
financing the lcpudistioa Of the eatire
ssato don't. lie has always claimei
tlas The RsnpLEpxnoxn bill Was a
m,saie of simple justice, and has h.
safisl,ly endcayored 70 Justify that bill
The opinions Of his Republican asso-
ciatcs in The United States Senate by
ASSURING them that he had always IA
vorcd The payment by Virginia Of all
the debt with which she could be rigat-
fully charged. To come out row in
favor Of absolute reputation would
tc to place himself in position
which General MALONE has never
sienifcd q willingness TO occupy. lie
hrs, in our opinion. determined to make
an issue on The BL.Na bill---if he
cen. But when we recollect that the
Democratic National Committee as
srrcd the people Of Virginia last fall
that the BLAIR bill was favored by the
national Democratic party, we cannot
believe that the Democratic party Of
Virginia viii fail TO perform its duty in
this regard, or to carry out in good
faith the pledges which the Ma
tional Committee and so many
of our speakers made for them
during the recent campaign. We
cannot believe they win allow Ma
HONE such lever whercwith to pry
the Democratic party out Of Office.
The Winchester Times, the Lynch
burg TirgiDian and Neps, tho Danville
Register, the Fincastlo Herald, the
Stanton indicator. the Stanton Spec
fotor, the Petersburg Inder-Appeai,
and, no doubt, other Virginia papers,
have already been quoted by us on this
subject. We now add strong article
from the Scottsyille Courier.
The BLAIR BfLL.-From the first
we gave hearty and unrcserycd sup
port to this, one Of the most important
measures to Virginia and the South that
ever passed the United States Senate.
We have again and again warned the
Democratic House Of Representatives
of the danger which would result from
q failure to pass il, and it is with very
great pleasure that we note that many
Of the leading papers of the State and
of the south have sounded the alarm,
and now, for the first time, we feel some
assurance that this wise and beneficent
measure will pass the House al this
session.
This bill was introduced in the Sem
ate by Mr.. Blair, of New Hampshire,
and was passed about the first of last
May. 1t received the votes alike of
Democrats and Republicans. II pro-
yiGes that out of the surplus money
now in the Treasury there shall be APP
propriated sum of money, out of
which Virginia would get about $780,
600 year for seven years, this fund to
supplement her present annual appro-
priation for free schools.
There is opposition to this bill inside
of the Democratic party. Some ssy it is
unconstitutional. Senator Garland, Of
Arkansas, the greatest constitutional
lawyer in the Senate-who will almost
certainly be President Clcyeland's At
torney-General--saysit is constitutional,
and voted for it. His opinion and vote
are backed by many of the ablest law
ycrs in the country. Others say that it
would lead to Federal interference with
the schools, There is not u scintilla of
truth in this assertion. The bill pro-
vides that the funds shall be admins
tered by the present authorities, and
that whites and blacks shall have equal
facilities in separate schools. The State
authorities are required to make an an
nual report of the manner in which the
fund is expended. If this law permit
ted Federal interference in the schools
would Generals Wade Hampton and
Matt. Ransom have voted for it!
This bill should pass the present
Democratic House of Representatives
because it is right and proper, and is
the first recognition Of the duty of the
General Government to aid the southern
States in Kidding themselves of the fear
full illiteracy which has made them
hewers of wood and drawers of water
for the more favored sections of our
common country.
The Senate is Republican, and has
the credit of passing that bill, though !
aided by the leading Democrats in that
body. Can the Democratic House of
representatives. afford to let it die on their
Speakers table? Their failure to pass
il at the last session was staggering
blow IN the canvass last fall.
Next November we in Virginia elect
a Governor, Northumberland At
torney-General, and the Legislature.
The latter elects State officers, judges,
anu United States Senator. Can we
afford to enter this canvass handicapped
by the failure Of Democratic House
Of Representatives to pass this bill9
We answer, No. Our enemy is only
scotchcd. lie is wary and boundless
in resources, and, with this leverage to
use upon the masses, the result III Vir-
ginia would at least be doubtful. But
We cannot believe that our Democratic
House Of Representatives will fail in
their duty 70 the impoverished South
and its millions of illiterste citizens
who are so by no fault of their own.
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