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

like to have eliminated from it or
one side or the other or both sides
of this Chamber the whole Ques
ton of race aud color, and let us
understand that this money is going
to be appropriated, if at all, for the
education of the children OF this
country. We have settled all the
preliminary questions, chief among
which was the power Of this Gov
eminent under the Constitution to
make this appropriation.
Now, the question which the
Senator from Ohio raises would be
answered back at once from the
State Of Virginia that if you APP
propriate this money in this dis
eliminating way, by counties and
by school districts, if you please,
so as to give a certain section Of
that State more Of it than you
give to another because there is
more illiteracy there, you encrOach
on the States province. Has it
ever occurred to the Senator from
Ohio that that rich Shenandoah
Valley OF which he speaks has to
contribute a much larger proper
ton of the State school fund than
the south side section, and yet our
State distributes it equally among
all those people.
There is the answer to the propo.
sitlOn. If the State of Virginia is
expected to distribute this school
fund equally without regard to who
pays it or who gets the advantage
of it, why should we stand here
and attempt to discriminate in that
way!
That, sir, is the answer to it all,
and that would make it so unpOpu.
lar that a school system of this
kind would not live a year. ! want
a system and | want it so popular
that it will Outlive me, but if
you start it in the way the Senator
from Ohio proposes it will not live
a year.
Can we not eliminate the ques-
ton of race and color, the ques.
ton Of sections, and not seek to
narrow 1t down to sections of
country or sections of State? If
we are for a system of free and
general education and this Govern.
ment has money to give to that
purpose, and has the constitutional
right to give it, let us give it, give
it at once, give it promptly, not
stintingly or hesitatingly.
l undertake to say further that if
you will read the amendment of
the Senator from Ohio and if the
Senator will read it again himself
he would not undertake to answer
a bill in chancery, for he says "as
far as practicable The language,
if heard the amendment Alright,
is "as far as practicable;" and /
undertake to say that that is not
the kind Of language to be used in
drawing a great bill like this,
where it is to undergo construction
perhaps by the courts. think the
amendment itself is much more
impracticable than the law would
be if the amendment were ingraft-
ed upon it. | hope it will be the
pleasure of the Senate to vote
down such an amendment as that,
and let this fund be distributed
without regard to race or color, for
the free and general education of
all the children of all the States
and unless we do that we shall
have done nothing when we have
passed this bill.
On this day the bill passed the
Senate, yeas 80; Nays II. Absent
and paired 80. OF the latter there
were fourteen announced, which
really made the vote Al yeas to %
nays.
On the roll call twelve democrats
voted yea, and two republicans
voted nay. The pairs were even,
in three cases democrats pairing
with democrats, and in an equal
republicans were paired
with each other.
The session continued three |
after this, and the bill was |
never taken up for action in the
House of Representatives. For this !
t is well known the Overwhelm-
ing democratic majority there was,
md is, responsible. No Virginia |
democratic representative there
opened his mouth, or gave his vote,
or it at that session, and their
eader voiced their state rights
continents against its even being
considered. THIS ought to be
enough for the purposes of republi-
AN journals and republican cam
)aign documents.
rntaun xnr annanana