Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-02-14
Federal Aid to Education and State Pen.

| &oucHaA Atu W EutCatiou aMu otAte KeN
sions.
jackson Tribune and sun.
1t is the first duty OF government
based upon popular intelligence and
dependent upon an educated sOver-
eignty Tor its perpetuati0n, 10 foster
and encourage tho education OF its cit.
liens. Closely allied to this is the tlu.
ty which the government, represent
ing the people as a whole, owes those
who have been manned or disabled in
It's service. The Federal Government
has made most liberal provisions for
those who obeyed the voices OF their
States and were disabled while fight
ing the battles OF the Union in tho
late war. but it has not made any pro-
vision tor those who, in obedience to
the voices OF their States, followed
the stars and bars in that con-
fiict, and were disabled in the Confed-
crate service. 1t is not contemplated
that the Federal Government ever
will make such provisions for them.
The Southern States, devastated by war
and plundered by irresponsible rulers
alter the war, have not been able to
properly discharge all the functions
OF government The care of their
crippled ex-Confederate soldiers has
been left to private generosity, and
this noble trust has been nobly met.
Should the one-armed and one-legged
ex-Confederate soldiers who served the
State, right or wrong, the State all the
same, now that they are getting old,
and especially those of them who are
objects OF charity, be left longer to de-
pend upon private generosity. The
memories which have opened gener-
ous-hearts TO them are fading. The
pulsations of the heart which prompt
ed charity are growing slower. Their
deeds are passing from fresh recollec-
tion to cold history. The time has
come when the Southern States should
see that those men, who certainly have
the highest claims on their States, il
they have none upon the Federal
Government, are provided for, suffi-
ciently at least to keep those of them
from mendicancy and want who. ON
account of wounds received, may be
unable TO earn a living. This to our
mind is high obligation from the
State to the citizen, and the plea OF
poverty alone can justify the failure
to meet il. II was the voices of their
States that babe them go into the
struggle, and the voices OF those States
should not now be heard TO deny them
pittance sufficient to support their
declining years. 1t will be insisted
that the States are not able TO bear
any additional burden. The Federal
representatives step in and say: "You
have an interest in a large fund nc
Washington. We will distribute it
among the States ON the basis OF illit-
eracy, and this fund will help TO ed
ucate your children while you care
for your crippled soldiers"
We are paying nearly one hundred
millions annually for pensions to Fed
eral soldiers. This vast sum is taken
up from all the States and most OF il
into the States North OF Ma
sons and DixOns line. Now when ID
is proposed to distribute among the
States on the basis OF illiteracy seven
ty-seven millions of dollars, through q
period of several years, most OF which
will come to the Southern States,
quibble is raised 20 pre-
vent it, and some of the men who hnyo
voted and are voting millions OF money
for local jobs all over the Union, but
mostly in the Northern States, clearly
in violation OF the constitution, can't
find any warrant in the constitution
for fostering and encouraging educa-
ton. The constitution don't stand in
the way when individual and local
jobs are to be promoted ut the expense
o. the Federal Treasury, but when tho
who exercise sovereignty are
TO be enlightened, so that the chances
Of preserving individual liberty and
free, government will
be multiplied, the plain warrant OF
the constitution is ignored, and we
are told that il must not be done.
The constitution is oftener invoked as
A cloak for sophistry rather than as
standard OF right action. Tennessee
stands second on the
list as to illiteracy and would therefore
be the second largest beneficiary Of
the school fund. We say take the
money and let it go to tighten the
burdens OF ignorance of taxation so
that Tennessee may be the better en-
lbled to provide for the unfortunate
Of her own citizens who have been
placed without the pale OF Federal
because they heard and
Obeyed her voice in the struggle be-
tween the States.
Authority, almost ms old ms the gov.
ernment itself, for making such use OF
the proceeds OF the sales of public
lands can be addueed, and il the stick
lers insist upon il Congress might pro-
vide that the sum appropriated should
come out of the thirty millions annu-
ally derived from such sales, though it
Is difficult to see why the particular
money derived from this source
should in this instance alone be treat
ed as a special fund.
Educate the ignorant, care for the
encourage higher devotion
TO duty and to country, and free Re-
publican government will live in this
country when history alone will tell
the story of the great civil war.