The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1885-09-18
TIE EDUCATIONAL BILL.


poses, is attrasting a good deal Of
attention just now, in t'.is state.
When this measure was pending in
the United States Senate, tile sena-
tors from Tennessee divided on it;
Senator jackson voting for, and
Senator IInrris voting against the
bill. The bill passed the sena 6;
receiving the support Of every re-
publican in that body and that of a
few democrats. When this measure
was introduced there was large,
and constantly increasing surplus
in the United States Treasury and
the republican administration was
being denounced from every quar-
ter for keeping that large surplus
on hand. The cry was raised for
Reduction ia the tariff and this SIR
plus was pointed to as an evidence
that the tariff WIS too high-that our
revenues were greater than there was
any necessity for The republicans
saw that the tariff retormers were
gaining strength day by day and a
presidential election was also APP
preaching. They saw that something
must be dope to get rid Of this sur
plus. So they concluded that it
would be a popular idea to advocate
the giving of 1t back to the people,
from whom it had been illegally TAX
en-, for educational purp SEES. They
saw clearly that one OF Two things
must be done; either the tariff must
be reduced and the treasury receipts
thereby lessened, or tie expenditures
must be increa >ed. The latter pol
icy was adopted We have always
regarded this measure as a huge
bride m the interest of high pro-
tectiYe tariff and the novel part Of
the whole proceeding is: that they
have had tie temerity to attempt to
bribe the people with their own mon
ey. We have never believed that
the cause of education would be
permanently advanced by the adop-
ton OF this measure. The bill only
provides for the granting of aid for
a term Of six or eight years and then
the all is to be withdrawn. What is
to become of the system after th~t
time, We are not told. Such course
will, in the end prove highly injari-
Gus to the whole 'ystem Of common
schools. When the federal aid Is
Withdrawn the system will have to
accommodate itself to the change,
and will then be in a worse condition
than it was at filst. There will be
nothing solid or permanent about
it. And So soon as federal aid is
granted the common schools, states,
counties and municipalities will be-
gin to reduce the rates of taxation
levied for that purpose and to look
almost exclusively to that source for
means with which to maintain the
system. Senator jackson in his
speech at Columbia, SAYS: Lam
not here 10 advocate the granting of
aid as the permanent nolicy of the
general goysrnme but as tenn
porary mcasnre Of relief required By
the emergencies now surrounding
considerable numoer of states, and
which They are unable 10 meet"
The people Of Tennessee and of the
whole south, as for that matter, are
just rs able to educate its iliterate
today as it will be six or eight years
from this time, and what 'ene.gen>
eies" surround us now, which will
not, in ali human probability, sur
round us then, we are unable TO see.
Senator Jackson admits that the aid
ought net To be granted permanently
but Is nnly temporary arrange
ment to meet some supposed "emer-
gencles."
Federal Nil to our common schools
means federal control OF the same.
When this bill was beng discussed
in the senate MIR. John Sherman
stated that white apd ooIorel child~
rem occupied the same bencnes IN
schools in Ohio aud asked if the
white children Of Southern States
were bette than those of Ohio.
The people of Tennessee are able to
give their childlen gnvd, substantial
educatious without federal and and
the evils which will likely follow IN
the tron Of federal interference in
our common schools, will so far ouI
number the good that we say let il
alone and pay the money cut TO
our creditors and stop the interest
upon iAe public debt. Besides, the
proposed measure. to say The least Of
it, is Of doubtful constitutiunaity.
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