Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-10-10
WHOLE NO. 2.595.
FEDERAL AID.

IL FEDERAL AID.
Is Col. Robt. D. Allen Presents some New Ar.
~ garments In Favor Of the Blair Bill.
,r To the editor Of the Couiier.J Journal
Il ask for little space in reply oSn
il editorial which appeared in 4 late n
j sue OF the Courier-Journal on "FedA
! eralal Aid to Elucation." l take
y i that the Courier-Journal desires
d that the truth shall prevail. To this
Il end, that it desires free discussion, and
q hence | write the following sugges-
tons:
{ The first point which the Courier
t Journal gives as its objection TO both
the Blair and Willis bills is athese bills
tend to consolidation Of power in
the federal government and weaken
the only force by which a republic
} can be maintained, that OF local gov
, eminent in local affairs"
Now If we grant you that the Blair
bill tends to the consolidation OF
power in the federal government,
does il therefore necessarily follow
that it tends to weaken local govern
mentin local affairs? Your argument
is based upon the idea that all ten
dency to consolidation OF power in
| WIZ ACAtAOt kONNAAlliltnL lVl(CrNllAl
tends to weaken "local government in
local affairs Is this proposition truo
necessarily? May not the tendency
TO local government in local affairs be
so much stronger and more rapid i'm
its growth than the tendency TO the
consolidation Of power in the federal
government that relatively the central
government may be weakened and
the local government strengthened
Is it not flct that the proper educa-
tion OF the masses tends TO the increase
of the power of local seli-govesnPaent
in local affairs? The most intense
concentration of autocratic preten-
sions on the face OF our globe may be
found in Russia, and where is the
fountain head OF that invisible power
that is today shaking that illibenl
government TO its foundations? 1t
originals at the universities supported
10y the government, and may be found
among the Russian students whose
minds have been emancipateS by u
liberal education from the thmlldom
OF the priesthood and from the cast
iron claims of the divine right Of
kings One need only associate with
German students in German universi-
ties supported by the state TO discover
that.the individual there is daily be.
coming an independent factor in gov
ernment, and that there is an irresisti-
bic trend among the people toward the
ideal democracy in which ecah man
shall be a law unto himself. The
spirit OF liberal education, allowing
the freest play 20 independently thought,
is making them free indeed. II is not
Il fact that the education OF the masses
is the only hope OF maintaining local
government in local affairs Is it
not fact chat thus the federal gov
ernment would be tending TO increase
the power of local government in local
affairs, either by the Blair bill or the
Willis bill. We do not here intend
to argue that question, only TO show
that your argument rs based upon that
proposition cannot be conclusive, be-
cause that proposition is not necessari-
ly true on which you base your argu-
ment.
The second objection you make is
that the effect OF these bills would DO
"to lessen i'm local districts the feeling
of responsibility for the suppression OF
ignorance, that local aid would there
fore decrease, that local taxation would
still be more unpopular" etc. Here
again you have failed to sustain your
fundamental proposition. Local aid
depends upon public sentiment, and
public sentiment is certainly deter
mined TO great extent by the advan-
tages discovered by the public to rest
in local aid That il in education.
Now does it not appear evident that
il either OF these bills prevail we shall
have better schools. better teachers,
and thus be enabled TO disclose 10 the
people the great advantage there is in
better schools and better teachersY
And il people once learn from expert
ence the great advantage there is in
these better schools, is it not evident
that public sentiment will tend rather
to demand their support by whatever
is the best method Of supporting them
than otherwise? Observe that the
Blair bill constantly decreases the
amount OF appropriation, thus antici-
pating that as the people see great adj
vantlges coming 10 them from better
schools, they will insist upon the main
tcnance of these schools ON the high
grade established by this federal aid.
Must YOU not first make IL appear that
federal aid will not increase the educa-
tional advantages given TO the people
Must you not make it appear that the
people will not be better educated on
account Of this federal aid before you
can conclude that federal aid viii de-
crease local aid? II seems to me that
your argument is sadly at fault in this
matter.
| confess to an utter inability to dis
cover any advantage whatever from
differences between polit-
ical parties at the expense of sustain
ing their resemblances. How our
is to be benefited by
keeping up the difference between the
parties on such question cant imag-
inc, and trust you will explain more
lt length. Please also, for the enlight-
OF your readers, expiain how
the constitution can be altered without
beng anticipated by the "uDconscious
spoken OF by Mr. Jackson,
II would help us amazingly II we could
understand how il Is possible for pub
lie opinion to grow otherwise than by
legislation | fail also
10 see the force Of the argument based
On Berea College, with its repulsive
OF tho races and Of the
sexes. Please, for the information of
lie masses, be more explicit; enter
more into details, and thus enable the
people to arrive at the truth and TO
hat which is for their hest interests.
RoBT. ID. ALLEN,
Pres't Ky. State Teachers Assn.
something Entirely New and Decidedly
Unique In Engagement Rings
~That ring" said the jeweler, rs the
,,ickad mn a aavon afonC Gina