Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-13

National Ala Tor SCnOOis.
The attention OF Congress will be more
strongly drawn during the present session
than ever before to the importance OF
granting national aid % education. Al
ready several Of the leading journals at
the Norta have urged Congress to give
special attention to this matter at an
early day. and the Indications are that
the petitions from ffrrent sections OF the
country asking for the passage of some
such bill AS he Blair bill, which will be-
sent to this Congress, viii be more nu
merous and urgent than those sent to any
previous Congress.
There is q strong sentiment at tie south
in favor Of national aid to education, and
this sentiment is much stronger now than
1t was when the BLAIR bill was first intro
duced. Three or four years ago only a
few Of the Southern newspapers and q
limited number of the public men Of the
south were ready to advocate national aid
for the schools. Now, however, the news
papers and public men who oppose such
aid are largely in the minority.
There are two things apparent to those
VINO study the educational problem in the
south. One is that the southern people
have determined that they viii do all they
can to support the public schools, and
the other is that they are not able to do
anywhere as much as ought to be done,
For the cities and many of the larger
towns there are excellent school facilities,
! but the school advantages in the rural
districts are very mragre.
1t is very doubtful II there is any North
ern State which does as much tor educa-
ton, in proportion to it's wealth and pop
ulation, as the poorest Southern State
/ does in proportion to its wealth
and population. 1t must not be
I forgotten that the war left the
Southern people poor. and that the
| negroes contribute little or nothing to the
cause OF education. although their chill
dren are avery large proportion OF those
VINO attend the schools.
If, therefore, the South is anxious FOR
mogs and better schools, and is not able to
who represent her in Congress object TO
receiving national aid2
The bills which are pending before Con
gress with respect to this matter do not
propose to aid only the South. They ap-
! ply to the whole country. The South per.
haps may get more in proportion to her
population than any other section, because
her percentage OF illiteracy IS greater
than that Of any other. There is no use
for the South to undertake to carry a bur
den greater than she can bear, particu-
| arly when there is assistance within easy
reach Even the extreme Republican
journals Of the North do not hesitate to
say that in the matter OF education the
South has done noby, and has even set an
with benefit.
Ofcourse there are those who see in
this educational scheme political move
ment, or at least think they do, and they
feel that it is their duty to head it of. II
is probable, however, that more care
full study of the matter Will convince
them that they are mistaken. Some of
the ablest of the South's public men are
now warm advocates of national aid for
schools, aud are doing what thev can to
secure it. They are not afraid that harm
will come from it, or that it will cause
our people to relnquish their own Ell prts
in behalf OF education. 1t will not only
help the South to furnish more and better
schools, but it will assist the people gene
rally by putting in circulation several
millions of dollars annually. The Soutl
certainly ought not to object to the pro
posed legislation.