The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-09-23

hand the red anarchist and the cormoraht
tribe of monopoly, and with the other
holds aloft the standard of liberty regu-
lated by law. To the great laboring and
producing classes it must look for help,
and it is madness to ALLEVIATE them from
our support by harsh words or bitter cpl
thets.
BLAIR BILL.
The national democratic platform of
1856, contains this plank: ''The proceeds
of the public land ought to be sacredly
applied to the national objects specified
in the constitution, and we are opposed to
any law for the distribution of such pro-
ceeds among the states, as alike inexpedl-
ent in policy and repugnant to the con-
stitution." Now, prompted more by a
curiosity to see how Senator Maxey could
reconcile his views at different times of
| popular education by paternal govern
ment, called his attention at Weather
ford to his bill offered some years ago to
sell the public domain, and invest the pro-
ceeds in federal bonds, the interest 10 be
divided between the states. His bill pro-
vided for the investment of a little prop
erty of S00,000,000 of acres of land worth
$SOO,O00,000. The curious feature about
this measure was, that it prescribed the
ages of the children who should be edu-
Gated, the length of time each state should
sustain a free school, and it required
yearly report from the dependent
state to the paternal head show
ing many things concerning its
school matters and especially how
much each state itself gave. For failing
to report as required a state was to be
disinherited, and the money to go to the
other states. Now, this looked to plain
man like myself, like dividing the pro-
ceeds of the sales of public lands among
the states under the general welfare clause,
in violation of our fashioned Jeffer
sonian doctrine. He meets me by
the statement that the govern,
ment had given lands for canals
sixteenth section of land had been sur
rendered to each state in which it was sit
uated, to be used as the state pleased for
education, but never heard of any di-
vision, either of land or its proceeds,
among other states, or that any of them
were required to report yearly their action
to the federal head. But, my friends, OBJ
serve further: When sold, the proceeds
of the land we're not to be delivered to the
states, but they were to be invested by the
secretary of the treasury in federal bonds,
bearing four and half cents interest,
and that interest was to be forwarded by
him to the states, yearly. Now, that in
terest on S800,000,000 would amount each
year to over $30,000,000 of money. How
did he expect that interest to be paid?
Out of the general revenue raised by
taxes on the people, of course. Mark you,
the money was to be invested in United
States bonds by the treasurer. Can the
wit of man conceive any difference be-
tween the principle of the Blair
bill, which proposes to educate
from federal taxes direct and the
Maxey bill, which proposes to edu-
cate with interest on federal bonds raised
by federal taxation? l leave this ques-
ton to be solved by the lawyers of Texas,
caring but little for it myself. The bill
did no harm, for it went quietly to sleep,
nor did ever even hear of it until re-
Gently. Now, care but little about this
except to show that consistency is not
virtue always observed and practiced by
this constitutional lawyer. He
informed me that bill of like provisions
a rward passed the senate, and that Sen
ator Coke voted for it, and many other
democrats. Well, am not here to ques-
ton the democracy, or either Senator
Coke or Senator Maxey, but venture to
say that the bill which Senator Coke voted
for was not this Maxey school bill.
Ny fellow citizens, the hour of mid
night is here, and hasten to close. Let
no friend dream that 1 ever expected to
be any thing else than a mark for the
shafts of malignity when I began the
work of attempting to arouse the people
from their apathy to consider the danger
GUS encroachments and oppressive meth
DDS of corporate monopoly. 1 know how
dark the stream and cold the waters
must cross to reach the further shore.
Almost unaided and alone among those
who aspire to federal honors, have ar
raigned the fragrant defiance of our con-
stitution and laws, by corporate proper
ties in their pools and combinations, and
if defeated, let no friend believe that the
struggle has been in vain, for the seeds of
truth, now being sown, will sooner or later
bear their fruit for the benefit of the nat
ural man made by God, and to enamel
pate him from the power of the corporate
thing created by himself.