The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-09-16

neighbor in his financial trouble
and told him he would knock off
500 of the debt. The neighbor re-
piled, "Well, Mr.. Twain, / never
allow any man to exceed me in lib
erality so / will knock off the other
500 and we will call the books
balanced?"
Here Col. Taylor explained at
some length the democratic idea of
tariff, and read the Chicago tariff
plank.
My brother is infatuated with the
Blair bill. 1 think he is going a
little too deep into this question.
He reminds me Of the old man who
lived in the mountains and had
never seen a wagon. He had been
used to sleds all his life. His boys
bought a new wagon and took it
home and geared up the oxen and
drove the wagon on top Of the hill
for a load of wood. They started
down the hill. The wagon ran
away with the steers and at the
bottom of the hill mired in q swamp
up to the hubs. The old man ran
out and after an examin alton, said !:
"Boys, you will have to set the
back-bands back just a leetle; she
is running too deep" Alfred, yOI
must set your back bands back just
a leetle. You are running too deep
on the educational question.
The republican party declares to
you that there is a surplus in the
United States treasury, and in or
der to bring itself back into favor
with the American people it propo-
ses to vote $77,O0O,000 of that sur
plus for national aid to education.
/ declare to you that there is not a
dollar of surplus money in the Unit
ed States treasury. l declare to
you that there is no such thing in
existence as the Blair bill. l 90
further and declare to you that the
republican party killed the Blair
bill. After the Blair bill passed
the senate and went to the house
the democratic party began to in
vestigate the treasury. They open
ed the books and they found a sur
plus in the treasury, but they also
found $135,000,00O of our national
debt now due, and they introduced
q resolution in the house providing
for the application of the surplus
to the payment of our honest debts
and the republican party voted for
the resolution. 1t passed the house
and went to the senate, and the re-
publican senate passed the resolu-
ton. When they voted for the res
olution they killed the Blair bill.
Fellow citizens, my brother is hold
ing up before you to day that corpse
and swearing that it is alive. | said
that there is not a dollar of surplus
money in the treasury. ia farmer
has So in his pocket and owes a
debt of 500, can you say that he
has any surplus cash? The ma
tional platform which was adopted
by the democratic party at Chicago
in 1884, which was sanctioned by
the American people at the ballot
box, declares these words: eve
are opposed to all propositions
which upon any pretext that would
convert the general government in
to machine for collecting taxes to
be distributed among the states or
the citizens thereof" Upon that
plank the national democratic party
stands and the democratic party in
Tennessee is pledged to it. But ]
woald not have you believe that the
democratic party is opposed to uni
versal education. The plain truth
of history is that the democratic
party instituted and maintained for
half century a system of free edu-
cation. Federal aid has been ex-
tended through all the past history
of this country to popular educa-
ton, reserYing and granting for the
purpose parts Of the public domain.
Democratic congresses have appro-
priated 100000 acres of public
lands for educational purposes, and
the measures were approved by
democratic presidents. No demo-
cratic administration ever sold a
section of the public domain with
out reservIng $40 acres in every six
acres square for the use of common
schools. When Tennessee herself
was coded to the United States by
North Carolina and became a part
of the territory the government
gave to Tennessee the power to is
sue grants within her territory.
There were reserved 100000 acresI
in East Tennessee and l 100000 acres
in Middle and West Tennessee, for
the use of two colleges and GAO
acres in every six miles square for
the use of schools and academies.
Thls statute was approved by
Thomas Jefferson. The lands of |
Tennessee were then a part of the |
public domain of the United States,
and congress with JeffersoA's ap-
prevail caused to be erected two col
leges and twenty seven academies
in the state of Tennessee. All that |
from the sale Of the pub
lie land for the education of the
children. of Tennessee was stolen by
the republican party after the war.
III bAO Vi buC " AlOA
there are 1880 acres in every six
miles square set apart for the es-
adjustment and maintenance of
common schools. The demo cratic
party has given 100000 acres of
land for common school education.
The republican party has voted
1876, 100000 to land grabbers, rail
roads and corporate monopolies. In
my advocacy of the means for OBJ
aiming education for our children
followed the plain paths Of demo
cratic principles taught by Jefer-
son, the founder of our free gov
What is the history Of the repub-
lean party in Tennessee on the
subject of education9 Through
he hell fire of the civil war Isham
J. Harris preserved the $4,000 of
he school fund that belonged to
he children of Tennessee, every
dollar of which had been obtained