The Portland daily press., 1886-03-05
FROM WASHINGTON.
The Maine Senators and the Blair
Education Bill.

The Maine Senators and the Blair
Education Bill.
Especial to the PREss.1
WASHINGTON, March 4.-The amendment
offered by Senator Allison OF Iowa to the
Blair education bill reads as follows:
And in each State in which there shall be separ-
ate schools for white and colored chlldren, tne
money paid in such State shall be aPporrtloneu ,r @
and paid out for the support of schools III the pro-
portion that the illiteracy of the white and color
ed persons aforesaid bear to each other as SHOWN
bysaid census.
Upon the adoption or rejection of the
amendment both Senators Hale and Frye
base their support or opposition to the bill
itself. Senator Hale in his speech of Tues
day to which / made reference at the time
very plainly indicated his position in regard
to it, and the same position is taken by Sen
ator Frye Mr.. Hale began his remarks by
saying:
''The amendment offered by the Senator from
Iowa penetrates the hitherto imposing armor OF
this bill and disclose its fatal hollOwness and
weakness. 1t shows how the bill has departed
from the original purpose, always heretofore
upon this most important subject. and that pur
pose always in these early stages was declared TO
be legislation for the purpose OF meeting literacy
III the South wherever it was found In It's most
pronounced and dangerous aspect. All the record
thathas been given us so completely by the SEN
ator from New Hampshire in charge of the bill,
made up of reports presented now and heretofore
by him, made up OF representations from great
educational associations, made up OF representa-
ti0nS coming distinetivey from Southern sources
from humanitarians and philanthropistS every
where, stated that the object sought was the
removal of the distinctive mass of illiteracy in the
South i'll the colOred race"
After quoting from documents and papers
before the Senate, to prove this he continued;
fha hill n ayfrpma dPDartS
from any such purpose and leaves the eoored
man comparatively without the benefit that he
said there were Two ways in which the money
might be distributed either by. population or
school age, or on the basis of illiteracy, and the
bill adopts both basis. That in all there is the
bill. You swell the amount that shall go to the
Southern States by adopting the basis OF Hitter
acy; but when you have secured nine-tenths OF
the amount Of money included in its provision,
then although you approach nearer to the colossal
evil that is sought to be remeded, the committee
the rejected basis that it would not consider DIS
applying to the State and take either population
or school age one of which is about the same as
the other That is the objection that the amend
ment offered by the Senator from Iowa proposes
to remedy. 1t is entirely clear and distinct IN the
provision. 1t is perfectly plain course to follow,
bill. ''''' ''''' '0S'' ''''' 80 ''''''
Under the provisions of the bill, he show
ed, that while the amount to be paid each
State was enormously swollen in nearly all
the Southern States by the basis of illiteracy,
made up largely Of black illiteracy, yet when
the money is distributed, it goes in the rate
of about to l. to the white schools, and the
Allison amendment is meant to prevent such
an unjust discrimination against the blacks.
After eloquently describing the condition
of the blacks of the South, the persecution
struggles and vicssitudes they had endured,
their patient endurance, and the need they
have for education, he concluded as follows:
'sThe amendment may be beaten; / do not know
that it Isl but if it is beaten, it rings the death
knell OF the bill that is presented by the Senator
from New Hampshire To me my way after that
is plain as path of shining light. wilnot hesi-
tate one moment, Mr.. President and Senators, il
this amendment of the Senate from Iowa, con-
ceived with the purpose that it is bearing with it
the matter that it does, carrying with it aid to the
despised and doWn-trodden race of ignorant men
who are citizens, is defeated, will have no hesi
tation III voting against the bill. | am ready TO
stand or fall with that amendment. am ready to
take it before any Northern people, nay, before
any Southern people. will take it into the great
Commonwealth that has been so ilustriously rep
resented here, and never more so than to-day,
right in the Senator's (Hoar's) home, among his
neighbOrS and with the intelligent men and WON
en- and children that live upon New England hill
sides, and are found in her valleys and come out
and make up her audiences in public meetings. i
will stand or fall with that amendment, as will
here and now, Mr.. President"
The position of the Maine Senators upon
the subject of national aid to education is
briefly this: They can neither of them by
any means be construed as opponants of such
aid. But they believe that the Blair bill as
originally reported makes an unjust discrim-
ination against the very ones it is supposed
to benefit. After giving to the Southern
States amounts vastly larger than will be re-
ceived by any Northern State, solely because
their illiteracy, the greater part Of which is
colored, is much greater than in any North
ern State, it so discriminates in the distribu-
ton of the money among the schools, that
the white schools get three times as much as
the colored schools, which have three times
the need of it. On this account, and on this
alone, the Maine Senators base their opposi-
tion to the bill, and with this objection
removed they will be found among its
earnest supporters.
Especial to the Press.l
WASHINGTON, March 4.-The House this |
morning passed Congressman Milliken's bill |
appropriating $4,000 for enlarging and re-
pairing the public building at Belfast
Want the Dingley PiIotage Bill |
Passed,
Nh Dingley presented today the petitions |
of Israel Snow and others of Rockland, and |
Edward o. Clark and others of Waldoboro, |
for the passage of the pilotage bill granting |
American sailing vessels the same rights as |
to piotage as are granted American steam |
vessels.
Maine Postmasters.
The following fourth-class postmasters |
have been appointed in Maine
Aeton-Willam NJ. Lord.
Middedam- Edwin S. Brooks.
Runford Centre-R. G. Dolloff.
West Camden-Henry Y. Vinal.
Measures introduced by MIR. Frye.
Senator Frye presented today, a memorial |
from Bangor Knights of Labor in favor of |
the Hennepin canal Senator Hale also pre- |
sented a similar petition.
Senator Frye's bill to provide libraries for |
men of war was reported adversely today, |
and Mr.. Frye offered an amendment to the |
naval appropriation bill setting aside S10,- |
600 for such libraries.
Discharged Sailors Home.
Senator Hale, from the committee on naval |
affairs, reported favorably the lbill authoriz- |
ing the Secretary of the Navy to permit hon |
orably discharged sailors of the United |
States navy to select home on board any of |
the United States receiving ships.
XLIXth CONGRESS- FIRST SESSION. |