The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-12
THE SENATE.
Mr. Morgan Makes an Argument in Opposi-
ton to the Blair Bill.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 11.-After the disposal of
routine morning business, Mr.. Edmunds said
that as one important committee of the Senate
had to go to New York to-day, and other i'm
portant committees had considerable work to do,
he believed the public business would be best
subserved by an adjournment of the Senate from
this afternoon till Monday. He, therefore,
moved that when the Senate adjourn to-day it
be till Monday. Agreed to.
Mr.. Teller submitted an amendment to the
Eustis resolution of inquiry regarding the re-
fusal of the assistant treasurer at New Orleans
to issue silver certificates in exchange for silver
dollars. The amendment directs the committee
on finance to inquire also into the loss of money
alleged to have occurred in the New Orleans sub
treasury, and whether such loss occurred in con-
nection with the exchange of silver certificates
for silver coin. The amendment was ordered
printed
Among the bills introduced was one by Mr.
Mitchell, of Oregon, providing for the repeal of
all treaties permitting the coming of Chinese to
the United States, and prohibiting their coming
except in the case of diplomatic and official per-
sonages At the request of Mr.. Mitchell, the
bill was laid on the table for the present.
Proceeding to the calendar, the Senate took
up bills in their order. Some bills for private
relief having been disposed of, the bill to regulate
the promotion of West Point graduates was
reached. On this some discussion was had.
Mr.. Seweil in reply to inquiry of Mr..
Plumb, said this was the first year for long
time when there would be moro lieutenants
graduated from the West Point Academy than
there would be vacancies for in the army.
After considerable debate, the bill was passed
assreported from the committee.
At o'clock the education bill was laid before
the Senate and Mr.. Morgan took the floor on it.
! The bill, Mr. Morgan said, was Ia bill to create
Offices and elaborate machinery for government.
1t was bill to tax the Woodworking man in or
der to educate the children of the drunken, loaf
ing vagabcnd who would not work for his family.
: If from the sixty million people in the United
States to be deducted all the dead-heads,
: dead-beats and non-producers, there would be
about twenty million people left who would have
to pay the taxes to carry out the provisions of
this bill IL United States Senators were men
who plowed fields or worked smithies
and paid taxes out of the sweat
moro respect for them when voting away the
money of man to educate the children of
another. The constitutional ground for the bill,
Mr. Morgan continued, was said to be found in
the general welfare clause of the preamble to
the Constitution. Such application of
that clause simply meant that you could
pull down the man that got up by his
exertions in order to put up
drunken loafer who would not exert him
self The best people in the United States were
those who, in the backwoods. in the fear Of
God, and having respect for the good order and
the morals of society, had brought up. around
their own footstools and hearthstones, honest,
sincere and faithful sons and daughters. Mr..
Morgan characterized Mr.. Blair's idea as one in
volving the right of Congress to educate the
children of the several States without the con-
seEt of the States
Mr. Blair interposed to say that he remem
bered the primary duty of education, but mas
much as education was indispensable to the ex
istence of free government, ii the parent,
whether from inability or disinclination, failedn
the performance of his duty, that duty fell to
the State and in our Republic if the State proper
and the parent both failed. then it became the
duty of the Republic to educate the child since
the child would be citizen, not only of the
State, but of the United States. This, howev
er, was power that should be exercised only in
the last resort.
Mr.. Call asked Mr.. Morgan if he denied the
right of the United States to make donation to
State for any purpose
Mr.. Morgan replied that he could conceive of
such case.
Mr. Call-Without the consent of the StateY
Mr.. Morgan-Scarcely.
In referring to the act Of 1885, distributing
among the States the surplus money in the
Treasury of the general government, Mr. Nor
gan said 1t was an unfortunate precedent
bin O''-''o''
Mr. Morgan-Ah, do not know; and, with the
greatest possible respect for the memory of Mr.
conscience nor my honor to care for. Mr. Calhoun
voted on both sides of many questions-the
tariff, internal improvements various important
measures-and voted sincerely every time
Mr. George-That makes US feel very comfort
able here.
Mr.. Morgan--I know it does IF you take one
side you can feel comfortable and if take the
ether can feel comfortable, because Mr. Cal
noun voted both way 1t is delightful thing to
have political ancestor to whose sacred memory
every man can refer all his sins and transgres
sions. He saw great danger in the very broad
Interpretation claimed for the general welfare
clause OF the Constitution. He asked whether
Congress could erect churches throughout the
United States the ground that churches
tended to the general welfare Or. could Con
gress suppress the Standard Oil Company and
seize its property because of a conviction that
that company's operations rendered oil expen-
siye. while cheap oil was necessary for the s'gen
cral welfareg' The speaker argued at consife"
able length the constitutional and legal phases Of