Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-09-16
THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER le. 1886
The Blair Bill.

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LLoyD's, ESSEX COUNTY, VA,
September 10, 1886.
TO the Editor of the Dispatch:
Can you state how many Republicans
voted for the Blair educational bill and
how many Democrats in the Senate, and
also the number Of Republicans and
the number Of Democrats who voted
for its consideration in the House oil
Representatives?
The attempt of the Mahoneites to
make capital out Of the failure OF the
BLAIR bill to become law during the
last Congress is barefaced attempt to
deceive the voters, and cannot succeed
If the press and the stump will only let
all the facts Of the case be known.
In the Forty eighth Congress, on the
first day they could be introduced un-
der the rules, more than half dozen
bills granting Federal aid to education
were offered in the House Of Repre-
sentatives by Democrats. The Demo-
cratic Speaker appointed committee
of seven Democrats and four Republic
cans friendly to the object of these
bills. Asub. committee was organized,
which within twenty days after its for
nation presented bill appropriatins
$4,000 in aid Of education. This bill
was very much the same as the BLAIR
bill, and was by the committee strongly
recommended for passage. The BLAIR
bill was introduced into the Senate at
the same session, and as it was more
liberal bill, the friends Of education de-
cided TO await the Senate's action on it..
Mr.. WILLIS, Of Kentucky, q Demo-
cratic champion Of the BLAIR bill, ex-
plains why it was not passed at that
session--as follows:
sion hill. with the Sepate's amendments for
the benefit OF the soldiers OF the late war,
the bills for the forfeiture OF the land grants,
the national-library bill, the shippiGg bill.
the public. building bills and Others equally
important were all Struggling for conslders-
ton. All Of these bills had their friends
friends, without reference TO party lines
and inese gentlemen we're also friends OF the
blair bill. The Blaii bill, however, was
not stronger than all OF these bills together.
The consequence was that from day TO day
(uDder our absurd rules these bills fought
each other, and q 4 were Killed Off-that IL,
all Of them, the Blair bill included, failed
To get the consideration they asked. Many
Of these bills, like the educational bill. had
an overwhelming majority, but. by our
ifon.clsd rules. were not permitted to con
TO a vete. The appropriation bills. which are
always entitled To consideration, consumed
the balance of the time"
Mr. WILLIS says that the Republi-
cans controlled the House of Repre-
sentatiyes Of the Forty-seventh Con-
gress, and had similar experience, be-
ing totally unable under the rules even
to have the bill considered.
Mr.. SHERMAN, OF Ohio. who stumped
Virginia for the Mahoneites last year,
and who is a prominent Republican as
pirant to the presidency, on March 10,
1884, when the BLAIR bill was under
discussion, said {:
although this thing (the education bill,
has been talked OF In sentimental KIND
oi way 10 this country for some years. yet
do rot think the public opinion OF the
United States Is now prepared for any such
measure as this; and II II should pass the
senaie-especialiy II IL should pass Con
gtess- II would at once excite great AZ Ia
ton, great complaint, great discomfort and
do not believe the system would stand long
before general public voice would demand
It's repeal ON the ground OF Injustice and In
eQuality.
Mr.. PLUMB, Of Kansas, another Re-
publican, said
"Ishsli regard the passage OF bill OF this
kind a. the death knelI OF tue present school
system OF the United States. The appetite
once created, the demand for more win DE
presented here each year. until finally the
Government will appropriate sn expenses
and take full and sole control
MIR. HAwLEy, another leading Re
publican, said:
"The money that comes from long dis
tance. that IL not felt by the tax-payers. Il
money easily expended: aud that may b'
said OF the whole Federal revenue. There
fore we should be the more Jealous as Il
what We do with ~. II Is as costly as IL W,
took IL by direct taxation right out OF thet
pockets. 1 believe II has been said here
but II II has not II can be now, that II thi
money We're 10 be- levied by direct taxation
this bill would not get ten votes In the sen.
ate"
Other Republican senator's might b
quoted, but the above are enough
especially when taken in connection
with tine fact that in the Senate tn
Democrats who voted for the BLAII
bill were General WADE HAMPTON
General RANSOM, Governor Brown
Governor CoLQUIrT, CALL, GAR
\ LAND, GEORGE, JACKSON, JONAS
JOINS, KENNA, PUoH, aud VII
LrAMs. LAMAR, VANCE, VOORHEES,
and other Democrats favored the bill
but were not present when the vote wa
taken.
Let us examine the vote in the Sen
ate on the passage Of the BLAIR bill
April Z, 1884. OF the seventy-si4
senator's, only forty-four actually voted
OF the thirty-two remaining, pairs wer,
announced for twenty, leaving lively,
senator's who neither voted nor we're
paired. OF these twelve all bat two
were Republicans. Mr.. WILLIS be.
lievss that ct least four fiiths of the ab.
sent, impaired Republican senators
were opposed to the bill. The afiirms-
tive vote actually cast WAS thirty.
three, Of which twenty we're Rspubli-
cans and thirteen Democrats. OF the
pairs for the bill the Republicans had
four and the Democrats six, adding
which 10 the actual vote will give the
"ysa" vote for passage Of the bill !:
Republicans, "a; Democrats, To-
phich Il The relative numerical pre-
portion u the two parties in the Sem
~. OF ths vote actually cast . ms
jority VA tvsnty-thrss Of the votes