Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-01
Not a Fatal bounty.

/ Tue New ] Ork sun. com tneuJiHR Vu Aho
| Blair bill, says: ''It is unfortunate that
some influential Southern journals and
politicians should favor this scheme.
Their honorable anxiety for the growth
/ OF education in the South has led them to
be lenient to the weakness and foolishness
! OF the Blair pr iect. The illiteracy exist
ing in the Southern States is a great mis-
I ortuns. 1t is conceivable that it might,
| if unchecked, become a great danger
But the South must work out it's own sal
walton. 1t has begun the great task Of
education, and it has done wonders al
ready. 1t should still depend upon itself,
and not trust to the fatal bounty OF the
government"
If illiteracy is great misfortune why
not get rid Of 1t as soon as possible, il 1t
can be got RID of? 1t is proposed by
means OF che Blair bill to assist the States
in getting rid of 1t, and the weight OF opin-
ion is that the bill is not unconstitutional.
Indeed, 1t is stated on very good authority
that the schools of Western States receiv-
ed national ala for educational purposes
during Jackson's administration, and
that there was no outcry then against it.
But the San and other opponents Of the
bill speak of national aid as 'fatal boun-
ty." And why "fatal bountyp' Do they
think tnat the States will do less for edu-
cation than they are now doing il the
proposed national aid is granted?
As well might they say that the
aid granted to pensioners, amounting in
one year to more than it is proposed by
the Blair bill to appropriate for educa-
tional purposes altogether, is ''fatal boun-
ty," because, II the tendency of the Blair
bill is to throw the burden of educating
the illiterate upon the general govern
ment, the tendency of pensions is to make
hundreds of thousands of pensioners de-
pendent upon the government rather than
upon their own exertions. The opponents
of the Blair bill, however, haven't word
to say against granting unlimited aid to
ex-Union soldiers and their widows and
children who, by the accidents of war,
were rendered partially or wholly unable
to provide for themselves.
1t is true that the greater part of the
money appropriated by the Blair bill will
be devoted to curing illiteracy in the
Southern States, but the illiteracy especi-
ally aimed at is that which exists among
people who were not citizens when the
war began, They were made citizens by
the general government, which mas never
done anything to make them capable of
understanding the responsibilities of citi-
zenship. They are not as capable of dis
charging intelligently their duties as citi.
zens as are the pensioners of providing
for their own wants. Why is it
not as much the duty of the general gov
eminent to fit the negroes for citizenship
as il is for it to take care ofsthose who,
on the Union side, were rendered incapa-
BILE of taking care OF themselves by the
war? The States did not make the ne.
groes citizens. and, therefore, should not
be required to prepare them for citizen
ship. The general government ought to
complete It's work.
If il was for the good OF the whole coun-
try that the negroes were made citizens,
then it is for the good of the whole coun-
try that they should be prepared for citi-
zenship. Is it not an injustice to place a
burden upon few States which ought to
be borne by the whole country, and can
aid which prevents an injustice, and at
the same time tends to hasten the ele-
Vatlon of a race be "fatal bonntyp'