The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-07-16
H BLAIR BILL.
JUDGE VAN EAToN's VIEWS.

The address is as follows:
To the Voters Of the Sirth COngreS
SiOnaL District Of Mississippi:
AS many of our people feel an in
terest in the Blair Educational Bill
| desire TO give you some OF the Tea
SONS why | opposed it, and ! an
sure if II people properly under
stood it they would not favor it
certainly the Southern people would
not. In the first place, it is not d
straig htout appropriation rs seems
to be generally supposed, but the
entire thing is conditional. 1t only
approprihtes as many dollars to a
STATE as that State raises itself.
For instance, it is estimated the
State of Mississippi will receive
$450,000 a year for ten years but
10 do this our people would have to
tax themselves a like amount, $780,
600 a year tor ten years, for COM
mon schools, that is, in addition to
all they must pay for school houses,
for colleges (male aud lemale),
charitable institutions, etc, and /
believe our people are taxed too
heavily now. Then the distribution
of the money is under tue control
of the Secretary of the Interior,
who is to decide in each case wheth
FL IL State has complied with the
law aS to be entitled to any portion,
and, if so, to how much of the fund.
Copies of all school books author
lied and used in the schools of the
States are to be filed with the Sec.
rotary of the interior, and that Of
icer, the Commissioner Of Educa.
ton, and the President are to make
all rules for carrying the law into
effect. Each State is to account to
the Secretary OF the Interior, as TO
disposition of money received, who
may withhold any future payment
if not satisfied with the showing
made by the State. The Secretary
is to inv esti9ate all complaints Of
misapprOpriatiOn Of the money by
any State and make report to Con
gIpSS. In a word, the money is only
appropriated cOuditionally, and the
Federal authorities are to super
wise and manage the whole matter.
with full powers to look into the
local affairs Of each State in con
RectiOn Herewith. | can never by
any vote of mine help to enact any
law giving the Federal Government
such powers over the affairs of the
State. 1t is the very opposite of
the doctrine ever held sacred by
Democratic p rty. And suppose
while this bill was the law the Re
publican party should come into
power, what Southern Democrat
contemplate with equanimity,
officials at Washington en-.
gagged in its administration Z 1t
would be the old days of the car
pet Dagger over again. Another
hing, the bill appropriateS $77,-
IO0, 1000. 1t is not IN the Treasury,
he people must be taxed 10 put it
here. Since the bill passed the
Senate, this same Blair has secured
he passage III The Senate of an I'M
for aud unjust pension bill
or Union soldiers, requiring, it is
airly estimated, $50, 900, 900 a year
additional expenditure. aud more
ne vet to come. With all these
expenditures can any one
Il chance for the reduction OF
axes! No, and the Republican
'arty does not intend there shall
'e any. Taxes are to be kept up TO I
he highest notch, so as to force |
tariffs IN the Interest of North #.
I'm protected industries, and at the f,
Expense of the farmer aud the :
'age.wOrker. That this is the con |
piracy, | have 10 doubt. Again, $
believe the Blair bill is IN open I
nd fragrant violation of the Con =,
titutiOn, and have taken a solemn =
ath to support and maintain that J
lsIrument. The Democratic party '
as always opposed taxing the PEG S
le TO put money in the Federal Fl
reasury for the purpose ct distri- ;.
and in our last National I
'emOcratic platform, adopted at u
hlcagO in 1884, occurs the follow Il
Ig "We are opposed 10 all prOpO-
tons which upon any pretence L
Ould convert the General Govern
ent Into a machine for collecting
.xes to be distributed among the -;
or he-citiZens thereof 10 =;
V mind, therefore, the bill is both 9
constitutional and undemOcratic. =
I course il is we'll understood, the y
is intended specially for the =
'lOred race, and | contend it will =,
} them only harm. In many places, :
csc people, encouraged by the !,
are making laudable efforts !;
the cause of education. Let this e,
become a law, and IN accOr- ~
with the nature of that pee
all efforts on their part will u
ase, and they will wait for the OF
Dvernment to do all, and by the el
the bill has exhausted itself b'
ey will have ceased entirely to de- a
nd upon or help themselves in the til
Of education, and they will ga
set back at least ten years in all er
&C pertains to education aud no
OgreSs; and much the same will 70
the result with the white ace OF
rly believe. No people ever ev
ide such sure aud safe progress an
those who depend upon them tu.
N,
For these reasons and others
We not time to enumerate, lean.
Z Sunnorf fho nIa;r I'LL 49,