Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-17
The blair Bill.

Senator Morgan, OF Alabama. Is leaciag
the opposition to the Blair educational
bill. Some Of his arguments have cen
siderable force and others are weak. One
Of the arguments on which he apparently
places a good deal OF dependence Is that
the bill taxes the "hOnest, hard working
man to educate the children OF the
drunken, lOaanR vagaboAd who will not
work fer ais famIly." Tails argument
was abandoned when the free school sys-
tenn was established. The senator clearly
does not believe IN free schools. and In
this respect shows himself not TO be in
sympathy with the spirit OF progress of
the present day.
1t 10 undou btedly true that a large per-
centage Of the children OF every com
munity would not be educated II it were
not for the public school system. The
drunken, loafing Yagabonds of whom the
Senator speaks would not educate their
children, and, If the State did not educate
them, they would grow up In ignorance,
and would help to swell the ranks of the
vagabonds and criminals.
The purpose Of providing educational
'oNhAsaCo ~ ehC "a POheC VI buE phOkAO 10
not to relieve the drunken, loafng vaga-
bonds OF the burden Of educating their
| children, but 20 raise the standard OF in-
tellgenoe among the people, to cheek
crime and vice, and In that way promote
the public welfare.
In the South the negroes are very
ignorant, and they are as immoral as they
are ignorant. They furnish the great ma
Jority OF the criminals, and will continue
IN do so as long as the present low stand
ard Of intelligence among them exists.
Tne Southern people realize that the
negro must be given educational ad-
tAntages. and they are doing all they can
IN that direction. The burden that the
white people are bearing In all theSouthern
States, in order TO give the negroes the
benefits OF schools, is q heavy one. The
negroes becg little of this burden, chief y
because they have very little property.
Indeed, the majority of them do not even
pay their poll tax. 1t is probable,
however, that IL the present system
OF free schools 10 continued
they will be able in time to contribute q
great deal towards educating their chill
dren. In the meantime, however, the
schools must be kept up from the tax lev
led on white people.
The Blair bill proposes to help the white
! people to do this work. 1t is true that
the bill extends its benefits to all the
States, but, as the percentage Of llliteracy
is larger In the South than in other sec
tious Of the countrywide South will get the
greater share OF the money which .he bill
appropriates. 1t makes no discrimina-
tons with respect to color. The white,
as we'll as the black people, Will share its
benefits.
Senator Morgan appears to think that
the hill is a great centraIizlng measure,
and thatIt will enable the central govern
ment to establish precedents that will re-
suit in giving 1t control Of the State gov
ernments. 1t is probable that the Senator
stands almost alone among Southern SEN
Ators in entertaining such apprehensions.
Tue bill is so carefully drawn that there
is no reason for thinking that IL will ever
afford the Federal government a pretext
for interfering in the affairs Of State gov
ernmeDts even If there should be q desire
t, do so. The appropriations which the
bill authorizes will be expended under
the direction of the State authorities, and
there is every reason TO think that the
authorities in the Southern States will
expend the money so as to give general
satisfaction.