National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-05-01

the ULited States II is work as neCes-
sary and beneficial to the United States as
to the state, and II is a work In which both
duty and interest call the United States to
cooperate. The Blair bill proposes this
lmb in wise and we'll guarded way. It
does not interfere with the control OF the
schools at all, and merely tenders the state
the aid she needs, the aid she will welcome,
and the aid which all her people are eagerly
asking. Whatever may have been the Vir-
ginia doctrine aud practice formerly, since
the war the state has accepted donation
of public lands for educational purposes,
and in her present constitution she invites
succor for her free schools by declaring that
"all grants and donations received by the
general assembly for educational pur-
poses shall be applied according
to the terms prescribed by the donors"
and that "the proceeds Of all public lands
donated by Congress for public school pur-
posesn shall be "set apart as a perma-
nent and perpetual literary fund" The
right and policy of the Blair bill, as far as
Virginia is concerned, and so far as she
can interpret and direct federal power aud
duty, are thus ratified by constitutional
recognition and approval, as well as by pop
ular Endorsement. The mother of states
and statesmen, who, after having given a
vast territory to the nation, was divided by
the war TO adj another state to the Union,
only asks her fair share from common
fund to assist her in a common duty
for common benefit. The far greater
portion Of her illiterates are IN a spe-
cial sense, or ought TO be, "the wards
Of tho nation" Her own duty toward them
she has done, as far as she could, since
1870; and she neither will nor can do less,
save under the pressure of inevitable and
memorable necessity-for her constitution
and her people alike forbid IT. but the task
is too much for her, aud she must be aided
III It, or she will fail, to the great detrimont
Of the state and the whole country.
For three years the Democrats of Vir-
ginin have loudly and emphatically prom
| ised Virginans that the Democratic party
would pass the Blair bill. For three years
these promises have been outrageously vi
olated on all sorts Of false pretexts. Now
the old apparltlons Of estate rights" and
"strict constitutional interpretationn arc
made to stalk In all their sepulchral cere-
ments across the stage, jibbering that q
government Of, for, and by the people OF all
the governments Of the world is the one
| government which does not inherently
possess even the poor privilege 10 help edu-
cate and elevate the people on whose in
ielligence its existence and prosperity de-
pend; that the very constitution Of this
government, which proclaims the general
welfare" as one Of the ben
eflcinl objects OF its institution,
and which declares this general
welfare" to be one OF the chief objects to ba
secured by taxation, that this federal
charter forbids, or fails to authorize, ma
tloual aid for that which under all govern.
ments is regarded as vital concern, aui
which here lies at the very foundation OF
the general welfarel" Such gibberlsh Is
preposterous; nor can It's absurdity be re-
lieved by fippant ridicule Of the foolish
expansion to which the general welfare
clauses Of the, constitution have been OIL
may be subjected, for these clauses have nc
meaning at all II the general government
cannot help in that general public educa
ton Of the rising generations now ad
mitted, all the world over, as so vitality I'm
portant to general welfare" that no en-
lightened government dares to neglect 1t.
Besides, from the very incipiency OF fed
eral government, the power and duty OF tn
United States in this matter have beef
actively asserted in varied ways and multi
piled directions. No state nor territory bu
possesses solid evidences of this We hav
even national schools, colleges, and othe
institutions for soldiers sailors, Indians
negroes, the deaf and dumb, the insane, tn
disabled, &C., aud there is not a slngl
proposition in the Blair bill whose prin
ciple is not indicated by pressing publ
necessity and general welfare, as wei
as by multitude OF precedents. Only tn
slave Democracy Of old opposed the polio
now reasserted aud continued In the Blai
hill; and to-day that bill finds opponent
only among Bourbons, who really oppos
, all free education Of the negroes, or anon
very few Republicans, who either fear t
intrust federal money to the present govern
ments Of the southern states, or who ar
blindly cooperating with the Democracy t
5 introduce free trade through so-called rex
enue reform. But the Blair bill effectuall
. protects Its appropriations, even from Bou
bon ravages; and the Democratic party an
+. all who are allied with 1t here will but
doubly condemned by the people for
course which OF once strikes at populi
, education and American protection.
} Any substitute for the Blair bill is merel
Democratic device to postpone the ma
r ter indefinitely and to evade positive actor
I Any new measure now brought into ii
n House for consideration, no matter no
t quickly adopted, will go up to the Senate tc
S late for any reasonable hope that 1t can b
{ come a law this session. And, by tn
, means, the Bourbon controllers OF the d
/ mocracy again smother federal aid for u
Q schools and have fresh excuse to of
/ their disappointed and mlsrepresented PEI
a pic. The so.called Grain bill, from u
Q House labor committee, is particularly o
IS jectonable because 1t abandons the has
Is of illiteracy adopted by the Blair bill, al
r because on that basis rests chiefly Il
p necessity and duty of tue United States
II extend any aid to the several states.
a
= Well Done.
10 The action of the House committee {