The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-01
EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE.
THE URGENT NECESSITY FOB
INCREASING OUR
Public School FaciIitIes-The Sub
ject OF National Aid for
Education Diseased.
To the Editors of the Appeal.


child Of the State. And even at
that the Squire cuts up; and the
average political demagogue com
plains at the high tax. The cry OF
"hig tax" is the shibboleth of the
demagogue and the politician.
The criterion should be, not so
much what we pay out as what we
get in return for the outlay.
More than 100000 children in
Tennessee never enter a private
or pay school. Their only chance or
hope is from the public school.
Under existing conditions only sixty
days per annum of public school can
be had.
Over 200, 900 children in Tennessee
OF scholastic age never see inside OF
any sohoolhouse at all. In a few
years these children will be the men
and women to take our places.
Nearly, or quite one-half, will be
unable to read or write. Estimating
the value of citizen by the grade Of
his intelligence, what will the COM
ing generation be WORTH Is it not
q travesty on our boosted intelli-
gence to have 80 per cent. of our
voters unable to read the ballot they
cast.
What is the remedy More schools
and better schools. But how are
we to have them in Tennessee? If
we are too poor to increase the State
and county school tax, how shall we
improve our school system? Would
it not be better to abolish our public
school system in Tennessee Man
aged as it is in most of the country
districts, the effect is oUly to break
down private schools. But we can't
abolish the public school. 1t is here
to stay. The constitution eDjoins its
encouragement and promotion. Our
effort should, therefore, be to in
crease its efficiency.
If, therefore, we are unable to ed
ucate the children of the State ought
we to reject national aid? Would it
be UNCONSTITUTIONAL" This is one
of the So called objections urged by
the opponents Of the measure known
as the Blair bill. Who is to deter
mine the question? Garland, the
chief law officer of the government,
and a profound constitutional lawyer,
and the man to whom the President
refers all questions of doubtful con-
stitutionality, not only considered it
constitutional, but favored it as the
greatest boon offered the South in
years. Nineteen out of twenty-three
Southern Democratic Senators were
of the same opinion and warmly sup
ported the measure. The aid offered
was only temporary and to cease at
the end Of eight years. The
money appropriated was to be dis
tributed in the ratio of illiteracy and
to be under the sole and exclusive
control of the States receiving it. No
Southern Senators were found to OPP
pose this beneficent measure, except
the two from Texas and Missouri and
one or two others.
John Sherman, the most distin-
guished Republican in the Senate,
bitterly opposed it because it gave
the States absolute control of the
fund, and because the North paid
more than three-fourths of the
money and got less than one-fourth
of the benefit.
ingalls,, the Republican Senator
from Kansas, opposed it for similar
reasons, and also because he feared
the books used would be full Of
reasonable teachings, magnifying
Jeff Davis and secession.
To obviate this objection Southern
members suggested the insertion Of
the clause requiring copy of the
text books used to be deposited with
the Secretary Of the Interior.
1t was not surprising that the
Texas Senator'S opposed the meas
ure. That State has millions
of acres of public lands set apart fol-
her public schools, besides an i'm
mense school fund on hand. She
needed no help. So, likewise, with
Missouri. She was able, for similar
reasons, to educate her children
without help.
Such is not the case with Tennes
see and other Southern States. The
Yankees freed 100000 negroes and
invested them with all the rights Of
citizenship.
Those negroes have no property tC
tax for educational purposes. With
out education they cant be good
citizens. If unable to read the bal
lot they vote they will continue to b'
the political prey Of interruptions
demagogues. To make the whites
who are the only taxpayers in thu
South, bear the burden exclusivel!
of educating them is a hard.
ship and unfair. All we coulC
ever get out of the Yankees
for public schools would not com
peusate for half the money value o
these freed slaves. 1t would there
fore be only slight remuneration t.
get back Sol 100000 to aid public
schools and help educate these freed
men. That is the sum we OF thu
South would get out of the 81, 0OO,
600 proposed to be appropriated, mo-
out of the surplus in tho Treasur.
but out Of the moneys collected ant
paid out, just as the appropriation
for harbors or military schools, @
for the suppression of cattle
plague, or for the support of lndial
schools are paid out. Is not the ed
ucation Of the masses of more i'm
portance than building FIVE mil
lion dollar courthouses and custom
houses2 Does it not transeen,
in Importance the suppression of tn
cattle plague, or the stocking of pond
and creeks with new breeds Of fish
or the education eff the Indian chill
dren2 And yet millions are spprC
priated each year for thos
purposes. The general welfar
clause Of the constitution cover
all these questions. That sacred in
strument Was intended to be fexibl
to the extent of allowing the press
ing wants and needs Of the people (
be provided for by appropriate les
islatiOn and public donation. Their
is nothing prOcrustean abou
it. The people made it for the benz
fit of the people, and while We woul
have il strictly construed and IN