New-York tribune., 1886-02-22
THE EDUCATIONAL BILL.
SOME STRIKING POINTS OF THE MEASURE.
ITS PASSAGE ASSURED IN THE sENATE-MlsGlVlNGs |
OF SOME OF IIs SUPPORTERS.
IrRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l

ITS PASSAGE ASSURED IN THE sENArE-MlsGlFlNGS
OF SOME OF ITs SUPPORTERS
IFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.-The debate on the
Educational bill which has been going on in the Senate
r over a week. will be resumed on Tuesday. The bill
Is practically the same as when 1t passed that
body on April 7. 1884. by a vote OF 33 yeas
to IL nays. and 1t Will undoubtedly pass
again. though a few OF its supporters have mlsEy-
lngs the eff CT OF the measure. What VIII become
of it in the House no one can tell The bill appToprateS
600 distribute in the next eight years "
aid schools. Originally 1t included Industrial
schools but that stricken out the de-
bate on the measure has taken vide
range but has been chiefly confined to the
authority OF Congress to pass such measure
the so-called general welfare provision OF 'no
Constitution Mr. Morgan OF Alabama leads the oPPo
to bl constitutional grounds ana he Is
supported by Senators Coke and Maxey OF leAaS anu
Others. 1t Is curious fact that these oone'u
tiunal expounders voted for bill TO estaDiSh
a permanent educational fund by devoting to that
purpose the proceeds OF the sales OF public lahds
aud the revenues to be derived from the Ia'o"'
Office They could find warrant in the Constitution ior
AL indirect Appropriation for education ID that way "
also approprs money for rivers ana haroors ioi
doctoring sick cows and for various other purposes ou
direct appropriation to aid common schools they as
sert TO he wholly unconstitutional The Legislatures OF
Texas louisiana Mississippi. South Carolina ana other
Southern States and the various educational associa
tons have unanimously peltioned for this measure
As to need Of it there seems to be no question
Republican caucus considered the bill and agreed to
p,ss it. They came to that conclusion on the ground
that In no other way the country hope for an lnte
gent the South. ItrrAcy seems To be H.
creasing there instead OF decreasing. According 10
Mr. Blars figures there were 322O cOored persons
over ten years OF In 1850 who were lllterate
while now the number is 100000 II appears that the
ia ais
some of the southern States-~Ouih Carolina for III
stance. 1t appears that there l,OOO.OOO white
voters who write. The southern people declare
that they doing all they In the way OF sustaining
common schools and that without National ala
it VIII be impossible for many of the Southern States
make any Impression the mass OF Ignorance theie
seuator PHI others 40 not think that 1t al
together true holds that If the people OF the South
willing to tax themselves for education In the same
proportion done IN Oregon ant some OF the North
ern there would be no need for National AID In
tue south the duration of the common schools
Is only three months OF the year. and progress
under such conditions is necessarily slow.
According to the facts brought out this
debate fair proportion OF the raised for the com
schools Is gwen To MAINTAIN col"rcd schools III
Georgia other southern states. but the sum IA
comparatively small In Louisiana the olnclSI hRur's
snow than 30 cent OF the schoO pupu-
at!on attend either puOc private or parOcha schools.
aud thai the bang educated Is actually decresa-
lux although the population Is Increasing.
Dr. Mayo, of Missdchus. s. wno IL well known for ais
educational work In the south says there IL great
iyer unless 40 nethng eau be done soon. that erea
numbers chaTeB of the better olasses OF the wiie
people the south Will be plunged into lteiacy IL j.
Ih:, siae of things with the coOrcd
people AN opportunity such information as
WI make intelligent voters ami enable them to as
their rIShs that hav led ne Republicans o support
thiF On the other hand there Is suspicion
that Mr. Morgan and some other southern ppitcldns'
profit by the present condition 0f things IN the
SOutn more ANXIOUS to continue IL t1ah 10 uph"d
the Constitution.
southern states. The uncertainty 10 whether
this money Will be iarly expended Is what makes
some friends Of The bill regard II with suspicion
governments These the product ~ fraud They cN
ist 10y the perjury OF election Officers dndthe suppression
cOOrcd votes. ThequestlOn l. whether officials VINO
obtain their places by such means can De UuHel 10 eN
pend this OF money honestly. Another "h)ec-
non to the G s tna' n.l .hc nToDrion
all the Southern states the schools for the
two are distinct and the funds are distributed hc
coring 10 the number OF each race In the seIarAte
school distrcts according to the number OF school
children OF each race WITHIN 'ne scnoo atos a. ,p pr
scnocd 10y the STATE "s Acc"rdlhg 10 the1r sld's'S
fund would not b. distributed IN the ratio
OF the hlerdcy Ol edch race lnrtEht southern
73g3Gi white ihterdtes $i1S24O6 lnd on account OF
2.23O,43S cOored iii crates SJ.GuOto2 " apPed a.
II VIII be, under tue STATE laws tue "he scno" "i!I re-
ceive S2475,jj5 aud the coored schools S23I4S5O 20
that while each ilteTate b!ark and Whle dra"- tho
same sum from the National treasury III PfacuCdi az
plleatinn each white Nlterate VIII receive f)r hIs
education In a school several times the amount
that Will be applied to me education oi the col'fed
illiierate in The schools OF Eis race
1t viii be Impossible for the National Government TO
follow TINS money into stale ana see II Is not wasted.
the bill ought to provide that tho cOOted schools OF
every township should secure the beneht OF just that
proportion Of the fund TO which the
col6red ilitrrates OF the township entitled them.
The money Will nearly all be drawn from Northern tax
payers their representatives IN the senate believe
mat they will object outlay II only proper
guarantee he had that the money will be fairly used
IL is the colored that enables South
ern Democrats control OF the Government. But
whether the Dl in It's present shape VIII be Of much
benefit In providing remedy seems 10 be questionable