Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-10-30
ATALE ABOUT THE BLAIR BILL.

Mr.. Editor, Pve come % YOU to
talk little with YOU abOnt this
ere Blair bill, pvo heard 80 much
of i'm the papers. aXed Betsy
Jane 90 explain it to me, but she
SAYS it is something to eat and she
don't know how 20 cook il.
Wen. my honest friend, Betsy
Jane is right. II is something 10
eat. but It is food for he BRAIN and
mind, aud not for the stomach.
Well Betsy Jane is all,rs neal
the mark. don't see how that is,
but you know. and Betsy Jane
came az near it as she did hitting
me the other day when she threw u
chair at my head.
| will explain. There had ac
cnmnlated in the Treasury Of the
United States, from duties | OK
planned to YOU the other day some
thing near five hundred millions Of
dollars which is called a reserve
fund, to he used for any purpose
that Congress may direct.
see, said our friend, it is money
on hand for which there is no par
tcular use.
Yes, that's the idea. Well, you
see, some three years ago when the
republican party, by strict econo-
my and a protective tariff. had got
so much money on hand which be-
longed to the people, to you and |
in part, the question arose what
was to be done with part of this
vast sum of money. The republi-
can Senators looked over the land
and they saw down in the South
there we're thousands and millions
of poor children whose parents
we're too poor to pay for their
schooling, and whites and blacks
we're growing up in ignorance and
leading "A life of idleness and crime.
The Senators knew the Southern
people were too poor to educate
their children. School houses had
to be built and the money provid-
ed for paying teachers ; this was a
hard matter for the people to do in
their impoverished condition, hav-
ing lost so much by the war.
Some three years ago, Senator
Blair, of New Hampshire, drew up
a bill, the main provisions of which
was to take S77,00O,0OO of this sur
plus money and to distribute that
among the States accord
ing to the ratio Of the children and
adults who could not read nor
write.
Well, that was fair proposition,
wasn'tit?
Yes, it was. Well taking the
basis of those who could not read
nor write for the distribution OF
this money for school purposes
among the States. the great bulk
of it would 90 to the Southern
for it is fact that the poor
children of the North have been
better educated than the poor peo'
pie of the South.
Senator Blair and the other re-
publicans passed his bill.
Is that the law now?
No. The bill after it was passed
by republican Senate was sent to
the House, which had majority OF
democrats, and they refused to pass
the bill and make it a law.
If I'd known that Betsy Jane
and | would have voted the repub'
lean ticket long afore this.
At the first session of Congress
after Mr.. Cleveland became Presi-
lent, Senator Blair again offered
his Educational bill; which was
again passed and sent to a demo
cratic House where it was defeated.
Well, darn their mean hides, If l
ever vote for them again may lose
ny senses.
Congress met last December and
Turing the session Senator Blair
again passed his bill in the republi'
IAN Senate and it was again killed
BY the democrats in the House.
Well, now can see through
his, but alters was told the DEM
1crats were in favor OF free schools.
is this so?
In their State and district plat
'orms the democrats have passed a
resolution in favor OF the Blair bill,
out their members of Congress vot-
ID to kill it, Notwithstanding the
pledges of the party. Two years
100 when the democratic cOnven-
ion met in Chicago and nominated
.irover Cleveland the delegates
passed a resolution declaring that
congress had no authority to take
money from the U. S. Treasury for
he benefit of the States or for any
)ther purpose.-PrOgreSSirG Age.