Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-25
THURSDAY........MARCH2 5, 1886.
An Important Matter.

An Important Matter.
One Of our Lynchburg contempora-
riss gives us credit for being deeply In
terested in the fate Of the BLAIR bill.
That We do not attach too much impor-
lance 10 the action or non-action OF a
Democratic House Of Representatives,
on that bill can be proved to the salts
faction Of every rejecting Democrat.
On the silver problem, the tariff and
other questions, the people are divided
into TWO almost equal parties, and the
mysteries of finance, the intricacies OF
protection laws, the dangers of railroad
legislation, &C., &C., cause the public
to be content with whatever Congress
may do on those subjects. Or, If not
content, there is no such unanimity
among them in favor Of any other mea-
sure that has come or can come before
Congress as upon the BLAIR bill.
Let strict-construction Democrats re-
member that the ablest lawyers in the
United States Senate, Democrats and
Republicans, not only maintained in
argument the constitutionality Of the
BLAIR bill but voted for it. Let
all Democrats remember that the
vote in the Senate on the passage of the
bill was three to one and let them re-
member also that much larger pro-
portion of the voters of the country
favor that measure, if we may be allow
ed to Judge from facts which ought not
to be lost sight of by any congressman
or other person who believes that the
rule of the Democratic party is indis-
pensable to the peace and prosperity of
the people. We submit to a candid
world" a few OF these facts as set forth
in q preamble and resolution offered in
the House of Representatives last Mon
day by Mr.. WHEELER, of Alabama.
Mr.. WHEELER reminded the House
of Representatives that the Legislatures
of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Ken
lucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North
Carolina. South Carolina, Virginia, and
West Virginia have passed resolutions
requesting or directing their Senators
and Representatives to aid in securing
the passage of bills which seek to aid
in the temporary support of common
schools that Christian and educational
associations throughout the United
States have adopted resolutions urging
that Congress enact a law providing for
the temporary support of common
schools and that the superintendent
of public instruction for the States Of
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mis-
sissippi, Missouri, North Carolina.
South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia,
and West Virginia have memorialized
Congress, setting forth the immediate
and pressing educational wants of the
southern States Of the Union, and pray
ing for speedy action in aid thereof.
The BLAIR bill gathers strength as
It goes. To fight against it is to fight
against the inevitable. Its passage is
mere question of time. The congress-
men consenting" to its defeat in the
present or next House Of Representa-
tiyes will be left at home, and in their
stead will be sent to Washington men
who know that there has been war
and that the Constitution of the United
States has had new gloss put upon it.
We have so much faith in the BLAIR
bill that we are confident it would be
passed by the House Of Representatives
at once II it could be got before that
body. But under the rules Of the
House, it requires two-thirds vote to
take up out Of order and pass any bill.
Mr.. WHEELER's resolution Of Mon
day instructs the Committee on Rules
to report rule providing that ma
jority may withdraw bill from one
committee and refer it to another. But
that resolution itself was referred to
the Committee on Rules instead Of being
passed, and SO the BLAIR bill, with all
is strength, lies bound in chains in a
body Democratic by forty.odd majority.
Again we warn the Democrats in
Congress that they are imperilling
Democratic supremacy in the next
House OF Representatives.