The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-04-30


George Ticknor Curtis, in letter to the
Star, printed yesterday, pointed out to the
Southern people ono possible outcome of
the movement inaugurated by the Blair bill
that demands their serious attention. IF
the federal government is to furnish the
money with which public schools are sup
ported, it will logically and inevitably come
to exercise a control propoltioned to such
support. No possible barriers against this
can be erected, because the safeguards pro-
vided by tho Democratic Interpretation of
the Federal Constitution will be overthrown
by the passage Of this very bill. The Dem
ocratic idea is, that all matters relating to
single locality are to be kept under the
control Of the people of that locality. This
involves the converse proposition, that all
matters related to the federal government
must be under the direct control of that
government.
So long as the schooling Of children is
paid for by the people of the separate
States the local feelings and prejudices of
each State will naturally govern the man
agement of its own school system. No o2e
familiar with public feeling in the South
ern and border States can doubt for n mo-
ment that the attempt t, educate white a@d
colored children in the same schools would
result in the complete breakdown of the
public school system. One of two things
wonld surely happen. The white children
would be Withdrawn and the colored chill
dren alone enjoy the advantages of the
school fund raised by public taxation, or
else school taxes would cease to be levied
and public schools no longer be maintained.
So long as the control of their school sys-
tenn is in the hands of the people of those
States no such ruinous experiment can pos
sibly be tried, but ifthe control Of the sys-
tenn passes into the hands of Congress there
is not only no certainty that mixed schools
may not be established, but every reason to
fear that such an attempt may be made.
The desertion Of the Democratic princi-
pies by Southern representatives who have
voted for the Blair bill will unquestonably
tend to weaken and demoralize the demo-
cratic party in the Northern States Should
this Generalization GO far enough, those
States would again be represented almost
exclusively by Republicans. and that party
would thereby secure majority in both
houses of Congress and obtain control Of
the Presidency. Once more, then, a Sec
tional party, drawing its whole strength
from the North, and influenced by the sem
timcntal ideas OF those who have never been
brought into close contact with the negro
race, would have complete command of fed.
eral legislation. 1t would find in the Blair
bill weapon fashioned to it's purpose of
destroying the constitutional Limitations that
have thus far stood in the way of it's march
toward Capitalization. 1t would be sub
jected to pressure from its own supporters
in the North ard from the blacks, whom it
always has hoped would eventually become
its effective supporters in the South, to put
an end to all discrimination between the
races. The influences that brought Re-
publican Congress in the past to attempt
to force coored men into the theatres.
hotels and steamboat saloons, on terms of
equal association wi Ii the whites would
be certain to compel similar attempt on
the public schools. If those schools arc
supported, even in part, by federal aid, that
would only be continued on condition that
the whites and blacks were educated to-
gether under the same teachers and in the
same classes. The South would not submit
to this, but all it would be able to do would
to withdraw the white children from such
schools and allow them to be monopolized
by the blacks. 1t could not, however, with
draw from their support because it hal help
ed itself to establish the policy of taxing the
whole people, through the machinery
Of the federal government for the support
of loacl schools, on the ground that the
whole country is interested in promoting
and maintaining public education. .--Ne,o
York Star.