The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-05-20
Democracy and Education.

In the House of Representatives on the I
18th, Mr.. O'Neill, of Missouri, from the
Committee on Labor, moved to suspend /
the Rules and adopt a resolution setting
apart Jnne Sd, and subsequent days. for |
the consideration of business presented {
by that body.
During the debate on the resolution of
Mr.. O'Neill, the following cross-firing oc-
cured:
Mr. Dunn, of Arkansas, energetically
affirmed that the educational bill had not
had fair play. He had never before seen q
great measure throttled by such unwar-
ranted means as had been resorted to in
order to stifie that bill
Mr.. O'Neill. The gentleman does not
apply that to our committee.
Mr.. Dunn. apply it to those who have
governed this house
And, :" broke IN Mr.. Morrison. tapping
himself upon his shoulder, whatever re-
sponiibility attaches to me | take. "
Laughter.
Mr.. Reagan. of Texas, protested against
the practice of assigning days for the con-
sideration of petty business reported by
some unimportant committees, on the
ground that it prevented action upon
great public measures such as the inter-
state commerce bill, the Pacific railroad
| funding bill and the land forfeiture bill.
| Mr.. Cowles, of North Carolina, eX-
pressed his sorrow that, Notwithstanding
the declarations Of State and National
| Democratic Conventions. he should find
himself among so few who were willing
openly to champion the cause of public
| education.
| Mr.. Morrison suggested that the gentle
man forgot what party he was in. The
educational plank had been in the Repub-
! lican platform. not in the Democratic.
Mr.. Dunn opposed the resolution on ac-
count of what he considered an unfair
discrimination against the educational
bill. The opponents of that measure were
afraid to let the House vote upon it. The
most remarkable and extraordinary forth
fications had been erected against it. He
had found among his pile of reports re-
port on the bill extending the bonded
| whisky period. That was the same old
bill that had been kicked ANONYMOUSLY out
Of the House during two or three Con
crosses. Some gentlemen seemed willing
to vote millions for whisky, but not one
dollar for education. That was not his
platform.
It will be seen that Mr.. Morrison, the
leader of the Democratic party in the
House, expressly declared that his party
was not in favor of National aid to public
education and pointed to the fact in evil
dence of this, that the Democratic Ma
tional platform did not contain resolu-
tion in favor of it. while the Republican
platform did In the face OF this an
nouncement and the further fact that the
record made by that party in the present
and last Congress, is tostile to the Blair
Bill, the Democratic papers OF Virginia
have the effrontery to claim that the De-
mocracy is the friend of popular educa-
ton. Nothing wider of the truth could
be asserted, for the education of the
masses is the sure way to undermine and
destroy that organization. 1t lives upon
ignorance and prejudice and its policy is
to keep the masses in darkness as to their
true interests and rights. The statement
of Mr.. Morrison explains why the Blair
bill has been smothered-wh Maj. Dan
iel, of Virginia, has gone back on his
promises to the people, of this State, and
why the Blair educational bill, the appro-
priation in which is so essential to the
healthy existence of the public schools in
Virginia and the South, will never be
enacted into law by a Democratic Con-
gress.