Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-17
COKE ON THE BLAIRB BILL
Fall Text Of Tie Ttx<~ ,~patos'~ p-' Cav
Reviewing the B,ii aAd ~ ng ti.s
Reasons for Opposing Ii.
Thu Bill an Unwsrrapted IntsrFe=sDes with
Il utj .cs Belonging tt,. Exclusive
JuTi.d.Gtio1i or The STATES.

ivered IN the Senate January Il:
Mr.. President, oppose this bin be-
cause it IS pslpaoly snd grossly violatiye
II the constitution, and because ss s.
measure OF policy it's un8ise aud Inexpe-
dient. The common schools Of the states
# this UGioG hold 70 be solely and ex-
clus1vely uuGer the jurisdiction and con-
troll of the several states, and outside Of
and foreign to the jurisdiction Of the
national government. The proposition
Of this bill is, as It's title and provisions
iInr ort, "to aid in the establishment and
support of common schools" in the
states and territories, and for this pur-
pose 1t appropriates ST., GOO, 600, to be
raised by federal taxation, and expended
over s period OF eight years, under the
control snd subject TO the supervision
and direction Of federal officials. II
this bill becomes law it will be an in
sidious, bat rome the less certain seizure
Of the subject OF education in the states
ID be controlled, regulated aud admins
tered under federal Jurisdiction, when
ever it may DE the pleasure OF the ma
tional government to take charge Of it..
a brief reference to the provisions OF the
bill will establish this clearly. reed
sections end C.
"Sec. 4 That no state or territory shall
receive any money under this act until
the governor thereof shall file with the
Secretary Of the Interior a statement, Ger
tihad by him, showing the common
school system in force in such state Or
territory; the amount OF money expended
thereia during the last preceding school
lYeSr in the support of common schools,
pot inclpdiBg expenditures for the rent,
Repair Or erection of schoolhouses /;
whetaSf any discrimination is made in
the raising or distributing OF the COM
mon school revenues CT in the common
school facilities afforded between the
white and colored children therein, anC,
so far az is practicable, the sources from
(which such revenues were derived; the
manner IL which the same were appor-
| toned to the use OF the common schools
the number OF white and cOiored children
! in each county or parish and city be-
tween the sges of ten and tWenty-one
years, both inclusive, as given by the
census Of 1880, and the number Of
children, white and cclored, Of such
school sge attending school; the NUMBER
OF schools in operation in each county or
parish and city, white and colored; the
school term for eech Glass; the number OF
teachers employed, white and colored,
male and female, and the average com.
pensation paid such teachers; the aver
age attendance in each class, end the
! length o. the school term. No money
shall be psid out under this ec5 to any
| state or territory that shall not have pro
! yided by law system Of free common
! schools for ali OF its children Ct echooi
sge, without distinction OF race or color,
either in the r0ieing or distributing o:
school revenues or in the school facilities
sf1rded: Provided, that separate schools
lOr white and colo.ed children shall not
be considered violation of this condi-
| ion. The Secretary Of the Interior shall
certify to the Secretary Ct the Treasury
the states and territories which he finds
to be entitled TO share in the bene fits OF
this Get and also the amount due to each,
"S-c. 6 That the instruction in the
common schools wherein these moneys
shall pe expended shall include the art of
| reading, writing and speaking the Euglisn
language, arithmetic, geography, history
CT the Ualted States, and such other
branches of useful knowledge IS msy be
t2ught under local laws; and copies OF
al sch0oI-books authorized By the school
boards, or other authorities of the re-
sp 3ctive states and territories, and used
IN the schools Of the same, shall be flied
with the Secretary OF the Iutsrior''
Section 10 forbids the erection OF
scAOol-houses or the payment of rent out
Ct this fupd. Sections + and II defiue
various grounds on which the Secretary
Of the Iaterior may declare forfeitures of
the rights 81 several states in the fund.
Section l6 spprOpriates an additional
sum Of 81, 0G0. 600 for the construction of
scnoolhoouses, to be built in accordance
With plans to be inrB shed on application
to the BGreSu OF Education st Washing
| ton, provided that not more than $50
shall be psid tOTaTd the cost of anY one
house; expenditures CT moneys under
this bill by the states to be fully reported
by hem to the Secretary of the Interior
annually.
Section l provides that in order to re-
ctive the benefits of this act, each state
ahsll by bill or resolution OF It's Legisls-
tuEe Sccept the provisions of the same,
and = any state shslI fsil TO accept by
such b IL or resolution, that the share OF
snca s'aEe shall be divided among those
sCcepting. 1t Is obvious that the pur-
pO>e # the bill is not alone to
provide cid for the common schools, but
% folio " the money and see to it's sppli-
csLt0u, sud prescribe the methods. iDstTu-
ineDtaiiies. etc, through which il shall
0t expended. 1t prescribes certain
branches OF study 10 be pursued in the
ee cno0ls. 1t asserts the gbt to super
wise the selection Of the teXt books to be
used, for Whist other conclusion can be
drawn from the requirements Of section
6, that "copies of ali school books author
ized 70 be used in the common schools of
the respective states shall De filed with
the Secretary OF the Interior.
1t requires s full and detailed report
from each state annually OF the admins
trstion and operation Of the common
schools, and Ct the mode and manner of
expenditure Of the money to be furnished
under this oil, sud fsilure to make
this report subjects the state 10
the penalty Of forfeiture of lis share in
ths4gn6. The Secretsry Of The Interior
E4sfnVested with autOcrstic power III the
administration Of this fund, snd may
0Ting any state Ia the Union TO his feet in
order 10 avert the judgment of forfeiture
be Is SathoTized for many causes to pro-