Omaha daily bee., 1888-01-05
Eacta For Mr.. RIair.

That somewhat peculiar old gentle
man, Senator Blair, Of New Hampshire,
whose quality OF persistence Is quite as
remarkable as some OF his less meritori-
Gus characteristics, seems determined to
challenge another defeat OF his educa-
tional bill at the hands Of congress. He
has now been laboring for this pet
measure since 1881, and though the
close OF each session has left him no
nearer success than at the beginning,
he has seemed to acquire increased af-
fection for his hobby at every repulse,
and has brought it forward with unfail-
ing promptness at the opening of each
session only to have it knocked
about in the most careless
and irrcverent fashion in order
to make way for some other bill or
allow some senator to start debate. 1t
is again being subjected to this sort of
treatment, but its kindly old parent is
not bit discouraged and will not think
bit less of his battered and neglected
offspring. On the contrary whenever
the chance is allowed him he will talk
about it and fondle it in the presence of
the senate with the same old terms and
so often employed.
OF course Mr.. Blair has not the slight
est idea that there is any less reason
now than there was six years ago for
his bill. He is one of those people
who having settled upon a pro-
ject, for which at the time
there appears to be some ground, can
not thereafter conceive that there may
have taken place change of conditions
which o longer affords any justiiica-
tion to their project. Very likely Mr..
Blair doesn't want to learn any facts
that initiate against his pet scheme.
He will hardly fail to hear from some
one, however, that the south, for whose
special benefit his measure was con-
ceived, has been making progress in
educational matters in the past six
years, and that some of the states of that
section are really able at this time to
show a percentage of illiteracy no
greater than Mr.. Blair's own state of
New Hampshire. twill undoubtedly sur
Dl 100 W lcstIu OHtIU LII NlES lIlltt,
West Virginia and Tennessee the school
year has been extended, with notable
| increase in the attendance upon the
| public schools; that in Alabama during
| the past four years the number of school
| houses has increased nearly one thou
sand and is now $500, accommodating a
! quarter of a million pupils; that in Ar
| kansas and Georgia the figures show a
rapid growth of the public school sys-
tenn during the past three or four years,
and that in Florida and Texas there
has been a steady and marked
increase in the facilities of pub
lie education and in the pop
ular interest regarding it. In
short, all the reports thus far made of
school superintendents in the southern
states for the past year show that the
people OF that section are wide awake
on the subject of public education, and
determined that the rising generation
shall not want the advantage of com
mon school education. Perhaps il
would be just to Mr. Blair to credit this
awakening in part to his bill, but how
ever this may be the fact that the soutl
is pushing forward with mos
cOmmendable vigor in educationa
work is unquestionable, and having
caught the spirit, with much create
ability to carry it out than ever before
the people of the south can safely be
left to take care of their own interest
in this particular.
If there is any greater interest in tn,
present congress in behalf of the Blail
bill than was shown in preceding con
crosses since that measure was first in
troduced, it will be found among thos
who see in it a way OF providing for tn
expenditure of a considerable part @
the surplus revenue from present tax
alton and thereby furnishing an excus
for less reduction than woul
otherwise be necessary. We d
not believe, however, that the numbe
of such who will dare declare thomselvc
is sufficient to give this measure
chance of success. The party that shoul
become responsible for voting away tn
eighty million dollars involved in tn
Blair bill would simply invite its ow
destruction.