Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-12
THE BLAIR BILL.

LIZ I1LLk1I ~ LCILLs
The Blair educational bill by which it
is proposed to distribute among the
several states On the basis CT illiterscy
$4,000, 900 is the most important piece
Of legislation that will come before the
present meeting OF the national legislo-
ture. The measure has given room for
considerable discussion, srd opinion is
divided on it's feasibility. The author Of
the bill, Mr. Blair, is not the agent of
eastern monopolists who are trying TO
beggsr the Treasury in order to make the
present tariff necessity. Such srgu-
ments are worse than genselees. He is
statesman of a very high order of ability
apd philanthropist whose ambition it is
to do good. His argument is that the Ia
ton being responsible for the eDfrsnchise-
ment of the slaves in the south, the
nation ahould fit the newly made citizens
for the duties devoiving upon them es
such and that it is unjust to ask the in
dividusl states where largo majority Of
these freedmen live to besr the burden OF
taxation for educational purposes. There
csn be nothing eaid against the objects
sought 10 DE accomplished by the bill.
The iIliteracy OF the country is indisputa-
BILE sad the education Of tee people is
necessary. The Only argument that can
DE successfully advanced against it is
mat il is unconstitutional, unnecessary
and pregnant with evil results which
would be z greater menace to the perpet-
uation of our form of government than
anything to be apprehended from Hitter
acy, even though the education Of the
masses could not be secured in any
other way. OF its unconstitutioaalitY
there can be little doubt. There is
no warrant IN the Constitution for
the expenditure of money for educa-
tional purposes. No matter what might
be accomplished by the bill, it is an
assumption of power never granted the
federal government end one which the
states would hesitate long before sur
rendering. 1t is unnecessary: Whatev
er might have been the demands for such
q measure directly after the war they do
not exist at present. II the federal gov
eminent had educated the slaves before
enfraDchising them, or begun the work Of
education at the time of enfrsnchisiDg
them, some color of excuse .pight be
found for such an unWarranted' usurpa-
ton Of authority, but instead Of this, the
federal government contented itself with
forming Freedmen's Bureaus to delude
and rob the freedmen and in encouraging
idleness and mendicancy in him by prom
Using him "forty.a acres and mule" The
southern states have survived end re-
covered from the shock Of the late civil
w8r. They are now prosperous and
b. coming annually more and more
wealthy; they have q system of public
free schools sufficient to educate the
masses for ell practical purposes neces-
sarv to the discharge of the duties Of
coed citizenship, and extraneous aid is
neither sought nor desired. II neither Of
the foregoing reasons were found sufi :
cient to render the passage Of the bill
unWise, the direful 'esults that would
surely follow its enactment should warn
all patriotic statesmen 10 vote against it,
The fear CT too great Capitalization Ct
power is neither vague nor mythical.
The worlds history is al open book.
Popular governments have arisen, -four
ished and faded from view, and unWar
ranted and unwise drafts of power by the
central heads of all the popular govern
ments Of the past, stand out like mile
stones on the road Of their destruction
That passion of gr.sping acsuisitiveness
so conspicuous in human nature asserts
itself with redoubled force in the rulers
of all nations. The cry continually is for
more power, more authority, tie
omnipotence of the government
and the insignifcance and de-
graduation CT the citizen. Symme-
try and stability nave been sacrificed and
ignored, and the one predomlnating de-
sire for altitude has been gratified with
the unvary;ng results Of top heaviness
and consequent downfall. The govern
ment of the United States is not sle1-
der shaft that can be run up to any de-
sired height: it should, like the noun
tain, be firm, fixed and permanent. The
autonomy and supremacy OF the states