Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-29
It's Constitutionality.

It's Constitutionalty
To whom would Mr.. CLEVELAND look
for an opinion as 10 the constitutionality
OF the BLAIR hill in case that bill should
reach him during the current session OF
CONGRESS? 10 his Attorney General, OF
course. What is the Attorney-Generars
opinion on this question? We need
not tell persons who read this pa
per regularly that lac voted for
the BLAIR hill himself when it passed
tie Senate during his membership
in that body. But Mr.. LAMAR, whom the
President has Just elevated to the bench
of the Supreme Court OF the United
States. also voted for that bill at the same
time. When, therefore, Mr.. CLEVELAND
has selected for the highest Judicial tri-
bunal in the land and for the highest
Office in the Department Of Justice
men who are not only known to be
friendly to the BLAIR bill but who
have voted for it, what good reason can
there be for fearing that he would veto it
If it were passed
And yet it would seem that the BLAIR
bill is to be opposed by some Democrats
in Congress because they do not desire
to compel the President to choose be-
tween a veto end approval. They as
sumo that be would veto i, if he were
put to that test and then propose to
make that assumption the basis of their
failure to press the bill TO It's passage.
A policy OF that sort will not answer IN
Virginia nor in North Carolina. however
il may he received in Kentucky. where
Bourbonism seems to he as prevalent IN
politics as in potations.
We have mentioned the names OF La
MAR and GARLAND as men whose opinion
that the BLAIR bill is constitutional
ought to cause men OF less fame and legal
lore to be modest in maintaining that 1t
is not. But We coull name numerous
Others. Hon. J. f. n. CURRY, the
American Minister to Spain, is one His
letter advocating the BLAIR bill is one
Of the strongest arguments in It's favor
with which the people have been favored.
We might name not only Senators RAN
som, JONAs, GEoGGg, HAHPToN, BBowN,
and nearly all the Democrats at present
in the United States Senate, bat a list OF
distinguished worthless of other days, as
men whose declarations IN favor OF
Government aid to education ought
70 lave settled the question OF
the coustitutionality OF the BLAIR bill.
Governor Brow quoted on two different
occasions from the utteIances OF GEORGE
WASHINGTON, Thomas JEFFERSON, JAMES
MADISON, and john QUIycY ADAMs-four
Presidentsof the United Statcs-in favor
of national aid at least to higher educa-
ton and in this day nobody will he
found to deny that children who have an
opportunity to receive only a common
school education have at least as much
claim upon the Government as the chill
dren of the rich. II the BLAIR bill is a
bill TO promote mendicancy then the bill
TO establish West Point Academy was
bill to promote mendicancy.
The Supreme Court of the United
States has unanimously decided that it
is constitutional TO grant public lands
in aid of common-school education.
Acknowledgement GARLAND, in abiding
TO this fact, added on one occasion, that
as the Henator from Florida had well
said, "lf you could grant lands, you
could, Of course, grant money; If you
could grant land worth dollar and
quarter an acre, you could grant the
dollar and a quarter in money" And
this reminds us that the Charlottesville
Chronicle demands either the lands or
the money. In his first annual tad
dress" as it was then called, President
GEORGE WASHINGTON said:
"Nor am / less persuaded that You
will agree with me in opinion that there
is nothing which can better deserve your
patronage than the promotion OF science
and literature. knowledge is IN every
country the surest basis Of public hap
plness. In one in which the measures
of government receive their impress
siOns so immediately from the sense OF
the community as in Onrs IT is proper
tionably essential. To the security OF a
free constitution it contributes in va
rious ways-by convincing those who are
inirusted with the public administration
that every valuable end Of government
is best answered by the enlightened con-
hdence of the people, and by teaching
the people themselves to know and value
their own rights 10 discern and provide
against invasions of them F; TO distinguish
between oppression and the necessary
exercise of lawful authority; between
burdens proceeding from disregard to
their convenience, and those resulting
from the inevitable exigencies OF socie-
ty; TO discriminate the spirit OF liberty
from that OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, cherishing
the first, avoiding the last, and uniting
speedy but temperate vigilance against
Entertainments with an inviolable respect
70 the laws"
Choose between GEORGE WASHINGTON
and the opponents of the BLAIR bill.