Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-02-04
The Blair EDUCATIONAL Bill.

is now again under discussion in
the Senate, proposes to take S79.-
QUO, 900 ont of the federal treasury
to aid the common schools of the
States for a series of years in Sums
proportional to the llliteracy III
each. There are certain conditions
however, on which the receipt by
any State of its share of the 49,
100000 will depend. 1t cannot,
for example, receive from the fed
eral treasury in any year more than
it takes for educational purposes
from its own treasury in that y ear,
and it will receive none at all ull-
less it deposits with the federal
government copies Of the text
books used III the State schools,
supplies full school statistics and
receives from an official of the f,tl
eral government a certain certlfi
cafe that it has complied fully with
all the conditions II med i'll the
act. Much has been said in sup
port OF the bill, especially by Par
tiSan Republicans. 1t will be Il
means of reducing the surplus
without reducing taxation; it will
aid he impoverished South to NIT
igaie the burden of IN iiiiterate
elec. crate imposed on it by the
! North in tie eui'ranchiSpment OF
the colorcd people; it will furnish
occupation in the South for null
tilude of Republican school teach
crS drawn from the North. aud in
this and other ways tend to re-
new the hold the Republican party
has bad upon the c0l0red voter;
finally, it will tend to centralize
power at Washington at the tx.
pense of the States. Federal Off
GERS would be appointed to exam
inc and direct the working Of the
histories and other school hooks in
use in the South would fall under
| criticism. The chief objection to
tho Blair bill is its uncoustitutlon.
ality. Congress may give land
from the public domain 70 the
States for school purposes, but it
cannot, under its present powers,
levy and collect taxes to support
schools. Another objection is that
it brings the school systems of all
the States under federal control.
and must tend to destroy the vigor
CT the local school management
In the South particularly the work
ing Of the act will, it is thought,
occasion numerous conf cts ofopin
i,n between State and federal Off
Gals, any one of which Il partisan
Secretary of the lnfernr-Sueh, for
example, us Mr.. Biz Chandler
might make the basis Of Il sour
rilouS report and employ as an e1
cuse for Withholding the share Of
lie State in which the sQuabblt
originated. Southern school his
tones present IA view OF Tie civil
war, its origin, course aud results.
different from that accepted in
New Hampshire. and Mr.. Blalr'S
colleague in tie Senate would want
no better theme for an attack on
South Carolina than could be found
in a South Carolinian's history Of
the burning of Columbia or the
presidential seal OF 1S7G-should a
history of the period embracing
these events ever be written hy ii
South Carclnian. Everybody
should be anxious to promote har
luonious relations between the
races in the South and between
the South and the North, but the
Blair bill, lis thought, would prove
fire brand. The bill has been de-
scribed by some of its opponents
as "A bill topromote mcndlcancy."
1t would operate, say1those who
give it this title, to parallze local
effort in the cause of education,and
make of States that are now self
reliant chronic beggars. South
Carolina is doing admirably at
present for its schools. In 1885
South Carolina expended for
schools S42S.4I9, and 80 would be
entitled TO S4l6,6l7 the first year
under the Blair bill. Progressive
educators in that State might re-
joice ut the prospect of having
SS45, 900 to spend, and might be
willing to further fax TIE State 10
tile extent even of 100000 so as
to bring the whole sum available
for education up to a round million.
But there are old foglrs in that
State, as elsewhere, who may say,
awe need only $42S,010; let us.
therefore, cut down our State APP
preparation to s214,0O0, and look
to the federal governments for the
other S2l4,OC0." Where taxes are
high an opportunity to reduce at;lx
by half is Appreciated, and SO con-
venient would it appear to draw
cash for school purposes from
Washington that there would be !!
strong popular sentiment in favor
Of making the Blair scheme perlnit
nent. The '.brihcn it offers to he
South has already proven too pow
erful for a number of former ex.
ponent of States rights views, and
1t could hardly fail to grow more