The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-09-06
srAUNTON, VIRGINIA SEPTEMBER

namely, Messrs. Cockrell, Coke, Gray,
Harris, Maxey, Wilson of Maryland: and
were Republicans, namely, Messrs. FRYE
Hale. ingalls,, Jones of Nevada, and
Plumb. Nine pairs were announced OF
? the Senators paired and who would have
: vott d for the bill seven were Republicans,
: namely, Mpssrs. Dawes Edmunds. Harri
;, son, McM llan. Mitchell of Pennsylvania.
Pike, and Stanford and 2 Democrats.
Messrs. Brown, and Hampton. OF the
Senators paired and who would have voted
against the bill were Democrats. namely.
Messrs. Morgan, Beck, Butler, Vest and
Salisbury; and 4 were Republicans,
| namely, Messrs, Chace, Platt, Hawley,
ana Sc we'll.
Counting The pairs the bill passed by
vote of As TOGO. OF the affirmative vote
! n were Republicans and Is Democrats; of
} the negative vote IL were Democrats and
8 Republicans.
. 1t went to House Democratic by 43
majority. 1t was referred to the Com.
mittee on Education, majority of whom
were Democrats, and so bitterly hostile to
the pill that they refused to act upon itsat
all, endeayoring thus to stife it and deprive
the peoples representatives of even the
privilege OF consideration. In this they
, were successful: But its friends did not
yield without struggle. On the 10Th of
March Mr.. Willis introduced a House bill,
The words of which we're Identical with
, the Senate bill, and moved that it be refer
red to the Committee on Labor, hoping,
doubtless, that those who had been desig-
mated TO specially guard the interest of the
working classes would eagerly avail of an
} opportunity 20 render signal service to
every laboring man in the broad limits of
the Union. Opposition to this reference
at once sprung up, its enemies recognizing
the motion as IN the interest of the meas
ure, and that its purpose was to present
the issue squarely before tbs representa-
tives OF the people ana let them decide as
to its merits.
The vote upon the motion to refer was
regarded as a test of friendship for the
bill. The motion was oarried-13S ayes to
liz nays. OF the affirmative vote II were
Republicans and 81 were Democrats. Of
the negative vote So were Democrats and
only "a Republicans. OF the entire Re
publican vote Is per cent. favored the
reference, and therefore the bill and Is
per cent. opposed it. Of the entire Demo
cratic vote 43 per cent. favored the bill
and 81 per cent. opposed it.
1t Went to the Committee on Labor, but
that committee was also composed of
majority of Democrats loyal to the party
creed.
They refused, as had the Committee on
Education, to report the bill back for
action by the House, but in it's stead pre-
sented a substitute which eliminated
every feature of the bill worth preserving
aud effrctually killed it, Tie substitute |
proposed to render probematiQai the fund |
from which the appropriation was to be |
made by providing that it should be de |
rived from the proceeds of the sale of pub |
lie land, and 1T robbed the bill Of its very |
germ and essence by providing that the |
/ distribution should be made Oh the basis OF |
| population and not on the basis OF 1lit- |
eracy. The design OF the Blair bill was to
aid the poor and the ignorant-to provide
! the means for a leveling up of the plane of |
| intelligence by placing the money where 1t
was most needed. [ADplause. The Grain
substitute simply perpetrated the Unequal
I! legislation that looked TO the uplifting of |
the working classes. and in this it was sue
CT ssful, for it barred all hope of the Blair
bill becoming law in the Forty ninth |
Congress.
Mi. Buchanan. The minority of the
committee-the Republican members of
the cpl,n naitt ee--ran,irtf'd as snhstitnta
bill.
Mr. Yost. Yes, sir; should have mem
toned that.
MIR. O'Neill, of Missouri. The Blair bill
as u Senate measure Was never before our
commi tee The bill referred to the Com
mittee on Labor was the bill introduced
by the then representative from Kentucky,
Mr.. Willis.
Mr.. Yost. Which was precisely similar
| IN terms to the Blair bill.
| Mr.. O'Neill, of Missouri. But the Sen
ate bill itself was referred to the Commit
tee on Education.
| Mr.. Buchanan. l am referring TO the |
substantial provisions of the measure, not |
to the particular document.
Mr.. O'Neill. of Missouri. am referring |
to the bill itself
Mr.. Buchanan. am speaking of the
principle.
Mr.. Yost. The bill of Mr.. Willis was
precisely similar to the Blair bill. Mr..
Willis so stated at the time he introduced
it.
Mr.. Buchanan. And we so understood it
MIR. Yost. A year ago, Mr.. Chairman, L
sat as spectator in the Virginia Demo
cratic State convention held at Roanoke.
One of the speakers was Democrat OF
national reputation-a man whom his own
people had delighted to honor-Who had
been member OF the Forty-nlnth Congress
and from this hall passed to the other end
of the Capitol to take his seat as United
States Senator. Before that large assem-
bly of representative Democrats OF the
Old Dominion, Senator Daniel spoke with
that power and eloquence for which he is
noted, and which never fails to win en-
thusiastic applause. The scene and the
warmth of welcome extended seemed to
arouse him to an extraordinary effort. lie
dWelt with force and fervor upon the
issues of the canvass, the prospects of the
party, and the blessings that would follow
its continued ascendancy in the State He
then entered upon review OF the work OF
the Forty ninth Congress, claiming that
with all of its shortcomings 1t had enacted
much important legislation. such as the
inter state commerce law, the oleomarga-
rine bill, and other measures in which the
public interests were involved.
And last came his reference to the Blair
, educational bill. Why. said he, Was it not
passed? Let us follow the advice OF our
, great leader-'stell the truth The truth
is that the bill was defeated by John q.
Carlisle. AS the Speaker of the House he
appointed the Committee on Education
and so constituted it that no report should
: come from it. and all action on the Blair
bill would thus be stifled. So hostile, said
the Senator, to the interests of my people
did | regard this action of John g. Carlisle
upon this most important OF all subjects
:, to them. that at the close of the session.
[, as a Representative of Virginia, could
not and did not vote for the resolution OF
, thanks to the Speaker, (which it is custo'
!, mary to pass when the term OF Congress
, ends
A thousand others besides myself heard
this statement, and the number included
reporters of various newspapers. In its
report of that part of the speech the Rich
mond Dispatch, the organ of the Demo
cratic party in the State of Virginia, said;
. Some say, Well you did not pass the Blair
bill, l, said the Senator, will follow Grover
Clevelands advice. who says "Speak the
truth" The reason the bill was not passed was
! because John g. Carlisle defeated it.
The New York Times. another good
Democratic authority, in its report said:
: He also laid to Speaker Carlisle the defeat OF
] the Blair educational bill, course which lei
MIR Daniel to refuse, as he said, to join In Vote
of thanks to the Speaker.
/ Senator Daniel is manly, straightfor-
e ward man, who generally says what he
g believes and is ready to assume RESPONSE
bllity for what he says. He will not deny
the statement here attributed to him. ASK
e him if he said it, and l doubt not his reply
e will be: Il not only said it but l meant
t every word of it," He was earnest enough
e in its utterance to mean every word OF it.
:, and as the declaration fell from his lips the
e very building trenbed with the thunder
II. de- bn