Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-01-21

Next to the tariff, the chief meas
ure of the session will be the Blair
Educational Bill. It's former history
will be repeated. Twice has it pass
ed the Republican Senate aud twice
has it been quietly smothered in the
Democratic House. 1t is now before
the Senate again. The vote b,
which it was taken up for considera-
ton is significant. 1t was 38 to Is.
the majority being composed OF "a
Republicans and IA Democrats, while
the minority was composed oil IA.
Democrats and one Republican,
Gen. Hawley. OF the fourteen neg
alive votes little Delaware gave two,
and tue balance with one exception
came from the South--two each from
Tennessee, Texas and Missouri, and
one each Beck, Butler, Faulkner,
German, Hearst, Morgan) from Ken
lucky, South Carolina, West Virgin
ia, Maryland, California and Alaba
ma. And yet S5S,OOO,OOO of the II,
100000 to be appropriated BY the
bill, goes to the South, because three
fourths of all the illIteracy in all this
broad land exists in that section.
Do Democrats fear lntelligence7 If
not, why seek to keep in ignorance
a section, without the vote of which
Democracy could not muster cor
poral's guard at the National Capt.
tai. With the tull knowledge of his
hostility to the Blair Bill, the Demo.
Gratis in the House nominated Speak
er Carlisle by reclamation aud elect
ed him by strict party vote. One
of his first official acts is to again
pack the Committee on Education
so that tie Blair Bill, when it comes
to the House, will be buried as it
was before. The composition of the
Committee is a guarantee of this.
Notwithstanding all of these disad
vantages, however, the friends of ire
measure will make determined eff
fort to secure a vote.
On the first day after the holiday
recess, several educational bills were
introduced in the House-all of
which, | believe, were notifications
of the Blair Bill. Three of them
came from Virginia members
Messrs. Wise, O'Ferrall and Yost,
the latter presenting the Senate bill
in its entirety as a House measure.
If it is possible TO get the bill from
the Committee and before the House,
the chances are that it will pass.
The Republicans will support it al
most solidly, and enough from the
other side will join them to overcome
the slender Democratic majority.
But even then the trouble will not
end. The shadow of the Executive
vetoe hangs over it. The Presidents
opposition is we'll known. An evi
dence of it was afforded last week.
On the desk of each mem Der OF the
House was laid a pamphlet entitled
" A bill to encourage mendicancy."
1t was compilation of editorials
from the Presidents personal organ,
the New York Post, in which the
Blair Bill was violently assailed.
The argument was weak, and but for
its being regarded as rejecting the
views of the Executive, the pamph.
let would have attracted no atten-
ton. AS it is, there has been con-
siderable comment, and a strength
ening OF the generally accepted opin-
ion as to the Presidents position.
Verify it looks as if another disap-
pointment awaits those who so earn
estly desire to see the schools in the
enjoyment OF the benefits the meas
ure would bestow.-V Valley Virgin
ian.