The National tribune., 1888-01-26

$4,000 per annum. This sum viii not admit
Of an average salary to the school teachers of
more than $50 for four months in the year,
which makes the case nearly hopeless, as the fact
that the County is so large presents an almost
insurmOuntable obstacle Many of the school
districts have no hOol-houses, and all OF them
are inferior and poorly furnished. Yet john
son County is one of the largest and wealthiest
in the State. 1t is impossible to raise the tax
to secure more revenue for schools.
Senator Blair then read letters showing a
similar condition of affairs in Virginia and
Tennessee
The Senate adjourned at the conclusion of
his speech.
In the House, the Clerk announced the in
disposition Of Speaker Carlisle, aud S. s. Cox
a. " was appointed Speaker pro tempore.
MIR. Mckinley presented resolutions adopted
by the conference of wool manufacturers, wool
growers and wool dealers in Washington, Jan.
H. and asked that it be printed in the Record;
which was done, and the resolutions referred to
the Committee on Ways and Means.
After the transaction Of some routine bust
ness and a parliamentary wTangle over rules
and motions to adjourn, the House finally ad-
journed
WEDNESDAY, JAN. Is.
In the Senate, Senator Frye presented the
petition Of Ella N. Grover, widow Of Gen. Gu
vier Grover, lsb u. s. Cav, asking for an in
crease of pension.
Petitions from their respective States for
prohibition In the District of Columbia were
presented by Senators Dolph Cullom and Cock
rel.
The bill for the refunding of the direct tax,
which instruets the Secretary Of the Treasury
70 credit TO each State aud Territory and the
District of Columbia, a sum equal to the col
lec5ions made under the direct-tax act of Aug.
>, 1861, aud RENTS all moneys still due the
United States under that act. was taken up and
debated.
Senator Vance offered an amendment extend
ing the provision to the tax collections under
the law OF 1862, which was supported by other
Senators from the cotton raising States, but OPP
posed by Senator Sherman, who contended that
the cotton tax Of from S60,O00,000 to 950,000,000
was q right and proper one.
The amendment was rejected, and the bill
/ then passed by vote of 16 to 46. This bill
viii return about SI7,000,000 to the States and
Territories.
4 The consideration Of the Educational Bill was
I resumed. Senator Brown Ca made speech
1 in favor Of the bib. and said that while the
Southern States had made decided progress in
the education of the people since 1885, the bur-
ben of educating the children Of the two races IS
ia the impoverished condition of the Southern
States 50 great that those States are not able to
meet the demands made upon them, and there
+ stiil exists great necessity all over the South
! eTn country for commOn-sCho0l education and
increased facilities for iustructing the children
/ Of both races. He believed that the whole people
1 feel as much interest in the pending measure as
they have felt on any previous occasion, and
that its defeat would be received with great re-
/ greet throughout that whole section. He re-
I PEELED the idea Of its unconsttuti0nality, and
cited an unbroken line Of presidents from Gen.
Washington in favor Of the exercise Of this
power by Congress. He also quoted literally
+ from the speeches Of other Senators in favor of
- l,nv
sious, and laid before the Senate a table show
ing the amount Of lands granted for school
purposes by the Government.
Senator Plumb offered an amendment pro-
yding that the money raised under the bill
shall be annually divided among the several
States and Territories in proportion to their
population according to the last decennial cen
sus.
Senator Blair read an extract from an adj
dress by Dr. Curry, agent Of the Peabody school
fund. aud now Minister TO Spain, in regard 70
the fearful amount Of illiteracy in the South.
This states that not one half Of the school pop
ulatiOu in the South is undergoing instruction.
I Nearly onehalf Of the white and more than
onc-haf Of the colOTei children are growing
up without educational advantages. In 1870
there were 4.1S9.972 illiterates, and in 1850,
All. l13, an increase of more than one-half a
million in 10 years. Thirty three and one
tenth per cent. Of the voters ID the South are
ilHterate. He also read a letter from Judge 4.
a. Gunby, Of Monroe, La, indorsing the bin,
and saying that its only opponents, so far as
MS knowledge extended. were either " Tree
trade fanatics or belonged 10 that class Of rigid
and narrow thinkers who entertain and foster
q natural and ineradicable hatred Of all intel
lectuai culture at the public expense" A let
ter from j. a. T. Lovett, Superintendent Of
Schools at Huntsville, Ala, who said that the
monthly pay Of the teachers is SD, making q
/ IL, If.
Il cents for white children and Go cents fol-
colored. large majority of the people of Ala
b2ma would gladly see the passage of the bill
Other letters from prominent Alabamalans, and
editorials from Alabama newspapers, supported
these views. An editorial from the Charleston
Is c. Aers and Courier, Jan. 10, denounced tht
opponents Of the Blair bill in the South, and
especially Senator Reagan and others in Texas
who have, through the charity Of the United
States In other days, got beyond the help OF the
Government, and now refuse 10 give similar
help 10 poor, oyer-tazed States like Souti
Carolina.
Senator Reagan replied 10 the editorial. deny
ing that Texas owed anything to South Caro-
lima or the other States. The Republic 0
Texas achieved her own Independence 10 or !:
years before the annexation. Citizens from
= South Carolina and other States migrated q
{ Texas. but they became Texans, achieved thei
independence. and acquired the territory.
= Senator Coke said that the statement tina
there IS 100000 due the teachers is not true
II IS a very great eZaggeraton The deiicienc
r exists because the taxes are derived from Tia
e lease and sale Of certain lands belonging t
the State. These suffered severely from til
e dFouth last year, and it was impossible {
c collect the amounts due. Every teacher ia tn
D State. however, was certain to get every dOlla
+ that the State owed him.
Senator Blair replied by quotations from
= leading citizen Of Texas man Of distinguish
- ancestry. whose name be would not read, how
ever, for fear that be might be subjected TO SC
4 eial ostracism, who gave a very deplorable pix
ture Of the condition Of the schools Of the Stat
IS There is great deal Of the old slavery prejU
1 dice against the poor whites and the negroe
+ which shows Itself in antag0njsm 10 edncatiH
5. those classes lest they grasp political power.
3 Senator Blair said that If all the money tha
+, the Senators Of Texas had reported as beiu
Z raised for schools hadbeeu applied 10 them, an
l. with good judgment, it would not have give
&c the children Of Texas more than one-Gfth
the amount Of money expended per capita {,
e education ia the Northern States. He all
4 stated that the Teachers Association of Tcxa
l. In q large convention, had Endorsed the BILL
At the conclusion OF Senator Biair's reInarl
II the Senate adjourned.
{. In the House Mr.. GFosvenor presented
s. memorial from the Centennial Commission
ers al Marietta, O., IN regard TO the CO
le tennial celebration of the settlement
a. the Northwestern Territory, requesting