Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-14

The Democrats in the senate VIII make
themselves heard during this winter.
After Senator Brown had delivered his
speech in support of Blaine and Sherman
he asked to have his resolutions referred
to the finance committee. Senator Beck
objected ON the ground that the commit
tee had no jurisdiction, as the house alone
could originate a bill to abolish the In
ternal taxes. Moreover, Senator Beck
said that the senate had listened to de-
fepse OF the Georgia moonshiner and an
attack on the government and its officers,
and he wished chance to reply. 1t may
be taken for granted that when Senator
Beck replies, the senator from Georgia
will wish he had allowed the senator from
Ohio to introduce the resolutions.
After Senator Beck's objection, Senator
Vest spoke on the Blair bill, making a
very direct appeal to democratic senators
not TO be entlced into the republican lines
with the offer of an appropriation. SEN
ator Vest was not surprised that republic
can senators should support the bill il
was of piece with their policy of CEN
tralization. He was surprised that dem
ocratic senators, who have devoted theil
ives to a defense of the doctrir>dOn,
strict interpretati, 49, principles 10 the
should s,,- LIS temptation.
A number of democratic senators have,
without due consideration. committed
themselves to this most iniguitous bill
1t has been long before congress, and
when first introduced there might have
been some reason in the plea of necessity
based on the census of 1880 taken in 1879.
Since that period the southern states have
grown as they never did before. There is
not a report from any school superinten-
dent, there is not a governors message,
there is not summary from the com
missioner of education at Washington
which has not been an argument
against federal aid for state sch ools 1t
is q matter of serious regret that demos
cratic senators cannot be united in OPP
position to this measure. 1t is certain as
anything in the future that it cannot
possibly become a law, if ever, until
1893. With the facts once admitted by
democrats favorably to the measure, the
agitation would attract no attention, and
all the forces of the states could be de-
voted to the improvement of state
schools, to awaken local interest and
pride in education, instead of being
wasted in an attempt TO break into the
federal treasury.
Mr.. Phelan, from Memphis, proposes
to meet the constitutional objection to the |
Blair bill by amending the constitution.
believing that those who oppose that
measure "can vote for the amendment |
without sacrificing their principles" This
is serious error. The opponents of the
Blair bill object to the measure because it |
is contrary to the spirit of our institu
lions, and they oppose any change in this
spirit. AS a confession that such an ap,
preparation Is now without constitutional
authority, the resolution of Mr., Phelan
has some significance, but the opposition
to the measure rests upon principles that
are Interchangeable. The Blair bill is
blow aimed at local self government. As
the constitution stands today, it protects
the rights of the states and guarantees to
them the privilege of educating their
This protection and this guar>
ne Mr.. Phelan proposes to remove by
amending the constitution, forgetting
that the democrats are pledged to a strict
observance Of the spirit as well as the
letter Of the constitution. The constitu.
ton is the barrier erected by our fathers
against the encroachments of centraiza-
ton: it is the barrier Mr. Phelan would
remove. Bad as the Blair bill is, the
Phelan amendment is far worse, for it is
IN absolute surrender of the fundamental
principle of our republican institutions.
not for one time or for special purpose,
but forever. We regret to see, on the
part of Mr.. Phelau, such confusion of {
IDEAS. No constitutional amendment can
make wrong right.