Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-05
A Clincher.

nc tlllDits dlt NOltiA ali wv ~ 4 NAA'N"
ton that ingenious sophists could in-
dulee in. The speech would fill many
columns OF our paper, but we will
epitomize at least a portion of it.
Over seven years ago, soon after Mr..
Pucu entered the Senate, a bill was
passed to aid the States in securing the
benefits OF a common-school education
to the children. white and black, in their
population. In December, 1880, without
counting the negative vote, the Senate,
on motion of Mr.. BAILEY of Tennessee,
Democrat, agreed to the following;
That the net proceeds of the sales OF
public lands and the receipts from pat
tnts shall be set apart as on educational
fund. aud entered upon the books OF the
Treasury to the credit of the fund, and
bearing interest al the rate u per cent
per annum. the interest on such edu-
Cational fund only TO be paid to the
States as herein provided"
That was adopted as an amendment to
the Morrill, bin, and passed the Senate
in that shape. No wonder Mr.. PUGH
tainted the anti BLAIR-bill senators by
saving that "the horse harnessed in the
MORRILL, bill was gentle, true, harmless,
and faithful; but when the same horse
is harnessed to pull through the BLAIR
bill he instantly becomes a most danger
Gus animal with the most vicious quail
ties, really Trojan horse Allied with
arms and devils and Yankee school
marms to be turned loose to destroy the
southern States"
Well. who voted for the MORRILL, bill?
Forty-three senators, including most If
not all of the ablest constitutional law
yers in the Senate. Read their names
for yourself. Here they are; Messrs.
ALLISON, ANTHONY, BAILEY, BALDWIN,
BECK, BLAINE, BLAIR, BROwN, BRUCE,
BURNSIDE, CALL, CAMERON of Pennsyl-
vania. CAMERON of Wisconsin, COKE,
DAVIS OF Illinois, DAVIS of West Vir-
ginia, DAWES, EDMUNDs, FERRY, GAR
LAND, HAMPTON. HEREFORD, HILL of
Colorado, Hill of Georgia, HoAR, JOHN
sToN, JONES OF Florida. KELLOGG, LA
MAE, LOGAN, MCMILLAN, McPHEEsoS,
MAxEr, MORGAN, MORRILL,, PLAT,
PUGH, RANSOM, ROLLINS, TELLER, VANCE,
WALKER, and WINDOW.
We beg Mr.. CLEVELAND to notice that
Mr.. BLAINE, who will run against him
for President next November, was one OF
the senators who voted for the MORRILL,
bill. 1t will be seen, also, that Mr. GAR
LAND, now Attorney-General, voted also
for the same bill.
Wherein did the MORRILL, bill differ
from the BLAIR bin? Mr.. PUGH
answers
"Mr. President, after the most careful
examination have been able to make of
the difference between the Morrill, bill
and the Blair bill now before the Senate,
my Judgment is that in principle, in
policy, in method, and in practice they
are substantially one aud the same. l
have no doubt Congress has as much
power under the Constitution 10 sppro-
pirate revenue collected by taxation as
Congress has to appropriate revenue col
lected from the sales Of public lands and
receipts from patents to the support of
common schools in the several States, as
j will show hereafter by undoubted
authority"
In the South Mr. CALHOUN was the
great constitutional lawyer or expounder.
Mr.. PUoH quotes him in favor of the
principle of the BLAIR bill. Mr.. PUGH
also quotes Mr.. MONROE Sin support of
the constitutional power of Congress to
make the appropriation in the BLAIR
BILL" and says that the authority is
"still more potential, If any can be,
than the unaDswerable argument OF Mr..
CALHOUN" Mr.. MONROE furnishes
several instances and illustrations of the
power of Congress to appropriate the
Federal revenue TO be expended in the
States under State jurisdiction and APP
piled TO objects general and not local 10
their nature, in which the Federal Co
vernment had an interest and from which
ii derived a general benefit, benefit
that promoted the general welfare
without the Federal Government having
or exercising jurisdiction over such OBJ
jects-the objects to which the appro-
priations we're made being under the
exclusive jurisdiction of the States"
In the case of the BLAIR bill, says Mr..
PUoH, "the authority TO pass it rests in
the power Of Congress TO appropriate
money in the Treasury raised from
any sources" IL the enemies OF the
BLAIR bill were rightin their construction
OF the power OF appropriation, Mr..
PUoH says he would JOIN them In opposi-
ton 10 il. But they are wrong. Mr..
PUGH says he agrees with JEFFERSON,
MADISON, MoSRoE, CALHOUN, SroRY,
and KENT. that the words in the Consti-
tuition giving to Congress the power ito
pay the debts and provide for the com
mon defence and general welfare OF the
United States" delegates no distinct,
substantive power 10 Congress. We
now quote Mr.. PUGH:
"The sole question, then, 10 answer
is, whether the common.school educa-
ton under the exclusive and absolute ia.
risdiction. control, and regulation OF the
State governments, as expressly con.
ceded in the Blair bill, is public object
possessing, in it's aggregated and associ-
sted effects and influences throughout
the United States, such national impor-
tance as 10 bring these common schools
fairly within the meaning of the descrip-
tive words OF the Constitution, rs objects
deserving Federal aid in order pro-
mote The general welfare. These COM
mon schools have been public objects |
OF national importance and national
solicitude from the foundation Of the !