Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-21
SATURDAY..........JANUARY u, 1888.



II is refreshing to see congressman
pronounce the BLARbill unconstitutional
and then see them vote for bill having
some other object than education, or
having even that object, which bill Is
equally unconsttutional-that is, if
either is unconstitutional.
In the House of Representatives on
Thursday the consideration of the JOINT
resolution accepting the invitation to the
United States to participate in the Mel
bourne Exposition called forth speech
on the question of the constitntionality
of that joint resolution but the House
nevertheless passed it by vote Of l51 TO
S9--a majority of almoSttwo thirds. Thus
the House of Representatives hy this
overwhelming vote declares that 1t Is
constitutional TO appropriate fifty thou
sand dollars of the money of the people
OF this country to make a success of an
exposition to be held in Melbourne-in
the uttermost parts Of the earth, that is
TO say.
How many Of the members of the
House of Representatives who voted in
the affirmative on the question of the
passage Of that Joint resolution Will vote
in the negative on the question Of the
passage of the BLAIR bill? How many
of them will have the face to declare by
their voices or their votes that Congress
can appropriate money 10 al exposition
to he held in the antipodes, but cannot
appropriate money to the education Of
the children of this country ? Those
members, if any such there be, are like
those men spoken of nineteen hundred
years ago as straining at gnats and swal-
lowing camels.
What would be thought of the con
gresham who should at this late day
make a speech intended to prove thai
the southern States had in 1861 the right
t. secede from the Union? He would
be considered unNise. not to say foolish
He would be laughed to scOrn 10y States
rights men as well as by Hamiltonians if
he should 20 farther and undertake to
show that every state still has the right
to secede from the Union; for there are
some questions which ought to be con
sidcred as settled, and this is one of
them.
So as to the BLAIR bill. 1t has so often
been decided to he constitutional by the
United States Senate that it is time for
that question to be considered as settled.
Attorney General GARLAND once voted
for it. So did Mr.. Justice LAMAR. So
did nearly all the best lawyers III the
Senate representing the States rights
section Of the UniOn-thc South. So did
a majority of the ablest Republican
lawyers in the Senate. In fact, the
weight Of authority preponderates so
decidedly in favor of the constitutional
ity of the measure that it is folly TO raise
a question in Congress on that point.
Let the bill be passed aud go TO the
courts.
But it is said that the President would
veto the BLAIR bin on account OF its I'M
constitutionality if it were passed by
Congress and sent to him, and that it is
for this reason that the Republicans are
50 industriously seeking TO secure Its
early passage by both houses. Governor
Brown, of Georgia, answered this OBJ
lection the other day 10y saying that no.
body had any right to assume that the
President would veto the bill. On the
contrary, the fact that the two
most distinguished members of his
Cabinet had voted for the bill be-
fore he called them into his coun-
ellis was some evidence at least that he
would not veto the bill. II he does veto
it, he will demoralize the Democratic
party in this State, which has again and
again declared in its State conventions
in favor OF that measure. However Mr.
CLEVELAND is not likely to be sweryed
from the line of d1ty as he sees his duty
10y selfish considerations. Tie has 4he
right to pass upon the bill, and
must exercise that right according
to the dictates of his own conscience.
But this fact will not excuse
our Virginia congressman in the
opinions OF their constituents if they fail
to do all they can to secure the passage
Of the bill. They have professed on the
stump and in their platforms to be ex-
ceedinely friendly to it, Let them SHOW
their faith by their works or they will see
next fall one hundred different editions
OF MAHoNE's well-knowh pamphlet-one
edition for each county and city--sh show
ing how many thousands Of dollars each
county aud city will have lost by the fail
ure of the Democratic congressman to /
pass the BLAIR bill.