The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-09-06
Congressional Record, Aug. %
The Blair Educational Bill.
Speech Of Hon. jacob Yost,
I'm the House of Representatives,,
MONDAY. AUGUST q. 1883.

VII tle bJdie OF the tnlOns anu having unu6
consideration the bill (H. r. l0S96) making APP
preparations to supply deficiencies in the appro
prlatlons for the fiscal year ending June 81
1885, and for prior years, and Tor other purposes
Mr.. Yost said
Mr.. Chairman The measure to which
propose TO a lude may noa be deemed per
tlnent to the bill now under consideration
but regard it as of far more Importance
1t reachts to every section of this broad
land and touches the hear thstOne of mil
hons OF people. II penetrates to the cen
tire of oar governmental system and
directly affects the well being of every
class of population and the future of the
Republic itself. No subject before this
House since the perilous days when the
life Of the nation hung in the balance has
bAen so fraught with good for the masses
and none has received such outrageous
treat ment at the hands OF those sworn tc
promote the public interest. State Legis
latnies have demanded its consideration
party platforms-distrct, State, and Ia
tlonai- have pledged their candidates to
its su nport tens of thousands Of names
have, been signed to petitions, the prayer
OF WHICH was for action upon it, and 3
noble rmy of women have besieged the
very ha lis Of Congress in its behalf.
10 these appeals deaf ear has been
turned the pledges given have been wan
tonly v Violated, the. promises have beer
b oxen, and the servants of the people
have used the power with WHICH they we're
invests to combat the wishes. the wei
fare, and the veal of those they assumed
to represent.
This may be strong language. Mr.. Chair
man aid yet review of the history of the
B lair educational bill iustifies every word
of it
With the details of that measure | do
not propose to now deal. They are doubt
less familiar to every man wi hin the
sound of my voice. They have been dis
cussed from neatly every hastings of this
land months have been spent in their
conside; alton by the other branch of Con-
gress. ard for the past six years the pull C
prints have teemed with comments upon
them.
Suffice it to say that the bill provides for
the expenditure of ST. 600 900 for the edu-
cation of the masses. To the South it
gives over thirds of that amount. The
share of the State have the honor to in
part represent would alone be IS 80 600
Why this unequal distribution Because
the apportionment is made on the basis of
1lliteracy. W here the greateat need for
the money is there the largest, amount
shall go. Paradoxical as it may seem, the
very breadth of its nationality renders it
sectional. 1t apples the remedy locally,
but the whole system is to feel the bene
heial tffectg,
Under these conditions one would natpr-
ally suppose the Representatives IRON the
Southern States would eagerly press for
of and action upon a meas.
ure which prom ised SO much of good to
their constituencies, and that the party
and controlled by those Repre-
would employ every means in
it's power and every influence at it's com
mand to lift the Southern people to a
higher plane of intellectual life, and glad
den and brighten the thousands OF homes
now darkened by the cruel shadow OF ignO-
raDce.
As true and faithful Representatives it
seen to me, that was their bounden duty.
How they performed that duty let the
record show.
The original bill providing for the estab
of -asAa -tan,nG,Acv aid To 4nnhlic
in Republican Senate on the
9Th of December, 1881. Its patron was
Northern Republican, whose name has
since been associated with the measure
and has become household word through
Out Tie SDulISll IL Heso AoiSi Va
to the Committee on Education and La
Dor. majority of whom were Republic
cans. and by hat committee favorably re.
ported. Nofurther action was taken upon
it in the Forty seventh Congress
The day after the Forty-eighth Congress
assembled, Dec. 5, 1888. Senator Blair
again introduced the bill and it was
promptly referred, and second time
favorably reported. After protracted
debate it passed the Senate Oh the 18th OF
April, 1884. by vote of SO to IL. Of the
80 who voted for it 20 were Republicans,
namely, Messrs. Blair. Cameron CT Wis
consin. Conger, Cullom. Dawes. Dolph.
Edmunds, Frye, Harrison. Hoar, Logan,
MIC M llan, Henderson, Miller of New
York, Morrill,, Pike, Platt, Rddleberger,
SAWYER. and Wilson and Is were Demo-
Gratis. namely, Messrs. Brown, Call. Col
Quit. Garland, George, Hampton. Jack
son, Jonas, Jones of Florida. Kenna, Pugh,
Ransom. and Williams. OF the IL who
voted against it we're Democrats. name
", Messrs. Bayard, Butler, Coke, Groome,
Harris, Maxey. Morgan, Pendleton, and
Salisbury and only 2 were Hepublleans:
namely. Messrs. HaWley and Miller OF
California.
1t went to House that was Democratic
nv eiohty-odd majority Meantime bill
precisely similar had been introduced in
the House by Mr. Willis, of Kentucky. a
Democrat. but sincere and earnest friend
of popular education 1t was referred to
the Committee on Education, of which
Mr.. Willis was member, and favorably
reported. But no action was ever taken
nv the House. Twice Mr.. Willis sought
to have day set apart for the purpose OF
consideration, and twice did a southern
Democrat enter an effective objection.
On the Sd of March, 1884, unanimous con
sent was asked, and Mr.. Bland, of Mis-
souri,. was he objector. On the LIST of
April following. consent was again asked
and another Southern Democrat Mr.. Jno.
Randolph Tucker, of Virginia. rose in his
seat and said, II object" That ended all
prospect for the passage OF the bill in the
Forty eighth Congress.
The Presidential election followed. The
national Democratic platform declared
against the bill in the following terms:
We are opposed to all propositions which
Government into a machine for collectlne
taxes to be distributed among the States OF, The
citizens thereof
There was but one proposition before
the country which contemplated a dis
tribution from the public Treasury to the
States, and that was proposition whlcf
had for it's object the spread of intelli-
gence throughout the Union, and lifting
of the South from the slough of Ignorance
into which she had been plunged and from
which she was striving SO herolcally tt
escape.
In broad contrast with this declaration
was the utterance of the Republican plat
form. 1t declared in favor Of
A wise and judicious system of general educa
lion by adequate appropriation from the ma ID,
tional revenues wherever the same is needed
Wherever there is a child to educate lei
the money go. Wherever darkness pre-
walls let the light shine. 1t mattered' MOI
that four fifths of the money was to Dt
contributed by the North, because OF 1t!
greater wealth, and that the Republican
party represented essentially that portion
of the Union 1t mattered not that owe
two-thirds of the total sum was to be ex
pended in the section which contributed
but one'fifth. 1t mattered not that thu
Democratic party counted with absolute
certainty on the electoral vote OF soll(
South, and protested against the accep
lance of this splendid donation. Thes
considerations did not enter into Jh
deliberations of the Republican party. |
saw the nations pressing need it saw tn
nation s peril. solemn duty lay before 1t
and gJaudiy it marched to the performance
thereof. Appiause.]
| But by the vote of that solid South
was deprived of the power to make goo
its pledges.
| A Democratic President was elected an
| a Democratic majority controlled th
| TIo,co tho Sopatp continuing RpnuhliC