Huntsville gazette., 1889-10-05
FOR HIS EDUCATION BILL.
Senator Blair Address Afro
Americans OF Boston.
(From Detroit Plaindealer !

Uulted otates senator Henry w.
Blair of New Hampshire ad ressed
the Afro Americans of Boston at the
First African church on Charles
street Wednesday evening, Sept. 49,
E. E. Walker of Charlestown presi
ded. Mr.. Blairs subject was the
Blair educational bill. The church
was entirely fill d,aad tach srson Oh
entering was given a circular appeal,
"To the Colored Voters of Massa-
chusetts" in the interest of Lieuten-
ant Governor, John Q. A. Bracket
for Governor. Senator Bair said:
The white race had a thousand
years' start in the process of devel-
opment and civilization. When the
war demolished the constitution OF
the Southern States. it did not in
itself give the c'.lored men freedom,
because it did not remove lthe differ
ence between them and the white
people. Individual development
must make men free. On the statue
book the colored, man is fee today,
but why does he not vote Simply
because he has not yet felt the trans
forming power of e duca'ion. 1t is
quite true that the colored man is
deprived of his rights at the South,
and the Uuited States government
powerless to right his wrongs. But
the government is in the control OF
one means of righting these wrongs
and that is by educating the peo-
pie Of the South. For this purpose
it ought to appropriate money from
the National treasury.
The colored people of the South
cannot vote, but in Massachusetts,,
New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania
thew hold the balance Of power, and
are in position to demand their
rights. Here in Massachusetts you
are in position to demand in your
party platform a plank demanding
national aid for the cause of educat>
ion. If the ballot of the colored peo
pie in Massachusetts, New York,
Pennsylvania and Ohio we're cast
with reference to such education, it
would be found as effective as the
bayonet at Appomattox.
Senator Blair here explained the
provisions Of his bill for National
education, going through it section by
section at some length.
Continuing. he asked if the ne.
cessity existed for the National gov
ernment to provide for the educat-
ion of its citizens. He answered that
it did when the state failed to pro-
vide for the education Of the chill
dren. Had Garfield lived said Mr..
Blair, this bill would have become a
law before now. God willing, il
shall still 60 on the statute books al
some early day. I feel justified in
claiming that the constitutionality Of
the bill is without question. Sena
tors doar and Cullom and many
other eminent statesmen are agreed
upon that point.
1t is probable that the situation in
some parts of the South is improving
butit is doubtful if that is true as re-
CARDS the whole section, Illiteracy
is on the increase, even in the North.
ern states. DIR. William T. Harris,
who has been cited as saying that the
situation in the South is improving,
is in favor Of this bill. Those who
oppose it want to thrust poisoned
dagger into our school system itself.
The New York Herald, which once
favored this bill, has evidently seen
a great light and now opposes it.
What that light was God only knows,
if it is q kind of light with which,
He has anything to do.
am for the public schools. We
have a surplus, and that surplus is
enough to do this work. If the chill
dren are not educated, we shall soon
have neither country nor surplus.
This is greater economic question
than even the tariff, and of as much
Importance to the North as to the
South
AT the conclusion of his speech
Mr.. blair was given tbroo oLo -,