Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1889-07-11
4 Political, Not a Public Question.

The original purpose of the Blair bill
was to provide national aid for the edu.
cation of the colored youth of the South.
The present purpose is to convert the col
ored school houses throughout the South
into political nurseries for the training of
Republican voters.
Ii is contended that the general well
fare clause of the Constitution confers
upon Congress the authority to make ap-
preparations of the public funds for the
support of an educational establishment
in the States, under the supervision of
the General Government. 1t is further
contended that as the Federal Govern
ment was responsible for the emancipa-
ton of the negroes it is the duty of the
Federal Government to provide for the
education of the negroes out of the pub
lie treasury. 1t is generally admitted
that, by the very nature of its provisions,
the Blair bill is a long step and a very
dangerous step towards the further GEN.
tralization of power at Washington, and
is claimed by many strict constructionists
that the measure is unconstitutional and
nti-Democratic. 1t is believed that if
the bill had passed at the last session of
Congress, President Cleveland would have
vetoed it on the ground that the adoption
of so radical a measure was not contem-
plated by the trainers of the Constitution,
who held that "all powers not delegated
to the United States are reserved to the
States respectively or to the people"
The Southern States which have given
their support to the measure, and the
Democrats who have urged its adoption,
have largely been controlled by questions
of expediency rather than by motives of
political consistency. Their desire has
been to obtain Federal aid for the edu-
cation of the colored children in schools
under the control of the State. During
the last twenty years, as we are informed
by the Memphis ArGLanche, "the South
has devoted more than s37, 100000, thro'
selfimposed taxation, to the education Of
the negro y and, it adds, "more than 81
per cent. of this sum has been paid by
the whites" The burden has not grown
lighter as the years have passed by, and
the white people of the South have not
been and are not now unwilling to accept
help from the National Government.
But they say now, as they have said all
along, that this assistance must come to
the States under certain well-defned con-
ditions that will give to the States indi-
vidually the right to act as almoners Of
the nations bounty, and to control, each
within its own territory, the fund TO which
it is entitled under the Bill.
The necessity of assistance in the edu-
cation of the negroes is urgent, and it is
admitted that the Southern States are
not able to provide that liberal support
for the common schools which the situa-
ton demands; but no Southern State will
consent to the passage of any law which
will deprive it Of the management of Its
educational system. If the General Gov
ernment wishes TO establish United States
schools in the different States, Congress
and President Harrison will doubtless be
able to find way around the constitu-
tional inhibition upon Federal interfer-
ence with the domestic concerns Of the
States will not cooperate with Senator
Blair in securing the passage Of a meas
ure which, if we are rightly informed, is
mainly intended to promote the ends Of
the Republican party in the South. In
the light of the alleged discoveries Of the
correspondent Of the New York World,
the Blair bill may no longer be consid-
cred question touching the public wei
fare, but political scheme to debauch
the South.
The South is not for sale. 1t cannot
be bought by the promised "benefts" Of
protective tariff, nor can it be sweryed
from its Democratic allegiance even by
the hope of so large a reward as $4,000,
900 for Federal schools for the negro.
The President has seemed to ignore