Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1889-11-30
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Blair Bill a Political Scheme to
Control Southern Elections.
Editor of the TIMES:

The Blair Bill q Political Scheme to
Control Southern Elections.
Editor of the TINES:
Can you not spare the space in your
columns for the subjoined article from
the Baltimore Sun. Those Virginians
who still advocate the Blair bill under
the delusion that they would do well
for Virginia and for the South. can
see where the policy would land us.
Now that it is proposed by the party
in power to manage the elections in
the South through officials appointed
by the president, it begins to dawn
upon the people of that section that
the federal election law and the Blair
education bill are parts OF the sam.
scheme. The one is meant, it is be-
lieyed, to educate the colored youth OF
the South to vote certain way, and
the other to make sure that he votes
that way. From childhood to old
age the negro, according to the scheme
in question, is to be under federal
leading and control. Is he an
efficient republican by reason of his il
literacy The Blair bill with it's appro-
priation of some $77,000,0OO to be
spent on schools under federal super
vision. will remedy that deficiency.
while at the same time shaping his
political. social and economic views
Alright. Is he lacking in fi1edness OF
purpose and self relianee2 The corps
of permanent federal election officers
proposed to be established by the
Sherman bill in every county will take
charge of him as soon as he leaves
the federal school. organize him into
political clubs. supply him with par
tisan literature and see that he,yotes
MS he should. Not only so. They will
see also that his vote is counted in
the proper manner-that is to say, up
to the figure of colored maleso vot-
ing age put down in the census, and
against his white neighbors. That,
we have been over and over assured
by political orators, is the only true
and proper way of arriving at honest
political results in the South. That the
school system would under the Blair
bill pass under federal control has been
disputed by various well meaning but
excessively optimistic Southern edu
Gators. We should take this magnifi-
cent bounty, they have said, and
fear nothing. But in his speech OF
March '25, 1884, Senator Sherman
made the matter very plain. "The
people of the South cannot be left
alone" said the senator, to decide
how the money to be appropriated by
conel sss for the education of the Tilt
crate shan. he applied, if the United
States have ths right to appropriate
the money they hasc the right to say
upon what conditions tn, money shall
be expended" That certafniXis ex-
pIicit enough. The Blair schoola IL IL
have to be agencies for Ine
organization of the colored race
in the interest of the party
in power at Washington, else their
creation would have no interest for
the politician: The Blair bill and the
Southern elections bill offered by Mr..
Sherman in the senate at. the last
session of congress, are compliments,
it is believed, the one of the other.
Together. they constitute complete
plan. The failure of the fifteenth
amendment of the constitution to
republicanize the South has made
new scheme necessary, and this will,
it is hoped, be effective. The South
ern press has naturally taken alarm,
and is calling upon Southern con-
gressmen to oppose the Blair BILL by
reason Of its political character. The
South. it is urged, cannot stand out
against federal control of elections if
it welcomes federal control Of its local
and neighborhood schools.