Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1889-08-08
Saint 1arg's Beacon.
lContinusd from last wssk.l
THE BLAlR BILL.
A Paper Read Bstsrs Me Prime
Geoyse's Comfy TaceArs' Lnatitate
Mr.. LEWIS FORD.


I Mr.. President. there ii a good deal
Of sopbistEy and gush spoG The Sub.
jeet Of etlueation. flisnd 90 I am Of
the cause, ] do not believe Cor q mo.
ment thai there IL Justification fos al
these gloomy foTsbodines. even grant.
ing that education 10 the psnacea for
all The evils TO which the body poll.
tic 10 heir. Such rhetorical flourishes
may be . convenient safety valve for
the relief Of the psLt.up bosoms Of
ssntimentslists. bot they bring no
fear 70 thoughtful minds. Our pres
snt common school system in compsr.
stively new. Our foTefathess. wkose
mighty deeds Challenged the sdmira-
tion Of The civilized world. and carv-
Cd out. we may say, the desiinies oI
this conairy. were without ID. Yet We
zee the young republic. guided BY the
enlightened ststeshanship Of those
days. stepping boldly TO the front
rank among the powers Of the world.
The alma mater Of many Of the heroes
of our past wss the old field school
Of . past We have outgro~n aad TO
which We will not return-schools
whose teachings ofseE ranged from A.
deep into the mysteries Of The clsssies,
aud brOugh. forth . progeny Of which
we are not ashamed. Why. then.
shoald such grave fears be expressed
for our future. ifsuch things we're
born Of the difficulties Of our past ?
The growth Of our public school
system has been almost phsnominal.
10 the South. the section Intended
to be specially benefited BY this bill,
the progress Of common school educa.
tion since the war, when her resour.
css were prostratsd. and everything
bot her indomitabls spirit crushed
ont Of her. has been unsqualled save
by the magnificent impulse Of her
material rssITr seton 10 The same pc.
Rod. Rising froL. the throes of that
unhappy period. with the unwilling
inheritance Of an ignorant citizenship
Of millio 70 Of her former slaves, she
girdsd herself, with fuirs all around
her, for the task that has been i'm.
posed upon Ter. aL,twith an ua:.lfsa-
ness 40 admirable 40 il Ia rare, set her.
s.lf TO work Ly taxing Der already
poverty .strieksn white population, TO
provide chs necessary school facilities
for the new oiee, thai had been en-
tailed upon her. How che has sue
cseded. and what she l. still doirg ia
this direction, The 6eures adducsd BY
Senators Vest AID Hale--the latter
from MaiIs--will show. To day ev.
cry State from the Potomac TO the Rio
Grande has a system Of FRYE schools
for beth races. AM though tie fAcili.
ties afforded have provoked n,f4yo.'.
able criticism from those who think
that no good CO toa.e oGt o. the
Southern Nazaseia. an examination
of the cold figures viii; sl..w, ;ircum.
s.snces 0onsilsTe.l. chat they have
d,ae wondsss. Tom table com.
pilad sorartiIs ago ay be New York
Evening Peat" it Ia .lehcchsl rated tLet
tie Soutkein States have " system Of
schools supported Ly ,isir owa PEG
PIE. equal 20 lat, af Maine. New
Hpmpshirs AMI "efmSa, daiisg The
decade from 1850 70 1870
Tn a period Q: : ytss, l.ar 1859.
the school attendance wafrrsaf;f dcsS
bled in F.trida. A:kanses. AlabaHr,
Georgia. Virgins aad CHER ststS:,
The appropriations we're ;nc;essed
in The sane .setic. 10 Alabama IN 4
years. in round numbers. fien $500.
GOO 10 s52S. COO. In Arkansas, iu 8
years. frcm S4?9.0to 20 sse7 COO. 10
Georgia. IN 4 yeara. firm sis9. 0t's 10
ST2S. 000. In Flosiaa. In : year,,
hcu siSSss Geo 10 s4eo. os9. -,ra(
Ofthe total school population. white
end black. there are enrolled In
Florida, Oh Tar csat; 10 Ttxa'. 70
per cent; in Wes: v,rsinin, 7s pes
cent. and 90 on.
Thess msagrs statistics indicate,
Mr.. President. that che Ssuthsra
States are no lagsa,sls in the cause o.
popular education. I doubt that any
section has dc, 3 As much ia :lls- sssss
period. and, mx.itaiuias alike pro
grsss in TIE future. I Dc set balisvc
the day il far distant, wL.n, il :es
slons, they vii. have outstripyei :hsi,
more iottuna:e competi.o,s il tbs
race. who will have to leok 70 their
lanrels OF b. lef. behind. They also
Indicate The lacl; Of justi6cation for
the pessimistie fsarS OF tie irtsllectG.
al dtseneracy of our day and times.
We sss ret drifting late bsibarisn.
No. sic, villa the slucaiioaai facilities