Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-03-06
Mr. Barbour's Speech.

As Stated in the GAZETTE Mr.. Barbour
spoke in the Senate yesterday In advocacy
of the Blair Educational Bill.
Mr.. Barbour spoke of the great interest
which the people of Virginia took In that
measure, and said that 1t had been favored
in the platforms Of both political parties In
that State.
1t was of the deepest and profoundest inter.
eat to the people of Virginia, who bad done
az much for the sake of education In the
last fifteen years as the people OF any other
State. They had expended about nineteen
millions for that purpose, and had given i've
millions to educate the colored tlliterates
which the general government had put
upon them, not only as citizens, but as SOW
ereigns He was surprised at the lack Of
interest in the subject shown by the Senate,
and was astonished at southern Sen.
ators opposing the bill. Why, he ask-
ed, was that so?. Had they any well
grounded apprehension that the school
System of their States was to be interfered
with? As to the talk about the great
wealth of the South, that, he said, was de-
fusion and an e1aggeration. The bulk of
the people of Virginia were poorer to-day
than they had been nineteen years ago.
He denied that the Senator from West
Virginia (Mr. Faulkner) had any right to
speak as he had spoken for the southern
States. The bulk of that State lay west of
the Allegheny mountains. The interest OF
that State had not been with the South
thirty years ngc when it cast its fortunes
wisely, no doubt, and to Its own interest
with the Federal government. The state
ments made as to the wealth of the South
were not true 80 far, certainly, as the
States of Virginia and North Carolina we're
concerned, because the consent of the States
had to be obtained before the bill would
apply to them. How were the rights Of
Virginia, or Alabama, or Mississippi to be
violated by benefaction? Did the bene
| factions of George Peabody interfere With
school systems in the States where they
were in operation?
He had DO constitutional doubts on the
subject, as he did not belong to the hair
splitting class of constitutional lawyers.
the general government took no interest in
the education of the colored people there
Ias nc reason why the people of Virginia
should tax themselves to educate In their
midst class of people who did not act with
them periodically, and who would be more
apt to vote with the man from Wisconsin
than with the interests of Virginia.
The great flow of wealth rolling over Pac-
tolian sands had not reached them. He had
never known the agricultural interests of
Virginia 20 be more depressed than today
He believed that there was better day be
fore that State; but that better day had not
yet arrived. The landholder in Virginia
was regarded as the poorest man in 1t. He
might be the owner of a thousand acres OF
land, and yet not have money enough to
pay for his breakfast.
Coming back to discussion of the bill it
self, he reminded the Senator from West
Virginia that nobody would force the school
fund on that State, But if the people Of
Virginia were willing to lake it, be asked
why In Gods name, should he Mr.. Faux
ner oppose their doing 30. Did southern
Senators believe that the people of their
States would decline the fund?
Did the Senator from West Virginia be
| lieye that his people would not take it? Ii
he believed that they would take it why did
he stand up in the Senate and say that they
should not have it, and that the people Of
other States should not have il? He knew
that it would not do for bis colleague Mr..
Daniel and himself to go home and tell the
people of Virginia that they must not take
this money from the federal government, but
must continue to tax themselves for support
of common schools IF they were to make
speeches Oh the lines of the speech of the
Senator from West Virginia they would be
held to an accountability which he, for one,
| would not care to encounter.
Mr. Plumb then addressed the Senate in
opposition to the bill.