Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-03-14
BARBOUR ON THE BLAIR BILL.

speech OF QUO vi OuE OcudIOAos
Hon. John s, Barbour, on the
Blair Educational Bill. lie says
% uch and says it well-Oh for
more of the average Virginians
who can turn their backs to the
past and look to the future, the
bright educational future, the pro-
gresslve future When the brains
are trained, mind disciplined (;
then it is near akin to the laying
up of treasures in heaven, where
moth doth not corrupt and thieves
do not break through and steal.
Our closed school houses, run
about boys, With nothing to do
call aloud tor schools; more schools ;
better schools.
"Senator Barbour, when address.
ing the senate on the Blair edoca'
tional bill, the other day, said it
was one of the deepest and pro
foundest interest to the people of
Virginia who had done asmuch
tor the sske OF education in the
last fifteen years as the people of
any other state. They bad expen.
ded about nineteen millions for
that purpose and had given 50, OOO,-
600 to educate the cOlOred Hitter.
ates which the general government
bad put upon them, not only as
citizens, but as SOverelgns. He
was surprised at the lack OF inter
est in the subject shown by the
senate, and was surprised at south
ern senators opposing the bill.
Why { he asked was that SOY
Had they any grounded apprehen-
sion that the school system of their
states was to be interfered with !
They could not have it, because
the consent of the states had to
be obtained before the bill would
apply to them. bow were the
rights of Virginia, or Alabama, or
Mississippi to be violated by q
bencfaction Did the benefactions
of George Peabody interfere with
school systems 10 the states where
they were Ill operation ! He had
no constitutional doubts on the
subject, as he did not belong to
the hair-splittIng class of consti'u.
ton lawyers. If the general gov
eminent took no interest in the
education of the colored people
there was no reason why the peo
pie of Virginia should tax them
seves to educate 10 their midst q
class OF people who did not act With
them politically, aud who would
be more apt to vote with the man
from Wisconsin than with the
man from Virginia. AS to the
talk about the great wealth of the
south, that be said was de-
fusion and all exaggeratiUn. The
bulk of the people OF Virginia were
poorer today than they had been
nineteen years ago he denied
that the senator from West Vir.
gina (Mr. Faulkner) had any right
to speak las he had spoken
tor the southern states. The
bulk of that state lay west
OF the Alleghaney noun
tains. The interests OF that state
had not been with the south thirty |
years ago, when it cast its fortunes
{ wisely, no doubt, and to it's own
interest, with the federal govern
melt. The statements made as to
the wealth of the sonth were not
true, so far, certainly as the states
of Virginia and North Carolina
were concerned.
The great flow of wealth rolling
over Pactolisn sands ha0 not reach
ed them. He had never known
the agricultural interests Of Vir'
ginia to be more depressed than
today. He believed there was a
better day before that state; but
that better day had not yet arrived.
Tie land holder in Virginia was
as the poorest in 1t. He
might be the owner Of a thousand
acres of land and yet not have
money enough to pay for his break
fast.
Coming back to a discussion of
the bill itself, he reminded the
senators from west Virginia that
nobody would force the school
fund on that state bat if the PEG.
pie of Virginia were willing to
take it, be asked why in Gods
name should he ( Mr.. Faulkner J
oppose their dong so. Did south
ern senators believe that the peo-
pie of their states would decline
the fund.- Did the senator from
West Virginia belleye that his
people would not take it? Ii he
believes that they would take it,
why did he stand up In the SeDste
ana say that they would not have
It? He knew that it would not do
for his colleague ( Mr.. Daniel and
himself to 60 home and tell the
people of Virginia that they must
not take this money from the fed
eral government, but must contin-
ne to tax themselves for support OF
common schools. If they were to
make speeches on the lines OF the
speech OF the senator from West
Virginia, they would be held to an
accountability which he I for one }
would not care to encounter"