New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-04
OPPOSING THE BLAIR BILL.
STRONG SPEECH AGAINST IT BY SENATOR
SPOONER.
FEDERAL AID NOT NEEDED IN THE SOUTH
VOTE ON THE MEASURE IN FEW
pAYs-rHE OPPOSITION.
,sr TELEGRAPH TO THE TnIBuSkJ

tBr rELx0RAPH TO THE TnIBUNEJ
washin cton, March Ex-senator spooner's speech
TO day against the Blair bill was by far the strongest
that has vet been made in opposition to the New
Hampshire Senator's celebrated measure. Tie c"ei
arcuments against the bill were summed up COM
uactlv and forcibIy and Mr.. SpOoner's main conen-
tjon that In the present encouraging condi'ioh VI
education at the South Federal aid would DC an III
sidious and enervating influence, destructive OF 'e
heathul spirit Of local effort, was one tiat went 10
the root Of the subject The Southern people MI
spocner said. had made amazing progress since the
war In the way OF building up system OF pubic
schools and the burdens they had taken mp and borne
with such admirable cheerfllness la ting credit
10 their public spirit Every year both the VIII ana
the ability OF the Southern communities TO educate
their own population were becoming more ana more
manifest, and in the end the problem OF education
woud work itself out as successfully as couln DC
wished The Northern States did not need their share
of the Blair fund for educational purposes. ana MI
spooner could see reason for general distributor
cxcept as q SOD to the pride Of the few states tha'
really had some temporary need Of subvention from
the Government. In this and In his other cr''C''"
the Wisconsin Senator went straight to INC POM oi
the dispute between the friends and the opponents
Of the measure and his argument throughout heo
the attention Of an unusually large number OF hteh
crs on the floor of the Senate There WERE III lao''
MANY interruptions and cross questions. ana MT
spooner was not able to 1nish his speech until hih
an hour or moro after the time limit that had oeeh
set for it.. ~
Mr.. spooner said he believed that since the DIN
was introduced in 1880 there had come over INC
entire country a great change as to It's expeu'e"'S
and this was clearly shown, he asserted IN the a'u
tide of the pablo press toward the measure ="
sho,+ the pcope OF the country were no longer III
tcnselv interested in favorng the bill Ke1errhs "
Mr. Blair's suggestion that as pensions "eio p
almost exclusively In the North his bill wouio 'eiu
somewhat to make up for that to the southern o.a'9
Mr. Spooner said that he could hoo 'o' ~
favor the bill that ground .,a
Nv R,air disclaimed urging the bill on the srouiu
that it would eoualzc the pension puruen'
Mr. spconcr went on to argue that the noieno
ment of children Of school age IN p"on0 s.'o
mn criterion Of what was being done III INC III"
education and cited the fact that IN New ioin 're
enrolment was only 81 per cent Oh 'he ''"'''
population. ,,,or s,xinr that
,ha enrolment did not include The large numuer u
children attending private schooiS anu
tional schools ,n,o,,
Mr.. Blair commended. however. that non ehIol"o"'
showed that the children were not oehs eu"' 49,
Mr. spooncr said lie had seen no stronger 'o'
s.nra,,o, NJ the measure than the argument OF lhc
I,os,do,, :, his annual message" such ad shonIu
be. it always has been, sus ,ecrc SIr ~pooner
,efed exceptIonaI conditions which Jnstheu rlc az
nrnnrafion of money for school purposes 10 h IN
Neyy.l
~ Congress were 10 offer to appropriate eA ,hd
Gov school nurposes in New York II would DC ldusvu
o. MIR spoouer spoke of inconsistencies III ulo ul,
I'he fund he said, to be dlatrDutcu a'I"ne ~
states on the basis Of teracy, but wien 'iic n''os
reached the states it 10 be Distributed IT,. v'
his basis hui upon the basis of school popuituon.
r., ono case the negro was counted, ana III the otVi
csc The negro was counted out. - 49,,
vote will be reached on the bill IN Ie" nays'
ond hoth sides are counting their forces lac opp"
eitton as far as it has declared Itself anonhIs 10
nerhans thiry-lve or forty. These twchN-ohe De'i
ocras will vote against the bill McPheis son anu hiDu
Setf ~ New.jersey; Gray. Of Delaware; German ana
Vson, Of Maryland; Faulkner ana hennd' 81 w, MT'
Virginia Morgan, Of Alabama, Eutlc!, OF s"utH ,Io
lima Coke and Reagan Of Tcxa, Berry ana I9
~ Arkansas Bate and Harris, OF tennessee, ni"'n
burn and Beck Of Kentucky Vest ara ooo"cH bc %,
Missouri and voorhees, and Turpe, OF INDIANA nv
viii be reinforced the Republican sldc ny a
tors Frye and Hale, of Maine; Aidrlch,, Vi h!ouo
Island: Hawley, of Connecticut; Hscock;, M ~"
York: Farwel of Illinois; Davis OF Mtn ,i'
Snocner OF Wisconsin, ingalls, and PlumD ol hdisds,
md Zones OF Nevada-eleven In all. 10 ths n,"l
mfbirfy'two NAV also be added Patt OF CoileclC..'
nixon OF Rhode Island, Washburn, OF Nh' esc'n'
And Walcott of Colorado whose vote, are on 'nc
doubtful list and probably one or two OF tie Se.1ei
from the new States Mr.. Blair claims maj loln NV
enators are in favor OF the bill. The total memuer
hin of that body Is eighty so his estimate l.d.S
hifty-seven votes TO the opposition Nhethcrs IN, nv
Srw IIampshire senator hold his strength OF "a
session on the Republican de as ne expects 10 No.