The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-03-04
WHO SHALL EDUCATE THE CHILDREN ?
Mr.. Spooner's Reasons for Opposing
Mr.. BIair's Famous Bill.
The Supreme Court and the Pacific
Bank of Boston.
LewIston's Public Building Bill Fav-
orabIy Reported In the House.

WASHINGTON, March 3.-The Senate
today resumed consideration of the Blair
educational bill and was addressed by Mr..
Spooner. He had voted, he said, once in
favor of the bill. Now, after full reflection
on the subject, he was impelled to vote
against it. He agreed with the Senator
from New Hampshire as to the necessity of
education among the masses. Referring to
the claim that the Republican party was
pledged to support the bill, he read an ex-
tract from the Republican national platform,
and denied that it contained committal of
the party to the bill. 1t could hardly with
justice be said to be party measure. He
had no difficulty with the constitutional OBJ
Jections urged against the bill. He admitted
that the matter of the education of the chill
dren OF state was within the provice and
Jurisdiction of a state. He agreed that it
was for state, not for the federal govern
ment, to declare what the school system of
the state should be. No one would contend
that 1t was within the constitutional compe-
tency Of Congress to declare what should be
the school age OF state or pass law for
compulsory education in a state. 1t did not
follow from that that Congress might not
grant lands or money derived from the sale
OF lands to aid the states in educating the
.h.urcn' OUCH grantS OI lanu ana money
had been made repeatedly since the bill was
introduced in 1880, and there had come over
the country, North and South, great change
OF feeling as to its expediency. One strong
evidence was the attitude Of the newspaper
press OF the country during the discussion.
shire to contend that the great newspaper
press of the country had entered into con-
spiracy, The newspaper press could have
no interest against the general interest
OF the people. 1t could not have an interest
against universal knowledge. If it had any
special interest on the subject, it was in fav-
or OF the proposition that every man, woman
and child in the United States should be
Taught to read the newspapers. The press
ielt the public pulse and knew what inter
the press gauged correctly the information
contained in the Senator's Mr.. Blair'sl
speech. Mr. Spooner believed that no news
paper could do better service than to lay be
lore It's readers the entire speech of the SEN
ator: In learning. research, analysis and
statistical information it was worthy of the
Senator and that was saying all that could
be said. The fact that the press had not
done 1t, was to his mind dindubitable evidence
that the people OF the country were not to-
Interested in favoring the bill In the West
there had been great change in public senti- |
ment. Among the Republican newspapers |
mat ina opposed the measure he mentioned the |
The Milwaukee Sentinel and the st. Paul |
Press. The leading newspapers of |
tne South were no longer In favor of the |
pill. The Charleston News and Courier |
had given the reasons for its change of faith. |
Ii the South needed aid from the federal |
treasury in 1870 or $780, it did not need it |
now. The Senator from New Hampshire |
faid 1t did. The senators and legislatures of |
several of these states said it did not The |
& gfeat mass OF Southern newspapers said it |