The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-04

Mr.. Davis statement on Friday has esti-
mated at twice as much as he CHr. Blair
had then supposed it might be; and he be-
lieves that even that estimate was twice too
low.
Mr.. Spooner went on to argue that the
non-enrollment of children of school age in
the public schools was no criterion of what
was being done in the line II education, and
he cited the fact that in New York the en-
rollment was only 81 per cent. Of the school
age population.
That fact was explained by Mr.. Hawlev,
saying that the enrolment did not include
large number of children attending
private and denominational schools.
Mr.. Blair contended, however, that non
enrolment showed that the children were
not being educated, and he added that the
childhood of the country was growing up
in ignorance both north and south.
sPooNER PRAISES THE SOUTH.
Mr.. Spooner went on to speak in terms of
praise of the provisions for common school
education in the southern states, and said
that the people of those states had not
only been doing well in the educa-
tion Of white children, but had
been doing we'll in the education Of colored
children. He had seen, he said, no stronger
condemnation of the measure than the
argument of the President in his annual
message, and which the senator from New
Hampshire considered as an argument In its
favor. The President had said: "Such aid
should be, as it always has been, suggested
by some exceptional conditions Were
there, MIR. Spooner asked, exceptional con-
ditions which justified an appropriation of
money for school purposes to Kansas, to
Wisconsin, to New York, to California, 10
Illinois or to Iowa? If congress were to
offer to appropriate $6,000,000 for school
purposes in New York it would be laughed
at.
AN ELIMINATED PROVISION.
He commented upon the fact that this
bill did not contain the provision which the
former bills had contained, requiring the
school books in use to have the approval Of
the Secretary Of the Interior. He supposed
that its absence now was to be construed as
a concession to the south in order to obtain
votes for the bill.
Mr.. Plumb said that that provision had
not Teen in the bill as reported from the
committee, but had been inserted as an
amendment on his motion.
Mr.. Blair remarked that that amendment
had been thrown In by the most persistent
republican opponent Of the bill, in order to
assail the sensitiveness Of the south.
Mr.. Spooner went on to remark upon the
Inconsistencies in the bill. A fund, he said,
was to be distributed among the states on
the basis of illiteracy, but when the money
reached the states it was to be distributed,
not on the basis Of illiteracy but upon the
basis of school population. In one case the
negro was counted in, and in the other case
the negro was counted out
AFTER THE EIGHT YEARS.
He expressed his belief that education on
the installment plan was dangerous, and
that the effect of the bill would be TO stimu-
late unduly schools in the south, and that
whom the eight years ended. if they ever did
end, the southern states would object to
raising by taxation the sums that would
then be necessary to keep up the schools.
He believed that with the peo-
pie, as with individuals, self
help was the best help. He
believed that the tendency Of the day was
too much to paternalism in the government
and that the policy of the bill, if entered
upon, would never end. All things consld-
cred, this step was dangerous one, unless
it were a necessary step, and he denied that
it was necessary STEP Mr.. Spooner spoke
for two hours, aud at the close of his speech
Mr. Blair took the floor to reply to some Of
his points.
After brief session for the consideration
of executive business, the Senate at $500
o'clock adjourned