The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-03-27
SENATOR EDMUNDs ON THE BLAIR
EDUCATIONAL BILL

There was a very interesting debate in
the United States Senate on Monday of
last week on the Blair bill i'll which Sena-
tor Edmunds took part. 1t was on the
constitutional question involved in the
bill. Now no senator is more thorough
believer in the doctrine of states rights
fairly interpreted than Senator Edmunds,
and the eloquent Virginia senator who
led the debate found in our profound
constitutional lawyer an able cOadjutor
We give the New York TriJme'S report
of the debate as follows:
Senator Daniel of Virginia made a strik-
ing and effective speech this afternoon in
behalf of the Blair Educational bill.
What he said was interesting and to the
point, and the Virginia senator can
always be depended upon for the graces
of a finished OratOTical manner. PrOba-
bly, the most noteworthy thing about the
speech was Mr.. Daniels frank announce
ment that in the light of the Legislative
history of the country for the last fifty
years he was forced to consider the broad
construction theory of the Constitution
as established beyond controversy. His
education and political training had all
been of the sort to give him a predile-
ton for the strict construction theory;
but, looking candidly at the facts of his
tory, he found the universal tendency of
political opinion and of legislative action
all the other way. The logic of language
might sustain some of his fellow senators
from the South, who found the Blair bill
unconstitutional, but the logic of the fact
laughed them out of court
Such heretical doctrine brought forth
an astOnishcd rebuke from Senator Har-
riS of Tennessee, a venerable sticklGr for
the strictest Interpretation of every sylla-
BILE of the Constitution. Then Senator
Reagan and Coke, two more "COnstitu-
tiOnal' experts, tried to Overawe the NiI-
ginia orator by reading various passages
in the Constitution. But with the aid of
Senator George of Mississippi Mr.. Daniel
held his ground successfully. giving back
to his inquisitors as good as he got. Sem
ator Edmunds came over to the Demo
cratic side to enjoy the argument and in
cidentally coached Mr.. Daniel here and
there in the latter's rejoinders to his
critics. The Vermont senator cOngratu-
lated Mr.. Daniel warmly at the close of
his speech.
The passage of the bill, Mr.. Daniel
said, had been asked for in the platforms
of the Republican party in Virginia; it
llutl Dttll dShtNl lbl Ill llt DldllOl lllN vi
the Democratic party; it had been asked
for in public meetings; and it had been
asked for by the almost unanimous vote
of the General Assembly of Virginia.
So that one state at least, had in equivo-
cal language said that it desired the pas
sage of the bill. He (Mr. DanieD had no
difficulty as to the constitutionality of
the measure. The next question, there
fore, that presented itself was WAS it a
wise and proper measure? The meas
ure was not the offspring of the solicita-
tions of the cOmmOnwealths of the
South. 1t was lin his judgment) the Off
spring of a generous and philanthrOpic
feeling on the part of those statesmen
who first suggested it. 1t was Che be-
lievedD the first measure of general and
comprehensive legislation since the UNI
happy period of the war which the mem
bers of the great political organization
that had, in the main, controlled the leg
islation of the country had proposed to
apply to the solution of those questions
which were as the aftermath of a bloody
struggle. The Southern States, Mr.
Daniel said. had been doing their full
duty in the matter of education, and had
since 1870 spent S2j2 0O0,0 900, taken out of
the pockets of the people, for the pur-
pose of education. His own State had
been the fourth in the list in the magni-
tude of its gifts and appropriations.
Mr.. Daniel, proceeding to discuss some
constitutional points in connection with
the bill, was asked various questions by
and received various suggestions from
Senators Harris, Morgan, Reagan, Coke
and Faulkner; but he declared in reply
to their objections, that he could not see
any substantial difference between the
power of the Federal Government to
take piece of land and give it away for
educational purposes and the power to
take money out of the Treasury with the
same object.