The Portland daily press., 1890-03-08
A RISING TIDE.
Mr.. Hale Says Sentiment Against
the Blair Bill Crows.

WASHINGTON, March TN the Senate to-
day, the Blair educational bill was taken up,
and Mr.. Blair replied to some criticisms of
the bill. He insisted that the Republican
party was pledged in its platform to its pas
sage.
Mr.. Hale addressed the Senate in opposi-
tion to the bill. Eight years ago it had been
launched on the Senate, and from that day
to the present persistently urged and as per-
sistently opposed The Senator from New
Hampshire could not COMPLAIN that the bill
had not received earnest consideration and
attention in the Senate, or had not been
brought repeatedly and measurelessly before
the country. One thing noticeable, and the
Senator would admit it, was the rising tide,
which had been all the time against the bill.
Mr.. Blair-"I do not admit anything like
that; quite the contrary"
Mr.. Hale-'If the Senator will take the
expression of sentiment by educators, and
public-spirited men in the United States
that the rising tide is against the bill. When
first voted on by the Senate, IL Senators vot-
ed against it. In the last Congress, 1t in
creased Ito 20. Many Senators who voted
for the bill on the second occasion avowed at
the time that it had received the last support
1t would ever receive from them"
Mr.. Blair claimed the apparent discrepancy
between IL and 20 was not real discrepancy
because many more senators were paired on
the first vote than ON the second. He claimed
the bill was gaining strength.
Mr.. Hale-"No doubt the Senator be-
lieves that, but he cannot deny that the sup
port which the bill had at first has fallen
away in the light of observation and refec-
tion. In my own state, when l first vote1
against the bill, expressions from the press,
educators, clergymen and gentlemen of in
telligence were In favor of the bill. Great
regret was expressed by friends of mine at
the course had taken. Today the press OF
Maine are opposed to this bill, the educators
are against it and clergymen opposed to it.
The course pursued by my colleague and my
self in voting against it received the sup
port and commendation that have fallen off
from this bill. The opposition that has been
increased, the rising tide to which referred,
have only came because of observation and
reason against the bill"
Mr.. Hale said that although at first tempt
ed by the largesse offered in the bill inte
snpineness and yielding up its interest in 10
cal common school education as soon
as the South had seen that the bill was not
likely to receive an immediate passage, the
South turned loyalty and earnestly to the
task OF rearing, maintaining and increasi ng
It's common school system. AS to Mr.. Blair's
assertion that the condition of education in
the South was worse than it had been 20
years ago, Mr.. Hale said that could not be
correct 1t was imp0s sible to believe that
any community in the United States, North
or South, would find itself advancing in the
accumulation of wealth, as the South had
been shown to be, without at once setting
itself to the task of uplifting what was the
foundation of the prosperity of any people,
the common school system and the advance
ment OF education. Itwas not possible that
the South could go on increasing in wealth
and prosperity without turning its attention
directly to the great question Of the educa-
tion of its people. The life, vitality and
energy, he said, which maintained the public
school system had to come from the people.
When the interest of the people was with.
drawn from it by the substitution of another
system. friction came, and the vitality of the
common school expired.