The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-02-25

ment the bill was ireightod with III
gravest evils 10 the whole country an
more especially to these States whic
would be more benefited that others b
its enactment. Three questions pr,
sented themselves at the threshol
which would have to DO answered In til
affirmative by these who supported til
bill. These were;
First-Is the bill sanctioned by tn
provisions Of the Federal constitution
second-Are ita provisions, which a
feet the distribution OF the fund betweel
the States and between the two races Il
tho States Just and bountiful? ~
Third-1s II the part OF wisdom aud Q
practical statesmanship for the Nationa
Government to embark on this bound
less sen Of unrestrained and UNLIMITED
legislation7
AGAINST THE BILL.
He took the negative Of these tire,
propositions and went on to argue Ii
support Of his view Of tho question
quoting largely from the debates in thu
federal convention; from the decisions
OF the judges Of writings OF public mer
and statesmen. From those he argued
that the establishment OF common
school system was necessarily commit,
ted to the caro- ahd control Of the States,
The principles laid down b y Chief Jus.
tice Marshall in the case OF Gibbons
against Ogden, restraining any attempt at
encroachments reserved tho respective
States, or TO the people, never had been
questioned Or qualified by subsequen,
decisions Of the Supreme Court, and be
preferred to build his record on that
foundation rather than on the shifting
opinions Of active politicians, or on the
irresponsible and unreliable patchwork
OF precedent. qs
Coming down to tho practical proyis.
ions OF the bill, Mr.. Faulkner pointed
out the inconsistency Of first distributing
the fund to the States on the basis OF
illiteracy and then distributing the fund
within the States between the two races
on the basis OF the school population OF
each; so that, while on the basis OF il.
literacy, the colored schools at the
South ought to receive S3G, ,0O0, 900 and
the white schools $4,000, 900, those
figures ION the other basis) would be re.
versed and the white schools would 70.
celve SlG, 100000 more than the colored
schools.
Mr.. Blair asked whether it was not
proper to apply the money so that 1t
would reach the white children and the
colored children alike.
Mr.. Faulkner replied that the bill had
been justified on the ground Of its re.
lieving illiteracy in the States, and yet
when the fund got into the States, one.
third more would be given to the white
children than to the colored children, on
the basis Of school population, while the
illiteracy Of the colored children was
forty per cent greater than that OF tho
white children. That contradicted the
principle OF the bill.
REFUSED TO YIELD.
Mr.. Blair said that was q misappre.
hension Of the bill-a manifest error, and
was about to explain it, but Mr.. Faulk.
ner declined 10 yield the floor for that
purpose and proceeded with his argu-
ment. He declared that the bill, in.
stead OF its being as Mr.. Blair had de-
scribed, a new declaration Of independ-
ence would be a national declaration on
the part OF Congress Of autagonism to
the common school system, and would
invite friction and discord between the
sections. He referred to the fact that
the State OF Kentucky, which would 70.
ceive 81 ,3l6, 900 under the provisions OF
the bill, the State OF Arkansas, which
would receive S2,503,000, and the State
Of Texas, which would receive S, 100000,
all OF which States had been in
favor Of the bill some years
ago, had now instructed their Senatora
to vote against it, and that the Legis-
lature Of the State OF Georgia which
would receive SG,44O, 900, the largest dis.
tribution Of any State in the Union, had
recently postponed indefinitely Il resolu-
ton approving Of the bill. So that four
States, that would receive Sl7,1S5, 900
under it, an amount equal to what the
entire North and West would receive,
through their Legislatures rejected ita
provisions in the interest Of education
and Of self.government., He had perfect
faith aud absolute confidence in the
present and future Of the South. He
did not intend that the active, energetic
and enterprising people Of the State ci
West Virginia should hold up
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