Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-03-12
Senator John s. Barbour on the Blair Bill.


On Wednesday, the 9Th instant, Senator
John 8. Barbour made speech in the Sem
ate in favor of the Blair Educational bill.
Mr. Barbour spoke of the great interest
which the people of Virginia took in that
N easure. and said that it had been favored
in the platforms of both political parties in
that State.
1t was of the deepest and profoundest in
terest 20 the people of Virginia, who had
done as much for the sake of education in
the last fifteen years as the people of any
other State. They had expended about
nineteen million for the purpose, and had
given five millions to educate the colored
illiterates which the general government
had put upon them, not only as citizens,
but as sovereigns He was surprised at the
lack of interest in the subject shown by the
Senate, and was astonish5d at southern
Senators opposing the bill. Why, he ask
ed, was that 80? Had they any we'll
grounded apprehension that the school sys-
tenn of their States was to be interfered
WITH As to the talk about the great wealth
of the South, that, he said, was delusion
and an exaggeration. The bulk of the peo-
pie of Virginia were poorer to day than they
had been nineteen years ago.
He denied that the Senator from West
Virginia (Mr. Faulkner had any right to
speak as he had spoken for the southern
States. The bulk of that State lay west of
the Allegheny mountains. The interest of
that State had not been with the South
thirty years ago, when it cast its fortunes
wisely, no doubt, and to its own interest,
with the Federal government. The state
ments made as to the wealth of the South
were not true 80 far, certainly, as the States
of Virginia and North Carolina were con-
cerned, because the consent of the States
had to be obtained before the bill would ap-
ply to them. How we're the rights of Vir-
ginia or Alabama, or Mississippi to be
violated by a benefactionf Did the bene-
factions of George Peabody interfere with
were in operations
He had no constitutional doubts on the
subject, as he did not belong to the hair
splitting class of constitutional lawyers If
the general government took no interest in
the education of the colored people there
was 10 rcaaon why the people of Virginia
should tax themselves to educate in their
midst a class of people who did not act with
them pat' iotically, and who would be more
apt to vote with the man from Wisconsin
than with the interests of Virginia.
The great flow of wealth rolling over Pac
toliap sands had not reached them. He had
never known the agricultural interests Of
Virginia to be more depressed than to day.
He believed that there was better day be-
fore that State; but that better day had not
yet arrived. The landholder in Virginia
was regarded as The poorest man in it. be
might be the owner of 2 thougand acres OF
land, and yet not have money enough to
pay for his breakfast.
Coming back to discussion of the bill it
self, he reminded the Senator from West
Virginia tia. nobody would force the school
fund on th st State. But if the people of
Virginia ware willing to take it, he asked
why, in God's name, should he Mr.. Faux
ner] oppose their doing so. Did southern
Senators believe that the people OF their
States would decline the fund?
Did the Senator from West Virginia be
lieve that his people would not take itf Ii
be believed that they would take it why did
he stand up IN the Senate and say chat they
other States should not have it. He knew
that it would not do for his colleague Mr..
Daniel ard himself to 60 home and tell the
people of Virginia that they must not take
this money from the federal government,
but must continue to tax themselves for
support Of common schools. If they were
to make sreeches On the lines of the speech
of the Ser ator from West Virginia they
would be held to an accountability, which
he, for one, would not care to encounter.
Mr. Plumb then addressed the Senate in
opposition to the bill,