The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-04-14
TILLMAN AND NOBLE.
THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE FUND
TIED UP STILL.

THE AaRIcuLTuRAL COLLEGE FUND
TIEDuP STILL.
Further correspondence between Cow
tho Interior-Congrsss win Have to de-
| eide tho Matter.
COLUMBIA, S. c., April 1.-THE fol.
lowing Is the last letter from the Depart
ment Of the Interior to Governor Till
man in regard to the equitable distribu,,
ton Of the fund last year given by Con-
and the colored agricultural colleges of
the State. AS will be seen by it the De-
partment of the Interior adheres to its
idea of what is an equitable" distribu-
tion. "Goyernor Tillman's reply was
mailed yesterday, and copy of it will
also be found below. He, too, adheres
to his previously stated views, and so
the whole matter lies over for the con
sideration of Congress at its next ses-
sion unless the Secretary of the Interior
should in the meantime conclude to ac-
cept the basis of distribution provided
for by our Legislature at its last session.
| DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
WASHINGTON, March 21st, 1891.
Hon. B. r. Iillna7a, Gooe77,or of South
Carolina.
SIR: 1 have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter of the 10th
instant stating that your Legislature
having acted and adjourned until No
yember the question of the equitable
division of the funds appropriated for
agricultural colleges by the Act of Con-
Il 30
longer an open one so far as the State of
South Carolina is concerned, and en-
quirlng whether the Secretary refuses
to pay South Carolina her quota upon
the basis proposed by the General AS
sembly, and If so, whether he insists
that the school population, as shown by
the census Of 1880 instead of 1890, shall
govern"
In answer to the first part of the in
quiry have the honor to call your at
tention to the provisions of the statue.
1t provided in the first section:
"That in any State in which there has
been one college established in pursu-
ance of the Act of July 2, 1862, and also
in which an educational institution Of,
like character has been established or
may be hereafter established, and is now
aided by such State from it's own reve-
nue. for the education of colored stu
dents In agriculture and the mechanic
arts, however named OF styled, or
whether or not it has received money
heretofore under the Act to which this
Act is an amendment, the Legislature of
such State may prepare and report to
the Secretary of the Interior just and
equitable division of the fund to be re-
ceived under this Act between one col
lege tor white students and one institu-
ton for colored students established as
aforesaid, which shall be divided into
two parts and paid accordingly"
Section provides:
"That on or before the first day of July
in each year, after the passage of this
Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall
the Treasury as to each State and Ter
ritory, whether it Is entitled to receive
its share of the annual appropriation
for colleges, or Of institutions for col
ored students under this Act, and the
amount which thereupon each is enti-
tied respectively to receive. If the
Secretary of the Interior shall withhold
a certificate from any State or Territory
OF Its appropriation, the facts and rea-
sons therefore shall be reported to the
President and the amount involved
until the close Of the next Congress in
order that the State or Territory may
II 1T should so desire, appeal to Congress
from the determination of the Secretary
of the Interior. If the next Congress
shall not direct such sum to be paid, it
shall be turned into the Treasuary, and
the Secretary of the Interior is hereby
charged with the proper administration
of this law"
1t seems evident that while the Legi-
lature may propose a division of the
hnf hr fIn &xry~ t,,n sA,,A -
made the duty of the Secretary to pass
upon the equitableness; of the proposed
division. In all but a very few Instances
where q slight variance was admitted
the Secretary has insisted upon a diyis-
ion on the ratio of the school population,
and this seems to be the most equitable
and uniform basis that can be adopted.
In this case he sees no reason to recede
from his convictions that equity de-
mands a division into the ratio of the
school population.
In answer to the second part of the
inquiry, have to state that when you
were written to on the subject. Jannary
81, 1891, the school census for State of
South Carolina for the year 1890 was
not available, and the census of 1880,
white 35.9 per cent, colored GAL per
cent, was suggested as an equitable
basis of division. The department is
now in possession of the school census
for 1880. (Whites 36.7 per cent, colored
63.3 per cent and it is.considered that
the division should be based upon the
latter enumeration. Very respectfully,
GEO. CHANDLER,
Acting Secretary.
GOVERNOR TILMAN's REPLY.
Hon. Geo. Chandler, Acting Secreta1y
Interior, Washington, d, @.
SIR: / have the honor to acknowledge
receipt of your letter of March 21st, In
reply to my letter to Hon. John w. No
BILE, dated February 10Th. As l wrote
to MIR. Noble, our General Assembly has
proposed an equal division of the fund
donated by Congress last year "for the
further endowment and support of col
leges for the benefit of agriculture and
the mechanic arts" between Clemson
Agricultural College (white) and Claflin
College (colOred). Whether such divis-
lon Is equitable or not as provided by
the statute and whether the Secretary
of the Inferior has the right to refuse
South Carolina her quota because he
thinks it is not equitable is for you or
him to decide until Congress meets.
South Carolina has dealt literally
with it's colored college In the past and
am sorry to see it crippled by refusal
on your part to accept the apportion.
ment proposed by the State. As Gov
ernor 1 have no authority to do more,
and If had, / would refuse to accept