The Booker T. Washington Papers, Vol.2, page 285, Dec. 1885, U. of Illinois Press

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DECEMBER · 1885 ~ John Elbert McConnell ~ 1863-~9~8) was born in Farmington, Wis., and graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1887. He was admitted to the bar in 1889. He was a Republican and had a deep interest in the Reconstruction period and racial aspects of American political history. 2 The Blair bill was the creation of New Hampshire Republican Senator Henry W. Blair ~ 1834-~g~o), chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and Labor from 18 to 189~. Originally conceived in 188~, the year that BTW began his work at Tuskegee, the bill provided large sums of federal money ($77 million in total) for public schools over an eight-year period in decreasing amounts. A common complaint was that it was designed to expend the surplus created by the protective tariff. The criterion for distribution of the fund was to be the amount of illiteracy in a state. Thus, about 75 percent of the Blair bill appropriation would have gone to southern states. The first appropriation was to be $~5 million, which would provide more than $ ~ million to Alabama alone. Alabama's entire state school expenditure in 18 was less than the proposed Blair appropriation. The Blair bill passed the Senate three times during the 1880s before it was finally defeated in 1890, leaving its sponsor embittered and frustrated. The bill was never considered in the House due to strong Democratic opposition from Speaker John G. Carlisle. The bill allowed for segregated schools, but it upheld the doctrine of separate but equal. Federal and state funds, according to the bill, should be expended ''equally for the education of all the children, without distinction of race or color.'' Southern white sentiment was divided, but generally in favor of the bill. Most blacks also supported the bill since, even if the funds were unequally distributed, it would have meant a substantial increase in the otherwise paltry aid to black education. (See Crofts, ''The Blair Bill and the Elections Bill.'') To Frederick C. honest Tuskegee, Ala. Dec. 2 ~ ~ S85 My dear Sir: Yours of Dec. ~7 containing your check for $25. is received. We are very grateful to you for the help and shall try by hard work to prove ourselves worthy of your confidence. It's very encouraging to know that such friends as Mr. Cables and others are so interested in the Southern work. Mr. Cable has certainly proven his friendship for us in a manly way. If a few more Southern people would come out boldly as Mr. Cable has it would help matters much. There are many in the South who think as Mr. Cable does but have not the moral courage to express their sentiments. We are going to send you the ''Southern Letter,'' a little paper published by us, that you may see what we are doing. Sincerely yours Booker T. Washington ALS George W. Cable Collection LNHT. 285