Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-05-18
For the Monte emery County Sentinel


Mr. EDIroR: In your last issue, there
appeared a communication signed g Med
ley's," in opposition to the School Law
recently passed by the Legislature, set
ting forth that /" four ffths " at least "of
the votes of that and the western por-
ton of Rockville District were opposed
to said Law; that the Delegates to the
Legislature acted "impertineatty > in ma
turing this measure Does not Med
ley's" know full well that the convention
that placed those gentlemen before the
voters of the county, passed, by unan-
imous vote, instructions to them to en-
act such Law? Medleys District was
fully represented in that convention, and
did not raise her voice even to ask delay
upon the subject, but suffered said in
structious 30 stand as the express will of
the party. knowing this, and seeing the
action Il their Delegates for more than
three weeks pri0r to the passage of the
Bill, they did not offer the least objec-
ton by letter or petition against its pas
sage 1t is a well known fact, that in
this portion of the county the question
of Primary Schools has been agitated,
and candidates pledged for such schools,
for more than four years past; and, also,
that no party could get the votes of the
people without such pledge. The can:
ddates being fairly and fully committed
to the measure, standing upon that plat
form, and asking the endorsement of the
people upon the issue, were elected by
a large majority of the voters-this Law
being the only one to which they stood
committed and pledged to their constitu-
ents; yet, according to the opinion of
" Medley's," they are fast gentlemen"
and acted " hastily" and " ilnpertinent-
ly" The facts in the case do not prove
it, nor does " Medleys" opinion make
it SO.
So far as to the details Of this law,
none of its friends claim it to be perfect
they expect to find in its operation many
defects. These can be remedied at fu.
ture sessions Of the Legislature. But
that it is preferable to the old system,
few will undertake to deny. What may
have been the operation of the old sys-
TEN in Medley's District the writer Of
this will not undertake TO say but that
it was little better. than no system, in
Berry's, be knows full well and so do
nine tenths " Of the voters. Without
the party being committed to this meas
ure, or similar one, no ticket could
have been elected last fall and in oppo-
sition to it now, no man could get re-
spectacle vote here. 1t is now q Law
let us give it fair trial, and should it
fail to meet the wants of the people, it
will be an easy matter to alter and change
it to meet their wishes.
Mr.. Editor, this is an age Of progress,
and be who adheres to old things, and
old systems, will be swallowed up and
crushed in its onward march Montgome-
cry is, with one exception, the last coun-
10 abandon the old system Of schools -
Go into any Of them and ask how they
Operate T? They will tell you that they
would not be without them. Should any
candidate dare to 90 before the people Of
any Of those counties upon an issue Of
this kind, be would be laughed TO scorn.
So it will be here. All that this system
wants is fair and honest trial. II the
teachers are not paid enough, the people
will toon be willing TO pay more The