Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1860-01-19
what AiIegany County Needs.

defects Of our present system OF education,
and promised to notice some Of thu. features Of
4 system such as we neel
The. first is a prorision for securing proper
qualifications in teachers.
No one Of course can be prohibited irJiI
Teaching, but systcr. Of public education
should require certain degree Of intellectual
and moral qualifications in these employed
under its provisions. In order to accomplish
this wo need beard Of County examine Q
whose duty it shall be to examine all sppli
cants for schools and if fCrnd capable Of !
teaching in the branches required by law.
give them certificates CT intellectual attain F.,
snents and -noral character entitleins them to
employment in the public school. !
Tho minimum qualification should be
correct knowledge Of Orthosraphy, Reading,
Writing, Arithmetic, English Grammar and
Geography.
4 second .tcat,re should be ? ln'orisiO" for
The support Of good schools.
In some places schools arc supported en-
tirely 10y public funds, IN others, os in Bati-
more city, Il small tuition fee IS required Of
those able to pay, The latter system per
haps would suit orr county best under pres
pnt circumstances. This would tighten the
burden Of taxation Anu hang education, with
III tie reach Of every family. BY this sys-
TEN Public Schools could be Bustsined in the
rural Districts Mt least six months in oyery
year, and in towns AM our city tic entire
year.
Two good Union Schools and High SrhDo!
with corps of competent teachers audn Su-
perintendont, could educate successfully, all
the children Of our city, ut T. cost little over
the amount now expended for the partial ell
ucation Of few This would make n high
order Of education cheaper for the rcE, an.
bring it within the reach Of those in muder
ate circumstances, supplying At the same time
the wants Of the poor.
IN order 10 render a good System Of Pubic
education efficient. TEE NEED u pror'siOn for
g.sJlc school houses,
With population Of about 5000, the city
of Cumberland as far As we know, does no.
own n single school house. Our children. with
few exceptions, nrc Taught in all kinds OF
places without any attractions to mato tteIn
love the school room and It's exercises. Con-
fined in dark dingy or filthy places, they learn
20 look upon tho school room rs a dungeon Of
horrors and they hate it.
Two good substantial buildings, properly
located, with sufficient number Of rooms for
graded Union Schools would be adequate t.
our wants,
Without such buildings the best school sys-
ten, as far rs our city is concerned, will be
failure.
Another feature Of the system Of education
we need, is education rithout degradation in
any qcho receive its instruction.
There is large class of our citizens in
moderate circumstance who cannot afford to
educate their children at the prcscn. rates Q!
tuition and who rather than receive an?-
thing from the Free School fun!, retain their
children at home during .he greater portion
Of tie year
Those who, pressed by :iscum s;aatc, be
come poor scholars, ~ they are called. age Of
ten subject to the taunts Of their companions
such rs no free born American boy or girl
ought be compelled to bear. This badge Of
inferioi!ty should be removed. The poor boy
may be our Congressman, our Lawyer, our
Physician, our Minister, Q, even err Presl-
dent, and in his struggles to emlnenSe, we
should remove the barriers against which his
honest pride rerolts Could We record the
mental suflcfings Of the poor under Our pres
eat system aud show thcir chldrens hearts
ltccrated hy unfeclng looks and words and
the silen. hate engcnierrl deep and strong
hy the endurance Of their position. every prin-
ciple of konor and humanity would plead IN
their behalf, The system w propose would
place all SO nearly alike upon the same level
AS to preclude iuieriority in any.
We ,aseda system free from the shaclies AID
restraints If religious sectsriaatsm,
Religious Denominations are not recognized
by our State any further than to protect them
in the possessi Of their property, MS it pro
tects any ether associations. To aid in tht
propagation of the tenets OF any one or all O
them, is clearly unconstitutional, sud there
lore system Of public education, cannot re-
rosnize any denomination, sect, or patty
Further than this to recognize Churches il
ANY WAY rs educators would destroy the eff
cheney et any system Of public education ane
be doing gross injustice to those Of Our citi
sens whu arc not members Of any Church.
Let the Churches keep hands off. Let then
instruct their children in the doctrines Of thei
faith at home, ia their Sabbath Schools IN,
classes for religious instruction, and there vii
be no necessity Tor intrudins upon publ
schools where the elements Of IN intellectual
education can alone be given Or demanded
We believe thlt religious and in,cIlcctua
training Should go together, but the religion
teacher Should attend to tie one whilst IT,
public teacher attends TO tho other, Let II
have system Of public education On tn
broad sround OF citizenship and no one thel
IAN justly complain.
The WisEMES or GOTHAM. The Dclnoc
fdCN. through i|Itl IA w aoH1I -tOii
have announced to the enlightened people .
this country and to the world "ana the res
Of mankind. that thcy coad not vote Tor Mr.
Gilmor, an American Of North Carolina, anc
owning ncar.y one hundred slaves, simply
because some republicans voted for him.
Well, that is Il most wise and unarswerahl,
reason for their conduct, and perfectly salts
factory to every insdnc mar. All, the MIS-.
L.. oul ,l;x.ration f,f ihesp fupst utIrp and