The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-04-04
The school Law.


The Legislature managed to pass School
Law, on Saturday, which seems to be re,
garded by all parties as an abortion. We
never doubted that This was the intention of
Il majority of the Legislature from the be
ginning. The bill authorizes great deal to
be done in the cause Of education, but pro
vides such loose, disiointed system for do
ing it, that we fear that the Public Schools
of the State will languish as in the years
past, and which every friend Of education
had hoped were never to return. The Bal
limQre .Imtrican, in speaking Of the School
Law, says:
"The bill it (the Legislaturc) has passed
is an aborion--a system without any railing
or directing authority. and which in more
than half of the counties of the State will
lead to the placing of the Public Schools
upon an Impoverished and inefficient basis. y
The San is still more severe in its stric.
lures, charging the Legislature with being
influenced rather by n blind prejudice against
the present system. than 10y laudable de,
sire to lcgislate for the educational interests
OF the State. That paper says:
"Whether this bill is all that it ought to
he remains to he proved; yet there are ap.
preheusions with many that it is not. In
view OF the great importance of the subject,
there was too much delay in bringing it for.
ward but we have been willing to assume
that there was an earnest effort on the part
of the education committees of the hegisla-
ture to avail themselves of all the lights that
could be obtained beforehand to aid them
in producing a satisfactory measure. Yet
we have not been able TO relieve ourselves
OF the apprehension that under influences
based upon unreasoning preiudiccS against
the present system there has been an effort
to create something different from what ex-
listed, without reference to what, in the pres.
ent system, may be readily meritorious and
worthy Of preservation, and that Il good deal
of the difficulty which has occurred in con.
snmmating their labors has come out of
disposition to make the present system
point of departure which was to be got
away from III any event, without reference
to what kind Of port the voyage might
terminate in.
10 turn out The present boards of school
commissioners seems to have been a leading
motive with the authors Of the new law, for
they provide that the new act shall take eff,
feet on the lst of April, and that the County
Commissioners shall apnoint q school board
under il, who will exercise the Office till the
next general State election, when a school
commissioner Shall be elected from each
Election District. The taxable property of
the State is to be assessed 10 cents on the
500 TO provide school fund, which is to
be distributed according TO populalinn.-
While the large coiorcd population of some
Of the southern counties are to serve the
purpose of drawing tax from the State
Treasury for tEcr respective counties, none
but white children are to be cducated out of
that fund provided. however, that the
school tax received from nroperty owned by
colored people shall be set apart for tie usc
of colored schools.
Among the HOLIDAYS are Thanksoiyinc.
Christmas. Easter, Whilsentide. but ,l,o ttb
of July is ignored. The chivalry of our
last Legislature have no desire that the ris.
ing generation shall reverence y dnv which
brings to remembrance that charter Of lib.
crty which teaches that all mon ,ro crootod
equal and are entitled to the n,alicuablo
rights Of lille. liberty. and the purs,,jt Of
happiness. No uniform system Of text.
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