Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1871-11-10
[ro TILE EDITOR or TILE SENTINEL

Mn. EDITOR: Having received information
that Geo. Peter, Esq, had stated in speech
at Clarksburg, that the Board OF School Com
mssoners OF whom | was Secretary and
| Treasurer had left debt Of $4,000 90 for
| their successors to pay, and that he was
told by Solomon Dowden, Esq, that it
amounted TO $4,000 90. | published in
your paper of the 9th ut., actual docu
ments showing that the said Board upon
| going out of office, paid balance of S902 81
to Mr.. James Anderson, Treasurer of the sue
ceedng and the present Board. Mr.. Peter
finding himself exposed in making reck-
| less assertion instead of frankly acknowl-
edging that he undertook to misead the peo-
| pie, or was wholly ignorant upon the subject he
was endeavorng to discuss, seeks, in your last
paper, TO find justification in the fact that the
old Board of School Commissioners lett teach
ers salaries for the Spring during which they
| went out of Office, amounting to SO, ia So
| mot So, $50 10, as stated by him) 10 be paid
| by their successors, leaving out entirely the
| further information that their successors also
received all the accruing monies flor the same
year, of the old Board, and the very money
in fact out of which the old Board had intend
ed to pay the said salaries. 1t is, or ought to
be, perfectly well known that the Board of
| County Commissioners never levied dollar to
aid this old Board in carrying on the schools ;
and after successfully administering the school
| law for nearly three years upon receipts of
money from the State Treasury alone without
running themselves or the county in debt, in
the midst of their duties, they were removed
from office by the operation Of the new school
law, on the 18th of April, 1868. The records
of the office now show that the incoming
Board received July %, 1861 from the State
Treasury the sum OF $5,6 II which would
of course have come into the hands of the old
Board had they continued in Office. With
this and other accruing instruments, they in
tended to pay these spring salaries, and to
struggle on as they had done before to the
end OF the year. Now one of the first acts of
their successors was 10 negotiate loan, as
they alleged, to pay these salaries. But the
records show that most of these salaries were
not paid in fact until after the receipt of the
above mentioned sum of $5,628 II in July
1868. In proof of the fact that the approach
ing receipts from the State Treasury would,
had the old Board continued in office, have
paid these spring salaries ($3, l74 5s) and still
have carried the Board through the year, the
books show, that there was n considerably
larger amount of money received in the year
1868, from the State Treasury than was re.
ceived in 1867, the figures being as follows
Received in 1867 by old Board $l2, 59l 90,
Received in 1868, mostly by the incoming
Board, SID, 1873 Ia. If therefore, the old
DOhIu Sot dlOuR Will CIS oJl 49, 1901 WHO
can doubt that they would have got through
the year 1868 with nearly s., 900 90 more2
But this is notall. AS soon as the new Board
went into Office, the County Commissioners
| commenced inficting large assessments upon
| the people; and with this addition to the re-
ceipts from the State Treasury, they have had
to borrow amounts from time to time, which
would have startled the people had they
known it, and have paid enough in interest
a tnI
neghborhood of children for one year; while
the teachers have had to wait not only month
after month, but quarter after quarter for theii
| salaries. 1t is subject of deep interest to tax
| payers to know how much more it has cost tc
administer the school affairs of the county fol
| the past three. years than for the three year
during which Messrs. VIM. H. Farquhar
Chas. Albert, Jno. 7. DeSellnm, F, A. Dawson
and Jno. N. Soper constituted the Board o
School Commissioners OF the county. 1t j
especially matter of interest to know how
much money has been made by the swarms o
book spectators who from time to time hav
infested the School Board Office, and how OF
ten changes Of books have been made TO tn
great expense and detriment Of the public.
All these things the public are entitled t
know, add aIIsde to them, without any par
sssaa end whatever to subserve; for although
fhS author Of the article in your last pape
can see q correction of misrepresenta
sion 10 20 other than q partisan light, h
knows perfectly well that no man has concern
ed himsef less than myself with the affairs @
party, and that instead of being in every pc
lltical dabbIe as be IL, ! am devoted exclusive
ly to the practice Of my profession not hav
ing cast vote IN political convention o
meeting o. any sort for seveh or eight years
Whether the gentleman has shown either tast
or judgment 10 the other matters introduces
into his article, leave the public to Judge
do not choose to follow his example, beini
content with having by facts and figures
which ] have obtained from the officia
records, shown the simple truth Of the case
and yindicated, not a g Radical Schoo
Board, as be coarsely, and with consisten
demageguism, styles them, but FIVE honorable
gentlemen, and faithful officials.
RlCHARD ". WILLIAMS.