The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-04-27
'Mhs G<til Mkia
ELKTON, APRIL n, 1879.
Public Education.

Public Education.
This conntry-we may say the civilized
worlds being every day more interested
in public education. Universal education
is fast becoming recognized as the only
safety for free government, and the SUBJ
ject of compulsory education, which has
accomplished such wonderful results in
Prussia, is every day gaining proselytes
throughout the world among the great
thinkers of the age.
But what most nearly interests the great
body of our readers is education in this
county at the present time. For want of
funds the public schools have been sus-
pended for the Summer term. The debt
hanging over the School Board weighs like
an incubus upon it's shoulders, and the
heavy interest required to carry it eats UP
large proportion of the funds appropri-
ated for school purposes. To get this
troublesome debt subdued has been pro-
blem that has defied the efforts of the
means of partially accomplishing this
object the schools have been suspended the
present Summer term. The demand for
more comfortable school houses is one of
imperative necessity, and these buildings,
which are prime necessity, and without
which ''School cannot keep" are severe
drain upon the present limited school fund
When the county is supplied with the nee
essary school houses this annual outlay will
cease or be reduced to comparatively
small sum for repairs. The urgent demand
for proper class of school buildings will
be understood when the populous town of
North East is found to be without public
school house fit for children to 60 into
We are told that the public school building
Of that town is not as good as many stables.
Now to say nothing of the shame Of hav-
ing such a school house, such miserable
quarters will unavoidably disgust the chill
dren, and make school, in place of a cheer
full and happy place, most irksome and
revolving. To overcome this great difficult
ty of providing proper school houses
throughout the county-for there are a
number of localities as poorly off, if not
worse in this respect, as North East-there
should be more public spirit manifested by
parents in the matter of providing COM
Portable houses for their children, than at
present is shown, and when the taxes are
inadequate to accomplish, save by slow
approaches, the herculean task of keeping
the schools open and building and furnish
ing the requisite number and quality Of
school houses, private enterprise might and
should lay hand to the work. When it
is considered that by this means all the
school houses used to be built, and the
task was not considered SO very herculean,
great deal might and should be done at
the present time. A little sacrifice on the
part of individuals in the cause of educa-
ton, would beget. a wonderful interest in
the subject, and not only better houses,
but better schools would be the result.
Nevertheless, the means for the work
under public school system must almost
wholly be supplied by taxation, and it is
the duty of the County Commissioners to
make liberal levy for school purposes. till
the debt is overcome and the county is
supplied with sufficient number of COM
fortably well-furnished school houses. 1t
is unimportant to inquire how this debt
was created or whether any part of it could
have been avoided. The fact that heavy
interest is eating up yearly a large per cent.
of the taxes appropriated for school fund
should determine the County Commission
ers to rise to the magnitude of the occa-
sion and levy tax to perceptibly diminish
this difficulty of debt every year, till the
whole is removed. The great waste of the
peoples money is on the roads. This mat
ter is where reform is most urgent. If the
school fund had what is wasted on the
roads over and above what if judiciously
spent would make better roads, the school
debt could be removed and all the neces-
sary school houses built in one year.