The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-06-01
getters from the geuple.
For the Democratic Aduocats.
PUBLIC EDUCATION.

MEssRs EDIToRs As the season
for college commandments, academic ex
hibitions, public school examinations.
teachers institutes, &c, is at hand, the
attention Of all is every where more or
less called to the subject of education
The Commencement of the W. NJ,
College will take place between the
10th aud Both Of June; the State Nor.
NAL School Commencement will be held
at Concordia Hall, in Baltimore, on the
evening of the Both OF May; the Penn.
sylvania State Teachers Association
will be held in the Academy of Music.
in Philadelphia, on the 21st, 22d, aul
23d of August; aud school examinations
aud exhibitions are in progress all
around us.
While academic examinations and
college commandments are ongrossing
the minds of many, the subject Of Pub.
lie School Education is stirring the
hearts Of ala few close fsted men who
do not desire to see education generally
diffusel, because they think it may ab.
stract few STAMPS" from their iud.
vidual ov, rfowing Golfers, are recklessly
cxerting their influence to withhold
The necessary supplies few others,
who sharply design TO use "high tara.
to-" as 4 political hobby to ride them
into notice, are clamorous to close the
schools, while the absurdity Of the pro.
position in this age of progress, starcs
them ont Of countenance; but the great
mass Of our rejecting people, (tcn to
one OF the population.) are anxously
hoping that our our justly popular, in
tclligcnt, and liberal County Commis
sionrrs, who hold the the purse strings
Of the county, aud who must bear the
blame, should they withhold the ueces
shry supplies nnd thus cripple our pub
lie schools will grant such levy for
school purposes as may be shown to be
necessary to pay off the debt, continue
The schools as the Law requires, prevent
the forfeiture of the State appropria
ton, ply the teachers fair living salaries,
for their arluous ldbor1, and thus enl.
! bic Carroll county to stand credinbly
BY the side OF surrounding couaties,
which have hitherto been 50 much more
libcrilly supplied.
II is the usual practice Of croakers f
the class above referred to, to allege
"extravlsanco' against all public lunc.
tionares, and now and then an objector
OF this description, either iguOrantIy or
mllIciolsly, has made this charge against
the )arrJl County School Board; aud
\ the close listed, who wish to destroy the
/ system altogether, use such unlounded
allegations TO urge the County Commis.
/ slouers to withhold the neelrul supplies
The writer, having heard this charge.
has taken the trouble to mike some in
quiry; aud he has satisfe himself that.
instead oil extravaganza, parsimoay
might with more truth be alleged against
the School Board; though this would be
unjust, because the Board has been as
liberal us 1t was possible to bo with the
means supplied.
All know that the School Board ap
pointed in 1868, kept the schools open
i Who'll, year without demanding any
county levy Whatever; and that no levy
was made. Did that look like extrav
aganceg
Ia 1869, when the Board had an uu
limited power to levy any amount, the
sun Of only ten cents iu the 500 was
levied. Was that extravagancl
The Bard passed resolution that
$500 was all that would be appropriated
TO build new school house, and each
subsequent Board has adhered to the
ec'nomia resolution. Was that extrav.
agance? +?
The salaries of the nblcst Of the
teachers have ranged from 1925 to $500
per year, and during the last year. the
salaries paid were from 1925 10 S24O a
year. Was that extravagance
II We compare the expenses as shown
in the published annual reports of Car.
roll with those Of surrounding counties,
we shall find that in proportion, accord.
ing to the amount of work performed,
to the means supplied, the expenses OF
Carroll have been far less than those OF
any of the neighboring counties.
A great outcry was attempted to be
made relative to extravaganza in text.
books; whereas, on inquiry, we fad that
for the first two years the income from
the textbooks exceeded the expenses
by several thousand dollars; and that
during the service of the late Board,
which was elected by the people, and by
which the books were changed, aud the
system of exactiug book fees, as the law
tayors, was adopted, necessarily eularg.
ing the outlay at first,--the expendi
lures for books were much less iu Car
roll than in any Of the adjoining coun.
ties
The chief reason for troubling your
readers with this communication is the
great dagger apprehended by many Of
the utter failure of the Public School
System in Carroll from the loss of all,
or nearly all, of our ablest teachers.
The recently appointed trustees of the
schools, are seeing aud feeling this every
day. 1t is almost impossible to engage
the services of an experienced and we'll
qualified teacher. Nearly all ofthe teach.
ers seem to be waiting to learn whether
or not the County Commissioners will
makesuch a levy as will enablethe Board