The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1872-03-22

That was their fortune. Their fathers had
nothing to do with them, except finding
victuals and clothes, and even in that the
people of the State thought about finding
them in shoes, as leather was plenty there
and it would help them along to school,"
This was enough, this was truly Demo
cratic, it seemed just the thing.
Uncle Joshua's big coat had been patch
ed and patched and turned; and now they
thought they must put new tail to it,
and so they did.
We must have just such schools too free
public schools. The State must see to it :;
the counties and townships must attend to
1t. 1t seems Democratic every child, rich
or poor, must be schooled at the public ex-
pense. Its the States business, not the pa
rents. They have nothing to do with it.
They have other things to attend to. The
people must pay thetax and buy the books
and that is ALL To tell you the truth, my
hearers, it was just in this kind of way,
this school system got atloat in our State
1t was not born here. 1t came from anoth-
er State. And here we might say some
thing about the right principle, which is,
for everybody and every State just to mind
their own business, but we will speak of
this again.
Well you have all heard of things taking
the back track. So it was with this kind
OF Democracy, when it began to have its
second, sober thinking. They said to elect
all their officers, as constables, magistrates
and SO on by the people; it was really too
much trouble, and besides took too much
paper. And also to elect all the school
masters, and school commissioners by the
people, true, it was Democratic, but it did
not work quite so well. Like Uncle Josh.
ua's big coat, it became cumbrous, and a
little too long. And besides to give them
just as much money as they wanted to car
rIy on this schooling, and build up proper
lot OF school houses, that seemed all Dem
ocratic enough, but the people began think
ing about it, and came to the conclusion it
might be little too Democratic. So to
mend the matter little and get at the right
principle, they Just took step or so back
wards and made up their minds it would
work better to fill all these offices, as mag
istrates, school commissioners and so on,
Just ny appointing the right kind of men,
and have no electioneering about it.
SO after forgetting somewhat about Mas
sachusctts, and thinking little more on
their own business, and about the school
law, they thought it, too, was rather Dem
ocratic, and might work better, Gas Uncle
Joshua says about his coat) curtailed it
little too. So the Legislature, as you know
Just put stopper in the feed pipe They
allowed them rs much money as they want.
ed for schooling, but just to stop when
they got up to q certain mark somewhere
above zero, as our old school master used
to say; which was ten cents on the hun
dred dollars; to use it carefully, to do the
best they could with it, but there to stop:
unless they got into very big pinch, when
the people. commissioners might help
them little.
Now, this lisa step towards the right prin-
ciple, but it lays farther back yet They
had it once almost right, but the politicians,
as said, patched it and turned it inside
out.
When the school fund cducates the poor
gratis and helps the children that are some
what needy, and joins hands freely with
those who are fully able to school their
own, all working kindly together-is not
this the right principle? 1t surely is.
And what is over, my hearers, let it GO to
help the needy, to help the pauper to buy
his meat and bread
After this Uncle Hezekiah said he
was about to conclude. That he had Civ
en- merely a history of the schooling bust
ness In his next lecture he would say
something about the school money and
other matter of fact things, and again ap-
ply the right principle.