Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-06-27
For the Sentinel


upon the suggestion o! the name Of Judge
Montgomery Blair for seat in the next Lcgs-
lature, wherein you seek 10 refer the whole
qucston-that of nominating candidates for
the Legislature, County Commissioners, Clerk
Of the County Court, Register Of Wills, &c;
TO County Democratic Conyention-in other
words, a political partizan convention, the
question at once arose in my own mind, what
political question is now before the county to
induce any man to vote against his own inter-
est for the sake Of party? The policy of The
General Government is irrevocably fixed for
the next four years, and there is no local po-
litical question now agitating the eople oil
Maryland. There is, however, a question oil
interest and of taxation, which ought to
arouse the people of the State. Every tax
payer knows and feels that his taxes have been
quadrupled within the last few years. This
is the result either Of improyident legislation
or loose administration. In either case, il
loudly calls for reform. If in improvident
legislation, send men TO the Legislature who
understand the peoples wants and interests,
and who will have the boldness and independ-
ence 10 assert and vindicate them.
The representatives of people are like a
mirror which reflects your face in d glass. II
they are poor and weak, the county people
will be represented as poor and weak, and
your wants and demands for reform will be
treated accordingly. But if, on the other
-.
of character intelligence and independence,
who know your wants, ''and knowing, dare
assert them''-you will be reflected as an indie
pendent, wise and intelligent coun ty and peo-
pie, worthy the attention of the Legislature,
and of such legislation as will protect you
from wrong, oppression and imposition, and
advance and promote the welfare of The coun-
ty and the people.
could not, therefore, but think that the
name of so intelligent and experienced man
as Judge Blair ought not to be put to the haz-
ard Of chance or the trickery Of political
partizan convention.
But there are questions of county interest
and county reforms which demand the atten-
ton of the taxpayer as much as that of the
Legislature. 1t has been said that no law,
however excellent, is good, if administered by
careless and incompetent men. Why is it that
our county expenses have so vastly multiplied?
Look at the County Court, the Clerks Office,
the Registers Office and the Orphans Court,
the County Commissioners and Prosecuting
Attorney, also high taxes for schools and roads,
for poor teachers, and worse supervisors. =
Professor Newell in his report for the current
year says at is not too much TO say that
about one-third of the teachers in the State
are teachers by accident They have had no
training, and no experience: they are pro-
foundy ignorant of the first principles of the
art, and are profoundly unconscious of their
ignorance" When the greater proportion of
good teachers in the City of Baltimore is de-
Quoted from the grand total, it will leave about
fifty per cent, or one-half, of these "ignorant
teachers by accident" as the Professor styles
them, for the country, for whose support the
county is now paying so heavily.
And as to supervisors of roads, (another
heavy item of taxation), the year is now near
ly half gone, and with one very small excep-
ton, not shovel full of earth moved, or loose
stone picked off, or side ditch or waste creek
opened. The county roads iG the section
where write, and so far as have seen or
heard, will be permitted to remain just as they
were left by the heavy hauling of Spring be-
fore the winters frost were out of the ground,
rough, uneven, and full of holes aud gulleys,
with no precaution against injury from the
usual washing rains of summer
The policy, so far as this neighborhood is
concerned, seems 10 be appoint supervisors
whose residence is Off from the road they are
TO repair and keep in order; consequently no
motive OF interest to watch their condition !;
not to take timely measures to prevent serious
damage and injury by sudden rains and fresh
cts. The result is, they never see theiG section
of road except at their annual visit in August
or September, when they leave pillow furrow
and few shovels full of earth to mark the
fact of their hasty visit for repairs. In Howard
county the roads are now newly repaired and
in good order. In each and all of these you
will find vast increase Of expense within the
last few years. Shall the people be told that
partizan political convention is the true cor
rectiye for all of these negects or abuses Let
free, independent, and intelligent people
spurr the idea, These packed conventions
gotten up, controlled and managed by few
selfish, interested aud INSCRIPTIONS political
tricksters are the real cause of your inefficient
representation in the Legislature, and your in
creased taxes and burthens in the county.
The true remedy, now that there is no i'm
portant political question before the public is,
for the people to take the question out of the
hands Of the partizan conventions, and to call
upon and demand the services of the best rep
resenative men in the county, both for the
Legislature and the Board of County Commits
sioners, and also the most prudent and well
qualified men for the offices of Clerk, Register,
States Attorney and Sheriff Then you will
see reform, and not till then.
REF0RMER.
The Signs of Madness in Dogs.