The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-02-14
Catholic Schools and Trustees.

EDITOR WH1G-Dear Sir:-Your last
issue had two articles in regard to which
l would like to say few words. will
take the letters in the order in which they
stand in the paper.
The writer thinks poor education bet
ter than none. This may be true if the
education be intellectual, but if it is only
training in the narrow, bigoted tenets of
some religious sect, none is preferable.
On the ground of economy, the public
school has the advantage, as it's charge is
but 81 for three months, while theirs is
$1.50; and l presume no books found
either. If those parents are poor they are
very short sighted with it. The youth of
Elkton may be "hard," but they need to
be compelled to attend school. The need
Of many of our towns is compulsory
law-not "Catholic Schools"
When the writer calls public schools
"hot- beds of immortality" he offers de-
hberste insult to sosry public school teacher
IN America-and more, ASSERTS aohat 1 as a
teacher pronounce deliberately untrue. 1t
is strange how completely drilled the ad-
lerents of this sect are to their hate of
public schools. Leodochowski in Prussia,
Manning and his set in England, and Bay
ley in Baltimore, move in perfect concert.
| have heard it from the Romsh pulpit
and read it in their papers. "Better abso-
lutte ignorance than common school educa-
tion,'' is the cry of every Romanist from
Plus IN to The Wig correspondent. No
one familiar with the questions of the day
is ignorant of the fact that this church has
declared an underwriting warfare upon
common schools and their consequence
intelligence. Such being the fact, the
Protestant who supports Romish school
adds to his poverty a lamentable lack
of Judgment. He is in the position of
soldier who at the opening Of a battle
deserts to the enemy. To assert that
Romanism sowed the first seeds Of religion
held the social tie tight through the mid
die ages, and paved the way for modern
enlightenment sounds nicely, but happens
to be untrue, like great many more pref
ty assertions. 1t is true that Calvert set
an example of liberation, but his has been
the only one in that church from Constan-
tine to Plus. The Romish church may
succeed in its war on Public Schools, but
it will only be when the spirit of the ages
expires-when the finger of Time turns
backward upon the dial
Upon the Trustee question l am going
to say few words, as l do not have the
fear of those august beings before my
eyes. The friends of the Trustees have
had two letters and it is only fair that the
other side should be heard. am not of
those who look for any good from this
Legislature, composed as it is of band Of
the most irreconcilable rcactionists in the
State. There is no chance for any changes
in the School Law that will be of benefit,
and every friend of education can afford
to pray that in their anxiety about bigger
jobs they may let the School Law alone.
1t is morally certain, however, that let
Trustee system will remain. The law of
1864 WIS ono of the best we have ever had,
but it made no Trustees. That of '67
provided for two to each school and made
the Commissioner President Of the Beard,
which practically left the appointment of
teachers where it was before. Since that
each Legislature has got the Commissioner
and teacher further apart. The result is
good illustration of what is everybody's
business is nobody's, Commissioner waits
for Trustees to get teacher; they wait
for the Commissioner to send them one, is
about the way it works; so the work falls
on the Commissioner at last. The Trus-
tees are not paid and often "don't know a
hawk from hand saw" but give many of
them little power and they are anxious
to use it, the result is corps of meddlcrs
who can give direction or find fault, but
seldom if ever hold a meeting, visit
school officially, or do any thing in legal
form. Why it is that every one thinks he
can teach school little better than those
who make it business is a curious ques-
ton, but a pressing one. Mr.. A. may be
good farmer, Mr.. B. good mechanic,
but most likely neither of them could tell
whether a is a verb or pronoun or whether
Sahara is in Austria or Brazil, but they
are perfectly able to direct the trained
teacher in his duties. 1t is about time
this thing was stopped. The Commission
er seldom has any personal interest in the
matter and can act fairly which few Trus-
tees can do. Who for example would not
deem an appointment by S. J. England or
F. S. Everist better guarantee of fair
ness than that of the average Trustees
close for the present hoping that if the
Legislature will not abolish the odious
Trustee system that they forget the School
Law altogether. ]. A. CALHOUN.