Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-01-24
ADDITIONAL LOCAL.


1872 of the Circuit Court for AileTiny
county, is notable as q thorough and ur-
gent cxliortation TO a rigorous inquest. No
point requiring attention Was omitted; all
known and suspected infrirgclncnts Of the
law were submitted rs subjects fol inquiry.
\ fitting pcroration was the reference TO
the Act of 1872, chapter 500, imposing
heavy penalties upon all defaulters who
handle the public money or The state Or the
Countess
This charge was justly theme of gener-
al compliment As a judicial utterancc, its
comprchcnsiycncsS vas suspicious of good.
The people felt better era had arriycd-at
least very many of them said that thorough
work might be anticipated. The pcacc-lov-
ing portions of0ur community expressed sat
isiaction as they dwclt upon the alleged
"stringcncy' ofthc Act advcrtcd to- And
this at a time too, when no special viola
ton of This Act was declared. Yet good
people were happy.
Time wore on; Court succeeded Court.
and jury followed jury, each performing
its appointed duties until near the close of
1873 a few whsperings Of corruption in
the School Board, crewhile vague and
underlined had accumulated force enough to
find vent through the press. These com
prised allegations which, whether we'll
founded or not obtained uncnviablc Gre
dcncc with a vast number Of people, until
it seemed nearly everybody was down on
the School Board except the School Board
itself
This was Al important .juncturc; the
compliments seemed to understand it as
such no better than the School Board
Both knew that with the year 1878, the
Board would 90 out of office, and both nat
urally felt something must be done and
quickly-the one to prevent re-appoint-
mcnt-the other to obtain it,
The charges, therefore, came thick and
fast from separate quarters. All sorts of
assertions impugning the management of
school affairs were given to the public
INSTRUMENTATION, pceulation, and misap-
preparations of funds, are terms specific
mcnt to which the Board was subjected
Then the Board rose in its might and deliv-
cred broadside which we'll nigh swept the
field \ chained shot, something like you
lie, sir-you lie y developed the fact that it
was no use tigh ing tie Board on that line
But here was war, nevertheless. Within
hearing a judicial conference was held at
lIagerstown, Monday Dec 29tl, 1873, which
conference WAS apparently deaf to all but
the hroadside. They reconstructed the
Board with scarcely enough variation of
men to effect change Of policy. Al least,
at the first meeting Of the new Board in
Cumberland, Monday, january 5lh 1874 it
ratified its former course by rejoicing its
officers.
The re-appontmcnt made was satis(acto-
ry to all who are proud of the consistency
and ini'cxibili'y ola Judiciary which could
remain unmoved amid the public clamor.-
But the larger portion Of the people did not
view its action with satisfaction.
We must now turn back two DAYS earlier
Saturday, January 81, ls14-to the fare
well meeting Of the old Board Impressed
with sense Of the solemn character of the
charges preferred against it, grave rcsolu-
tons were adopted demanding of the ensu-
ing Count an investigation of its manage
ment This was well. But the cheerful
ness Of the thing was spoiled by similar
demand for the ''prcyious Boards" In this
part of the thing there was novelty; some
people wondered why this was thus" 9TH
as asked 'if in this part of our economy
the path of corruption is beaten track ?"
IF so, is it the part Of official integrity to
follow it, But these inquiries, though
important and significant, were only collat
cral to the salient one of investigation pre-
clscly where the charges located misconduct.
Hence, there was disposition among PEG
pie to let the ''past' stay "burled" until the
present could be satisfactorily disposed
we have now reached singular epoch.
The january QS14) term of the Circuit
Court for Alegany county began its session
the 9TH day Of the month named. The
A' '"iy haS ltlN charged. AT Its close
the Court referred to the School Boards de-
mand for investigation of its affairs. The
jury was informed of its inability to perform
this duty on account Of the expense entail
ed upon the county by sitting necessarily
prolonged by such investigation. The adj
dltional information of incomretency for
such inquiry amounted to prohibition of
Inc inquest. The jury may have been re-
ile'ed of an onerous duty, but they could
not have felt complimentcd.
But, to return to the Court 1t is not re-
markable these reminders should have
made peroration, but SO unlike that of the
charge at the October term 1872, we will
stop here to institute Slight comparison.--
men, (lS'2) so far as defaulting is conccrn.
CO.. all was serene. Nothing of the kind
ruifcd the placidity of the situation. If
tiicre were suspicious of corruption. they
were not publicly expressed. In the in
stance before us, we have already seen how
numerous and serious the allegations-thcse
10 an extent impclling the Board itself to
demand inquiry by the Court. Vet the nub.
l4.N