Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-01-23
CONMuSICATEp.
GOIOred schools.

Mr.. EDIroR In your last issue there appear,
ed, over the signature of George NJ. Lloyd, Sec
rotary of the Board of School Commissioners
a communication which purports to be reply
| to certain inquiries of mine as to the working
of the colored schools of the county.
! Though not directed to him, more than any
! one else, he assumed the task of giving the in,
| formation sought, and his connection with
those schools would point him out as the beS
qualified man in the county for that purpose
But, to my entire surprise, he has evinced total
ignorance of a subject the duties of his office
presumed him to be familiar with, and refers tc
but one colored school in the county, which he
miSrepreSentS.
Under the circumstances would deem a re-
ply unneceSSary-his arrogant assumption that
| the law should subserve his views and conve-
nienCeS; that the Board of which he is the crel-
ture should submit to his dictation.
| Il am Sir Oracle,
When opc my lips, let no dog bark
indeed might say his unique idea of morals
and good breeding, as illustrated in his COM
municaton. might pass to his credit for what
they are worth-if he had not garbled my fl
cures and belied his own.
| If was in error as to the negroes quota OF
the ST., 573 40, Mr. Lloyd tells us twas eNpend-
ed for school purposes for the year ending Sep
TENDER 80, 1873. Could he not have corrected
nv figures and given the facts rather than make
| a bungliug effort to myStity and conceal them
What is there i'll this little batch OF figures that,
with feline instinct he would scratch trash
over? Sancho Panza, on one occasion suggest
ed or ntimated TO his master, Don QuiXote,
that there were some things that smelt the worse
the more they were stirred and such might have
| been the view of Mr.. Lloyd.
! From Mr.. Lloyd reference to my figures he
endeavorS to create the impression that out OF
the gross amount of Sl7.573.40 the colored
schools only drew S2,6l0. Nothing can be
further from his last fall exhibit than this
| 81 6l0 is what WAS paid TO colored teachers aS
| salaries for the wear ending Sept. 30, 1873, a
gainst $40. 800 .65 10 white teachers. There are,
then, from Mr. Llovd'S report, S4.56..G5, en-
! hracing S53l for books $500 repairs, $50 IN
cidcntal expenses &c, &c, which for the sake
of brevity | will call Incidental expenses, which
! is shared by all the schools alike.
/ Will Mr. Lloyd assert, though he has cndeav-
ored to create the impression that the colore<i
schools OF the county draw nothing from this
fund? | am not posted. though he ought 10
| be. as TO the amount. That depends, pre-
sumo upon their wants and other circumstances
| Ignorant on this point, little posted on some
Others made an approximation OF the amount
and put it at about one-tourth OF the appropria-
ton. which Mr.. Lloyd fortunes into that frac-
! ton at which he makes 4 limping effort At
SmartneSs and sarcasm. In his effort to appear
smart he failed TO plus this improper fraction
with the SIS he paid colored man To buy q
stove for No. school. Sambo put the money
in his pocket, but his soft nature, after while
Welding to the appeals OF >hlvcrlnL children. ne
bought. on credit. a 81 stove and levied a CON
tribution on the school for the amount. This
may be an isolated case, nevertheless il is an
SIS Swndle on the school authorities.
Mr.. L.. 5 ntimation that my communication
was designed to affect the action of the Board.
is to me quite AZ incomprcheusiblc a many
other things contained in his communication,
would candiily ask him in what way and for
what purpose did design affecting the action
of body of gentlemen who knew their duties
He is quite complimentary TO the County
Board whose Secretary he Is when he makes
the admission that after its deliberate action
upon the official representations OF the trustee,
OF No. |. and directed 10 write those gentlemen
informing them of what action the Board had
taken, that he found nothing 10 communicate.
or, TO use his own language, nothing 10 SAY.
Which means that the action of the Board upon
a matter of grave importance 10 the " hole schoo!
system, ! might say the main girder upon which
the entire superstructure relies for support, was
of so little importance. in the opinion Of the
Secretary, that he could afford to compromise
the well known good breeding OF those gentle
men and treat with indifference the trustee, .
leaving them, from the early part Of September
1873, to the "a January, 1874. in utter dark
ness, with various conjecture> a 10 the mean
ing of the School Commissioners for the county
in not answering or noticing respectful call
for information on the part of those whose bu-
sineSS ii to lay before them all matters OF
doubt or uncertainty, ana abide their action
Mr. LLOYD relieves the Board OF any thing ike
a remisSness ofc:iquette; and. honestly believe.
in his unsophisticAtcd notions on the subject
he will not reproach or accuse himself. Mr..
Lloyd'S etiquette and ethics would seem 10
come from some rare and peculiar school, to-
which but Il few favored ones have had access
Upon the subject OF granting certificates Of
qualification 20 negroes, he says. ChIS own Ian
guage. I'VE could not let regular certificates,
in the hands Of these people. 60 out 10 the put
nc with downright he upon their faces. We
could not permit such fraud; but further on
he says we can recommend their appointments 10y
the white trustees nearest their school. No.
was never honored by such a recommendation.
Where the party could not come up 10 the
standard of qualification the law prescribed,
Mr.. Lloyd tells US ,criten certificate would be
fraud, but rerJGi recommendation hurled in
the ears of the local trustees by the applicant
himself, his friends. from the Examiner.
would be as words of holy writ"
You may steal a pocket book or purse, but
don't forge name. You may lie TO your
hearts desire out An faith don't prtnt ii.
This, however, is matter Of casuiStry which.
if not dstastefu to the conscience Of our friend
Lloyd, need not disturb mine. am done with
the colorcd schools.
Jan. I, 1874. A TAX PAYER.
ORDER OF pITRIJrA TIDN