Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-10-24

nicalion 10 the Public for having writ
Ten aHght in defence Of himself or
School Beard, and also intimates IN a
serious manner that the end Of this
controversy on his part shall terminate,
and that be viii henceforth and forever
hold his peace. (se presume to sayl
no matfcr what may be saij or what
the charges advanced. For he who il
not only unimpearhed, but unimpeaeh.
able, must stand in the eyes Of the pub
lie whose ear he asks Is The rock Of per-
lection, and therefore no matter what
have been or what may be the charges,
they must be false and groundless, for
the Examiner of Saint Mary's county
can do no wrong. But men have minds
and with them think, thus. il Is q noso-
Ficus fact, that large majority Of The
people of this county disagree with the
Examiner On this point and will believe
that has egotism may outweigh these
airy projections, especially in the
scales used By an intelligent public in
such matters; and too shall use these
Just public scales and proceed to throw
q parting shot al the retFeating foe, in
hopes 70 strike vulnerable point before
he gets behind his entertainments.
We shall now proceed, after having
made tMese Preliminaam Eamarks. 90
take uk or pass ia review again the
charges which have been attempted to
be reluted or explained and also those
which were not Thought proper to mo-
| tice."
II am allowed 10 remember arlght,
the charge that be had given some cred
its TO few on branches not examined
on was admitted, but with such expla-
nation as was thought best for his pur-
pose. IL the proof of this charge had
moi been Of the most positive kind il Is
questionable whether or not a candid
admission OF il would have been given.
The charge OF ousting our native
Teachers and putting in their stead
Normal School graduates and persons
from distance is met by him IN man.
ner calculated TO strengthen our argu-
ment on another point against him.
/ must right here, before proceeding
further with this point, say, although
this is regarded as serious charge made
in serious manner, il never was so
stated. The wording of it was this
at seems TO be the intention 10 turn out
a half dozen or so Of old native Teach
ers and fill up with Normal School
Teachers" &c. / am forced to sup
pose the reason he so interpreted tbs
was because having lost favor with so
many native teachers aud Citizens he
has adopted this mainod to keep or
bring to his support that element. How
ever in refuting this charge, as he terms
Il, he proceeds 20 show that there are
but few Normal School graduates or
to quote him correctly "three who were
in part educated at the Normal School, :"
teaching amongst us. He then goes
on to tell US that the number from this
county teaching elsewhere greatly ex-
ceeds thosefrom distance teaching here.
But il is not strange the fact rebounds
against him and for US. For il the char
acter Of the examinations and the ter
rorism Of the examiner are driving out
our native teachers and at the same
time keeping back those who might
wish 10 teach here, il follows as natu-
raj consequences, as this county accord
ing TO his idea is so far behind in edu-
cation, that the preponderance between
the drain, in going out and in coming
IN, will shortly leave the whole business
in total darkness.
The charge Of limiting a teacher to
a certain school without warrant Of law,
he meets in a kind of whipping the
ID around the stump way If he meets
il at all. He thinks that an explanation
on this point almost ridiculously simple
and proceeds TO show that the supply
for white schools 10 equal the demand,
but for colored not so and that in all
cases the Board accept not appOint
or choose" teachers ola lower grade.
always. however, accepting best mate
rial. If these are solemn facts, wei!
enough. But it seems wonderfully
strange that If applicants for colored
schools are so very scarce, that YOU
should in some cases have tried 10 drive
out some by insults and keep out others
by rejection.
Again, one gentleman of education
who has been teaching colored school
for the last several years, was actually
afraid Il do not blame him) TO go in
the examination at all, because says he,
Captain Thomas does not like me and
| should therefore stand no show. Also,
there is a colored school very near
here which is OF my own knowl-
edge earnestly wanted by two intellI-
gent white gentlemen, but up to few
days ago at least was still closed
Now here Is one case where the Board
might accept, choose or appoint. How
many more there are I know not.
To the charge that The standard had
been suddenly raised to catch some OBJ
iectionable teachers, ne thinks he is but
walking in the footsteps Of his predeces-
sor, raising the standard by degrees.
His much lamented predecessor came
out from among the people, was one Of
them, sympathized with both people
and teachers and to do the greatest good to
the greatest number was his earnest in
tention. He was without doubt raising
the standard, but IN q practical and
common-sense way, and it was rare
occurrence for him to turn out teach
er, bat If one did not come up to the
requirements In examination would
give him a chance By permitting hlm to
teach and prepare anew. These foot
steps the present examiner has failed to
follow though the tracks are indelible.