Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1879-03-21

School funds Of the State shall be kept ia
uioiate, and appropriated only 10 ne pUr-
poses Of educatsoa. Constitution, article s,
section 3. IN obedience to this Constitu-
tional injunction the Ac, ,S12, chapter 377
declares the State School Tax aud school fund
are primarily intended to pay the salaries of
the teachers OF the several counties, and TO
provide school books and stationary for the
children Of the State
independently Of these statutory obliga-
lions, the sacred character OF the trust would
seem enough to Impress upon all connected
with the collection OF distribution OF the fuod,
the greatest promptit0de aud hdeljty, Yet
grave complaints are made through the public
press that the salSrles are 10 arrear discounted
and reduced, because there is no moaey TO
pay them. Nearly sevsRty>6ye teachers and
three or four tho0saed eeItarea are affected
by this neglect il Il exists, Il is Your duty TO
inquire IL these complaints are veil foaaded,
and to see that the taads provided BY The Stale
for lis children are not paid TO brokers, that
the children's bread is not givea TO the dogs.
Selling ardent spirits without license, or
contrary to the provisions OF the License laws,
Is an offence against the Revenue aud Police
regulations OF the State, aud the fruitful
source OF crime, immortality, poverty and
woe.
The most common form Of this offence is the
selling Of liquors or intoxicating drinks 10
minors and on the Sabbath, and the perni-
ciou' practice of selling and permitting liquors
to be drank at groceries on the premises,
whereby traders licenses are virtually con-
verted into oyster house or tavern licenses and
stores are made the means of gross debauchery
and habitual drunkenness.
In several portions OF the county quail
fed prohibition OF the sale of liquors pre-
vails-lS62, chapter 242, provides The
Clerk o. the Circuit Court tor Montgomery
county shall no. grant license to any per-
son to sell Intoxicating drinks at any time within
two miles OF Brookeylle, nor within the limit Of
the hrst election district in said county, nor
within radius of four miles from Emory
Chapel and school, in said county, nor shall
the Clerk grant such license to any person
within either of said limits, without, in
either case, an order in writing from the
JwstJe' OF said Circuit. 1862, chapter 1856,
enacis similar provisions as 10 the sale Of ar
dent spirits within two and a. half miles Of
Sandy Springs
Licenses for the sale of ardent spirits thin
three miles of the District line on the roads
leading from Georgetown to Seneca Mills, TO
Frederick city, or TO Brookeville, are also
prohibited under similar limitations.
These laws we're enacted when the Circuit
Court consisted of one Judge who was ueces-
sarily ''the Judge of the Circuit Court"
The Judiciary system being changed by the
Constitution of 1867, substituting three
Judges for one, there is no person known to
the law as "the Judge Of the Circuit Court"
If the power had been vested in the Court,
it would devolve upon any single member
thereof. But being an executive and not a
judicial power, it is not very doubtful whether
lis not entirely abrogated or taken away bv
the change in the orgahiZ ,tion of the Court.
Licenses which have been granted un-
der the sanction of a Judge of this Court
ought OF course TO protect those who have
acted or may act under them until the expira-
lion, butfulure licenses should he suspended
until the question is definitely settled. When
this question came before this Court incide nj
ally, on a former occasion, thought the pow
err still continued, but subsequent reflection
induces ne to believe was mistaken.
Yon are invested with double duty, the
protection and preserv ton of the rights and
interests of the Stale and the protection CT
the rights of the people individually. The
one cannot suffer without Injury to the other
The duty of the citizen to the State is obedi-
ence to the law the duty of the State to the
citizen is the protection of life, liberty and
property.
In enforcing the laws. you are promoting
the dearest rights and privileges Of the citi-
zen. Besides the general obligations of all
citizens to obey the laws, there is a special
obligation upon all officers OF the Stale to
discharge the dntes committed To them faith
fully. This presents large field of inquiry
There are none so high AS to he above inquiry,
none so low as TO pscs ne observation