The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-08-28
Qhtf1tople:: Qolnn,n
Let Justice Be Done.

''Iosh Billings" remarks that he
would las leave undertake to keep the
flies out of butcher shop, in the month
of August. as to NEEDLE in the Public
Skool biziness" But no matter how
averse the lazy and erudite . Josh may
be to public school teaching rs a means
of support. hundreds Of deludcd mortals
of both sexes, III every county i'll the
Union, are engaged yearly in the work;
hundreds Of others ardently desire to
engage in it, but are prevented from
doing SO, by various causes, chief of
which is the scarcity of schools. as com
pared with the great plentitudc of
teachers. 1t is utterly impossible that so
complicated u machine rs our public
school system should always move salts
iactoriy and smoothly to all parties con-
ccrned. That there has been Il little
.'hitch III the fly wheel in the classic
region of Fair Hill is evident from Il
communication contained in last week 5
Wig and signed Patron"
We do not think that we exaggerate
when we say that dozens of intelligent
patrons of the public schools Gin which
their children are being educated) in this
county. are utterly ignorant of the school
teachers. If it was a law relating to the
raising of sheep or cattle, or even to the
taxing or non-taxing of dogs, they would
study it with a!acrity but as only child
rem are concerned. no matter. 1t is not
worth while to inquire whether it needs
changing OF not.
1t seems. however. from the communi-
cation referred to, that three patrons Of
Al. l. l. Il Il n1,n,
and bestir themselves before the School
Board at its last meeting. In publishing
an account of that visit and it's unsatis-
factory results Patron certainly eX-
hibits a great deal of personal spite,
under thin guise of zeal for the educa-
tionaI interests of his neiyhborhood,
especially the Democratic portion of it.
lie says toward the close of his irascibe
article, 1--WE ask every true Democrat in
the county if such state of affairs should
be tolerated." But the scholarly gentle
man who prides himself SO much upon
his ability to judge of teaching qualities,
in man or woman omitted his interroga-
ton points altogether.
1t seems from ''Patron's statement
that Mr.. Brokaw was allowed to hold the
Rock school in reserve while he was
to try 9 to do better if he could" 1t
was not giving the patrons of the Rock
a fair chance to select Il competent teach
er and we are not surprised that they are
Justly incensed ut Commissioner England
and also at Mr.. Brokaw, but the weight
of Patron $ indignant wrath seems to
fall upon Mr.. Squier. Now how Mr..
Squier is to blame in the matter we can
not see. The only offence of which he
seems to have been guilty was i'll recon-
mending his niece to the - Rock > school
"A thing which he certainly had a per-
feet right to do if he saw fit. Patron
makes point of this lady's failure to
pass an examination in Chester county.
The writer has attended many of the
public examinations of Chester county
and can testify that they mainly consist
in mathematical puzzles, of obscure
character, and ambiguous construction,
inability to answer these is sufficient
evidence of lack of ability to impart use
full and practical knowledge, in the judy
ment of Professor Harvey. In point of
education, general culture and soundness
of Judgment, John Squier will certainly
compare favorably with Prof. Harvey, or
with any other county examiner with
whom we are acquainted. We have it
though from good authority that the
lady i'll question has taught successfully
i'll Chester county for several years,
whether with or without a certificate ~e
are unable to say. Be that as it may, if
she had failed to answer unprepared a
few mathematical puzzels, the charge of
Indulgence in gross croag could not be
brought against her; and just here we
would remark by way of closing, that
the commonwealth is far more likely to
suffer from the neglect Of moral educa-
ton than from failure i'll intellectual in
struction. The poor unfortunate who
caaHot gorcra himset surely mistakes his
calling, when he undertakes to govern
others. A FRIEND OF JUSTICE.
Without taking part in the discussion
over the - Rock school matter, we SIM
ply say in answer to inquiry, that
'.Patron is not member of the School
Board, and that we believe him to be in
error IN stating that a certificate of ex-
animation had been refused by the
Chester county authorities within a year,
to the lady in Iuestion.-ED.]