Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-03-30
The School Fund and COlOred Schools

We referred briefly last week to the
quarterly distribution recently made by
the comptroller of the treasury of the fund
for the support of public education in this
county, and pointed ont the heavy dimi-
mutton in the fund usually received for he
white schools, white that for the support
! of the colored schoo was not in any wise
! diminished The white schools received
/ little more than half their usual amour,
while the distribution to the colored
schools remains unchanged. The reduc-
: ton in the amount of the quarterly dis
tribution is, as we stated, due to the di-
minished collections of the State tax dur
ing the quarter. As reason why the
colored schools were not affected by the
dereliction of he tax co lectors, we stated
last week that their schools are provided
for by an annual appropriation direct from
the treasury. We find, however, upon a
more careful examination, that we were
mistaken in this, and, after an examina-
ton of the law bearing upon the ques ion
we are somewhat at loss to know why
such a discrimination should have been
made in favor OF the colorcd schools
1t seems that the colored schools are
provided for in the biennial appropria-
ton acts, the sum of 100000 per year be-
ing designated as the amount for the edu-
cation of negro children. This sum is not
however, payable from monies in the trea-
sury not otherwise appropriated. as it &C.
Cured to US must be the case from the ac-
tion of the comptroller, but by the act of
| 1878 it is directed that the amount so APP
propriated shall be paid out of the fund
accruing from the educational tax, the
same from which the white schools are
supported. Why, therefore. should che
CO ored schools receive their full proper
ton of the tax. and the white schools alone
be made to suffer for The delinquencies of
the tax collectors
Section 1O3 of article % of the revised
code provides as follows:
"As soon as the comptroller shall have
received from the city Of Baltimore and
the severcl counties returns Of the amount
of the State School tax levied in each
county and the city of Baltimore, he shall
Immediately thereafter appor'ion The e.
m punt Of the whole levy to the several
counties and the CRY If Baltimore accord
ing to their respective population between
the ages of Ave and twenty years"
Section 81 of the same article provides
as follows:
'sThe Comptroller shall apportion the
sum appropriated for the support of the
colored schools Of the several counties and
the city oi Baltimore in proportion to their
r, spective co'ered population between the
ages of FIVE and twenty years; slid appor-
tipnmea' TO be made at the same time he
apportions the levy for the white schools
Section 104 Of the same article provides
that:
''On the fifteenth day of June, the frs
day of October. the first day Of January
and the fifteenth day OF March, in ssch
year, the Comptroller shall apportion The
amount Of school tar receired By the treasure,
among the several counties and the CT J
of Baltimore, in proportion 10 the rhole a
mount dPportioned 10 each By the Comptroller.
1t is difficult to perceive from the col
lective reading of the above sections o.
the public school law, which define The
duty of the comptroller in the matter o
apportioning and distributing the scboo
fund, that there was any intention on the
part of the Legislature to place the Negro
schools upon aBy better footing than the
white schools 1t is clearly set forth thai
the comptroller shall apportiou the fund
for the eolored schools and that 'of th,
white schools at the same time and uper
the same hasis,-the respective population
of the countie. between the ages of five
and twenty. And it is further provided
that he shall apportion the amour, receiv
ed into the treasury upon certain specified
days to the several counties "in proportion
to the whole amount opporti0ned to each."
This provision seems to our apprehension
to be equally applicable TO the white
and colored schools.
If the law be construed to mean tha
the appropriation to the ce'ored schools
shall he paid in full and at all events
without regard to the amount of the ia,
collected, then suppose that only S100,00t
of the tax should be collected in any on,
year, it would follow that the white school.
must be entirely closed, while those fo
negro children would be kept open tn
} full term. This it seems to Us is an effec
: tual reduetio ad absurdum Of the question
and yet this is the logic of the comptrol
ler's decision. We make these remark
with all Difference for the comptroller
, decision. for whose opinion we have tn
, highest respect; and it must be conceded
that strict and literal construction o
one clause of the last appropriations &C
would Justify and require the decision h
! has made: yet il his construction of tn
law he the correct one, then the evil should
be avoided by more careful verbiage II
the next and all future acts regulating ap
preparations.
'sThe ring is smashed. the machine j
broken" So we were told last fall, afte
: the election, and it has been iterated ant
! reiterated thousand times since. Well, a
the fact is accepted by all and ques ione'
| by none what is the meaning of all thi
continued pother about bosses, managers
, rings and machines. which forms the siapl