The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-01-09

nGlnIeQ ny tho GovernOr Wr HE, Oh
ss.s I'D EntertainlRe
these views we believe the School
Commissioners ought to be elected by
the people and should not be appoin.
ted by the Judges Of the court. We
feel bound. however, to say. Judges
Syester and Hoffman. in appointing
Messrs. Miller, Johnson and Glotfelty
to the Office Of School Commissioners
for this county, have discharged their
duty under the existing law faithful.
ly. and certainly no reasonable man
has cause OF complaint with regard
to these appointments. These gentle
men are all men of unquestioned in
tegrity. uprightnfss and intelligence.
They will doubtless discharge their
duties impartially and with a deter
mination to comply with the require
ments of the law. Whilst the people
are to be congratulated upon the APP
pointments, we fear the new board
will have a difficult road to travel.
There will he several important ques-
tions for them to decide at the very
beginning of their term. The deci-
sion of these matters cannot he evad-
ed or postponed. The retiring board
has incurred an Indebtedness of about
thirteen thousand FIVE hundred dol
lars. All assertions and declara-
lions TO the contrary notwithstand-
ing. Is this Indebtedness to be
paid? Ifso, who is to pay it? Will
the new Commissioners assume it or
any pant of it: If they do, will not
that be misappropriation of funds
on their part? Whilst the retiring
board turn over to their successors
this enormous debt. they have no
funds to apply to its liquidation ex-
cept the pittance of about four hun
dred dollars. The old board have
already collected from the tax collec-
tor and the State all the money which
could properly be appropriated to this
Indebtedness. The money which is
now in the hands of the collector and
treasurer should be applied 10 the
payment of teachers for the spring
term, and cannot be legally applied
to any other purpose. Eight thous.
and FIVE hundred dollars of the thir-
teen thousand FIVE hundred dollars
Indebtedness is due teachers for the
term ending with the close of the
year. The money ought TO be on
hand to pay them and would have
been if the finances had been properly
managed. There is, however, but
four hundred dollars to meet eight
thousand FIVE hundred due teachers.
to say nothing of the FIVE thousand
dollars due the banks and other credi.
tors. 1t seems waste of time to dis.
cuss the debts other than those due
teachers. AS they will certainly have
TO be borne by the people who con.
tracted them. But how are the leach.
ers TO be paid? This il serious ques-
ton to the commissioners and teach
ers ~ well. II they are to be paid,
that can only be done by taking the
money which should be applied to
the spring term and Jay off the teach
ers for the fall term. In that case
there could be no spring term. Can
the present commissioners thus di-
vert this money from Its proper uses ?
"Will two wrongs in this case make
one right ?" How was this indebt-
edness contracted? We answer by
the most outrageous and fragrant
violation of law. and with a total
disregard of public opinion or respon-
sibility to any judicial tribunal.
We know there are few people who
profess TO care neither for the one nor
the other, but we opine there il
enough In this matter to change such
an opinion.
When the bonds were sold under
the act OF 1884. tn pay the then indeht-
edness Of the School Board, the gen.
tlemen who had control of the funds
left three thousand dollars Of that in
debtedness unpaid and appropriated
three thousand dollars of the money
to different purp 'se. wholly unau-
thorized by law and in direct viola.
ton Of the very law under which they
were acting. That debt, with inter-
est, although provided for by the
sale OF the bonds, is unpaid to-day.
The county owes the bonds and must
pay them, must 1t also pay the debt
for which the bonds were sold /?
There must be an end to this thing