Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1886-03-11
10 Add to the PrerOgativcs Of
Comfy Comm ;ssiOners.

1t is recognized truth in political
economies that it requires money to
buy brains; this proposition will meet
with no more successful contradiction
than that it requires money to buy a
horse; the latter is self evident truth
in matters commercial no more than is
the former an axiom in political econ
omy.
1t has come to the knowledge of tine
people of this State that our Legsa.
ture proposes to vest in the hands Of
the different Boards Of County Com
missioners, additional prerogatives in
the matter of separate county legsla.
ton.
In the Democratic Advocate we find
An article devoted to the object Of Sc.
curing even yet further power and in.
vesting with more liberal pref negatives
the Boards Of County Commissioners
than is delegated to them by the bill
now before the Maryland legislature.
We must and do differ, radically.
with our brother Of the press and with
the champion Of the proposed law j"
the Assembly.
We are not prepared to say that the
members elect of the Assembly are al
ways men Of thorough going ideas, nor
that ADLER men should or might not be
selected to make up that body, but we
do believe that We will be borne out in
the assertion that the men who 60 to
make up our Boards Of County Com
mlssioners 1--WE prefer TO be understood
as speaking for Frederick County onl1
are not as q rule men of Il sufficiently
high order Of intelligence to warrant
the placing Of Discretionary powers be-
yond the most limited in their hands;
it may appear harsh, possibly unjust.
but we assume the responsibility Of
the assertion that in this county, the
1aen no have composed our Boards Of
County Commissioners since we have
had any knowledge of them, nave been.
with rare but honorable exceptions,
mtn Of limited information, and educa-
ton; lnen whom we will say 10 bank
ing institi on would select for officers,
not even directors; men in many in
stances not qualified to teach Il low
grade Of public school; men whose
knowledge of mon tary science is emf
nently practical in quality, yet woeful-
~ deficient in extent; whose inter
course with the world of commerce has
been limited aud whose reading has
been NIL !; class of men, who having
been accustomed on ly TO the hundrum
Of life, fall an easy prey to that other
ever ready and ever present class Of
psendo-tinaaciers that are ubiquitous
in county towns and who having weigh.
ed the worth of hattery ju,ilclally ad-
ministered, find both a pleasurable and
profitable pastime in shapeing the I'M
tutored mind Of the readily inpress-
bic official, full Of newly acquired i'm.
portance, but all the more open to the
influence Of Aattery administered sci
sntiGcal.y, We have seen the outcome
&c this and know whereof We write; we
Go no one injustice and assert truth
that will be recognized after a careful
second thought when we insist upon it
that until men OF superior degree Of
intellect and experience are chosen TO
compose our Boards of County Com
toissioners, we should rely upon gener-
eral and public local laws for their
gu idance; We should curtail rather than
augment the legislative functions of
these bodies or else secure men of lar
esr calibre.
In this county each Board Of Com
missioners in the two years must man
age the fiscal Affairs of an exchequer
covering nearly half million of dol
lars and who will have the effrontery
to say to us that within the paat ten
years, there has been one member out
Of FIVE Of these Boards who upon the
vote Of the stockholders of any one of
the banks Of Frederick city would upon
their merits as financiers, been chosen
cashier, nay even director of the insti-
tuition? No; we may not be able to Sc
cure the admission of all, but we do
not hesitate to go upon record as say
ing that Boards Of County Commits
e;oners as rule with us and doubtless
elsewhere are not men OF such degree
otirt9li3snce a. Il il meet aud proper