The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-01-23
SATURDAY. JAN. %, 1886.

In the comments we have made in
the last three numbers of THE RE-
PUBLICAN upon the management OF
our Public Schools, we took occasion
to say I'VE wish it understood, how
ever, that we are not publishing these
unpleasant facts for mere pastime
nor for the purpose of wounding any
body's feelings. but from sense of
duty" We thought at the time we
penned the article referred to we were |
,''N's q 10 = n''Ar,o archaeological. ard |
we think so now. We ayoia5u tie
use of any expressions which would
have given our article any political
coloring or significance. and no man,
no matter how despicably mean he
may be, can without species of pre-
varication, which Is more detestable
than lying outright, torture anything
we have written upon the subject into
an attack upon the Democratic party.
We were under the impression, and
we still think. that all the people are
interested in the public schools, with
out regard to their political opinions,
and we have simply treated the whole
subject as matter of public impor-
lance, and not as matter of political
moment. We suppose the untimely
closing of our public schools will cause
regret in the homes of Republicans as
well as in those of Democrats.
It has been charged by some per-
sons who apparently have very little
regard for the truth, that our state
ments with regard to the debt incur
red by the late Board of School Com.
missioners. were "wild and extrava-
CANT" and the few people who listen
to their small talk are invited to COM
pare our statements with the report
which was published last week.
Look at the first paragraph of that
report. Does it not show an indebt-
edness of S11 ,516,73? Is there any
doubt as to " no contracted that debt?
Take the second paragraph and it
will be found upon examination that
the only items therein which are ap.
plicable to the debt are the last there,
amountk IT, to ;s 4 &. which, deduct. i
ed, would still leave the debt S11, O99.-
AZ. Now in the last paragraph of the
report will be found the information
that the above Indebtedness does not
include $4,000 of due bills which |
should have been cancelled by the
money received from the sale of
bonds and when you add the two
sums they aggregate s14,O99,42. So,
In point of fact. the Indebtedness is
more than we had estimated it to be.
The money to be received from the
tax collector and the State Treasurer
should have been on hand TO keep |
our schools open during the Spring
term, and ought not to be applied to
said Indebtedness if such a course
could be avoided. We regret that
truth, candor and fairness compel US
to make these statements, and we re-
gret. too, that these unpalatable |
truths will eventually force convic-
ton upon the minds of any who may
now be skeptical upon the subject.
If there be material in all this for pc.
litical capital we have not endeavor-
ed. nor do we propose now to utilize
1t. We have expressed our conf
dence in the integrity. honesty and
uprightness of the present board, and
If the Democrat wishes to call public
attention to the fact that the retiring
board. which created the indebted
ness above mentioned, was Demo-
cratic board and in harmony and
sympathy with itself. that it its own
business. That is not our affair.