Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-06-16

PROVIDED by law, tneY would be alike
inaccessible and invulnerable.
SO that when the JOURNAL used the
alleged offensive terms quoted by the
Times it had no reference to the action
of our trustees, except so tar as that
action is an exact reflection of tie
system under which our schools are
working. 1t was the natural product
Of a scheme which places IN the hands
of a childless OF non-patronizing ad-
ministration the management of our
schools. 1t was the logical outcome
of a practice which, from top to bot
tom, insists upon doing things on
the quiet" 1t was the legitimate out
growth of an official sentiment which
permeates the entire establishment
that we-commissioners examiner and
trustees-are an autocracy. 1t was
the congenial accompaniment Of
notion which runs from the zenith to
the nadir of the organization that 1--WE
are, By lac, the only body in the State
that answers to.nobody." All this the
Times confirms by its conclusive quota
tions Of law against the JOURNAL, the
purport Of which, however. the JOUR
NAL had not questioned or even al
luded to.
Says the Times further:
The foundation of the Frostburg school
trouble grew out Of jealousy and spite, and
the Frostburg JOURNALS position in the mat
ter is to be regretted, to say the least oft In
addition to what we have above stated we
submit that the proper place to have discuss
ed this matter was in the rooms Of the
county school commissioners.
1t is evident all through its article
that the Times is writing under the
tutelage of somebody who believes in
the Star Chamber style of doing bust
ness; of somebody who believes it
inexpedient to advertise meetings.
of the School Board Of somebody
who believes that questions of vital
public importance should be dis
cussed and settled in whispers in the
seclusion Of the ''rooms" of the county
school commissioners.
Now, is not this very odd-coming
from professedly democratic admins
tration of a democratic system through
a democratic organ? Yet, singular as
it appears, it is true so true that the
Frostburg trustees could easily make
serious mistake without committing
q legal error.
But the most notable Of all the Times
insinuations is that-''the foundation
of the Frostburg school trouble grew
out Of jealousy and Spite The JOUR
NAL does not know Of any occasion for
this remark, nor to whom it applies.
If it is intended to account for the
JOURNALS echo of public remon-
STRANGE it is a grievous error. The
JOURNAL has no occasion to be Jealous
of anybody in, or out, or under, or
above the School Board, nor has it
cause to harbor spite toward anything,
or anybody intimately or remotely
connected with the School Board. 1t
would not exchange places with the
man in the School Board, or out of it.
1t is satisfied with its humble altitude,
Independent attitude, and proud of
its practical faith in the maxim that,
after all, ''the post of honor is private
Stati0n.'
We will conclude this article by
putting the Times quotation against
the JOURNAL to the crucial test. 1t
says with great assurance:
Any person with ordinary comprehension
knows that the trustees simply performed Il
duty required of them by law The only
question is did they perform that duty in the
manner prescribed by law. Let us see. The
Public School law, chapter viii, sec. II, page
Is, says
Teachers shall be appointed by the board
of district school trustees, and may he remOV
ed at any time said board may think proper,
after thirty days notice given to the teacher
in writing.
And i'll the By Laws for the regulation of
teachers and school Officers article III,
paragraph Ill, under the head District
School Trustees, ~ is the following:
They shall employ Il principal teacher from
among the persons holding Il legal certificate.
There is an old maxim that that which
is required by law to be done is, IN the alb
sence of proof to the contrary, supposed to
have been done Correct III our premises,
we therefore conclude that the trustees in re-
moving the former principal thought it prop
err to do 50 and that they gave him the re-
quired thirty days notice. and that they
employed new principal teacher from
among those persons holding legal 'certiii-
cate.
Having succeeded 50 nicely i'll es-
tablishing by law II trinity of Cars
over Public School, No. |. will the
Times now show us the law, or bylaw,
compelling the people to place their
children under the educational super
intendenco of principal they do not
want
We have plenty of law displayed by
our county school authorities for the
government of trustees and teachers,
but none for the government of the
Schonl commissioners Or examiner