Saint Mary's beacon., 1888-03-22

sumo that Il was, would be assuming, "a
the frst place, that the whole school sys.
tenn Of the State Is lodged in the Boasd @.
School Comissioners and School Examiner
u s. Mary's county, for Sec. of the pro-
posed amendment provides shat this law
shall be general in It's application" c0nse-
quently applying 70 the whole State, 10,
10 any particular county or section Sec
cndly, that ! have some special personal
dislike TO our county Examiner OF 70 the
members of the School Board. On the
contrary, one Of the members Of the Board
| is gentleman with whom have been,
since our first acquaintance, which dates
back some twelve or fourteen years, on the
most intimate terms and 10 whom would
be the la<. 10 ascribe questionable action
or motive. With the other two members,
my acquaintance Is limited, but such as
it is, it has always been friendly. In re-
| gard TO the Examiner himself. while his
course in politics, il aeedless 70 say, met
my disapproval, never questioned the mo-
tives by which it was suggested
But / can go further. Reference 10 Sec.
3, shows ii to read as follows: "To be ELI
gible, the applicants must be at the tinss
OF examination and must kaUe been from
strec years immediately preceding, tedcsers in
good standing in the county in which they
wish the appointment" II this provision
were carried out il would bear as hardly
upon man who is not only an intimate
friend but near relative Of myself; as it
would upon the school Examiner of this
or any other county, and it world be an
absurdity, think to charge me with at
tacking him.
As am not logician enough 10 60 into
ali the intricacies of argument suggested by
premises and conclusion" and as do not
write this 10 invite controversy but simply
% defend myself / shall have to request
you, Messrs. Editors, to allow me little
more space than at first expected 10 ask,
that | may review each section of the pro-
posed amendment separately and 50 lei it
speak plainly for itself.
Sec. provides THAT the School Com
missioners be appointed by the Governor,
one OF them TO be Of different political
views from the others, and that their terms
of office be for four a. years" l fail to
sec how any man can object to this. II is
fact which think no one will attempt to
deny that Judicial appointments of School
Commissioners has been strongly objected
70 by many and by none more stongly than
by the Judges themselves, some of whom
have declined 10 exercise the appointing
power. Now, il the Judges, the men whom |
the Legislature has said should be so, are |
not proper persons to make these appoint |
mcnts, the question arises, Who is In |
my opinion this duty naturally devolves |
upon the Governor, but IS the Governor |
Is bound to represent one or the other pO- |
lticai parties care should be taken to, as
much as possible, guard against paItizan |
appointments and | welcomed with pleas |
urc the suggestion that zone of the Com |
missioners be Of different political views |
from the Others" from the fact that il |
would be wholesome check upon the !
abuse Of power by the Executive.
Sec. , provides, That the Secretary and |
Examiner shall be chosen from among the !
tedchcrs, for which purpose the Commits
sionCrs shall hold examinations at stated
periods, when all applying for the position
Of Secretary and Examiner shall be exam
iuod and the applicant passing the best ex-
animation shall be chosen TO fill the of
fee"
This section, by making the selection Of
q teacher 20 fill the office Of Secretary and
Examiner compulsory, places another
check upon partizan appointments and
holds out a reward 10 q class Of men
who, if preference should be given 10
any class should, think in this case, re-
ceive IL 1t would be a proper reward
for industrious and competent teach
crs who have labOred hard 10 fulfill the
duties Of their calling; and l venture TO
say that none would fail to strive for it
except some one of inconceivable Incidence
or Sclf-contcssed incompetency, and for
any man TO assert the contrary is ~ assert
that the public school teachers Of our State
are Of an entirely different species from the
balance of mankind.
Sec. , provides That 10 bc eligible, ap-
plicants must be, At the time Of examination
and mus; have been for three C3) years i'm
mediately preceding teachers in good stand
ing in the county in which they wish the
appointment" Now, this provision means
nothing more or less than that the office
OF Secretary and Examiner must be be-
slowed upon teIc'eT, not upon an indi-
vidual who claims it on the ground of hav-
inE taught school twenty or more years
ago, but who has ever since engaged in
some other employment; nor upon one
who, for the sake of securing the salary al
tached 70 the Office, obtains a school and
and teaches for five or six months, but upon
one who has taught long enough to be con-
sitercd Professional. Can any fair-mind-
od person object 20 this:
Now, comes Section /, the one a; which
a Teacher" seems 70 have taken so much
offence, and which provides, THAT the
Secretary and Examiner shall, during his
incumbency, engage in no occupation cal
culated to lessen his official usefulness:
AMI that taking part in politics otherwise
than by casting his vote shall cause him tn
forfeit his office and permanently diSquali-
~ him for re-appointment" How any