Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1889-08-23
Communicated

Mr. Editor LET no guilty man es-
ape" shall therefore in this article
have a word to say about those Honor
able gentlemen known as the Board of
School Commissioners That the School
Board is the tool Of the porti, al machine
to some extent, none am sure will de-
ny. Maryland is classed as a Democratic
State. has Democratic Governor and
Democratic Legislature; therefore, it
m1y be inferred that the School Board,
being Democratic. is tdiHted somewhat.
will not however argue this inference;
bur, | will state simply few facts, as
the basis upon which this inference is
founded The Governor. in saine ,onn-.
ties. and Judges in the others. appoint
the School Commissioners; and by virtue
of such appointment, Gin either ease, }
these &c ltlemen take the helm and,
the work begins, These Commissioners
hold their office for two years, and are
often re-appointed continuously for sew
eral terms During the time, rather, at
the time our chief Judge made the ap
pointmcut Of the School Board for this
county, he. for COOL reaaons, appointed
two Democrats aud one Republican; al
though. at the time, the county was
largely Republican. For reasons stated
afterwards, it was thought best to so
change the law as to relieve the court Of
that duty; accordingly, the l. legislature
lerceDfcd a few counties. this included
transferring the appointing power TO the
/ Governor Of the State. Then begins the
political machine to show its hand. The
Republican commissioner, hitherto APP
pointed by the chief judge of the court,
,cas rcaovcd. and his place filed by a
Democrat Again during our political
campaigns it has happened that some Of
the gentlemen composing the Board of
,hoo Commissioners have been brought
| for Sard as candidates for other positions,
the obtaining of which, depended upon
the number of votes he would receive in
the county. Lacking confidence in the
ability probably, of his own party to
elect him to the position of his as oirations
he appealed to the colored Republicans
for their support, giving as reason
therefore, that they were under obliga-
tons to the Democratic party. That
"the Democrats gave them the schools, "
and such like gush. Even If that had
been true, was that a reason, valid
reason for such an obligation? But
whether true, or anlrue, was not dec
larat:on like that :oming from Demo-
cratic candidate for a seat in tae Legis-
lature at such time and under such cir
cums.ances, enough to justify the infer
1 ence alluded tS2 - 4 step further. III.
asmuch as it was not constitutional to
hold two offices at the same time, it be-
came necessary to make vacancy in the
School Board for the time being, in or
der that our Withdrawing school COM
missioner, if elected at all, might be le-
rally so. During the whole time of the
vacancy, occasioned by the resignation
Of the member who had legisla i've aspi-
rations, there was no attempt made to
su,oly his place. When the smoke of
the political contest had blown over. and
our friend found to be among the van
onished; then. not till then, was the va
capcy filled in the School Board BY
whom? Why. by No other than the de-
fea,ed candidate for the Legislature. Re
ward for defeat can it be seen in any
other light? by the way. there is an-
other defeated candid ste for the Legisia-
ture contested with the School Board.
Oar worthy Examiner doub lesi owes
~ present, nice little position, for :he
most part, to his defeated Legislative as
n;rat;ons There have b,cn others too,
wbo, being defeated before the people,
we're rewarded with place in the School
Board.
4 kind of dumping ground, Don't
you sect NeOO'