The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-11-02

legislative candidate on opposing
tickets.
Last Effort of the Spoilsmen.
We are advised that an article will APP
pear in one or other, or possibly both,
of the Republican papers of Westminster
today, to the effect that the School Com
missioners have borrowed from the Union
National Bank of Westminster money for
the erection of school houses in the county;
that the bank has become uneasy about Its
payment, and that this matter is, somehow
or other, involved in the election of the
County Commissioners, and is sought, by
some of the Republican politicians, to be
made an issue in the present canvass.
The plain facts are these The School
Board is, by law, corporation, with all
the powers of corporation. The legal
title to all the schoolhouses in the county
is vested in the School Board That Board
has borrowed from the Union National
Bank. and from the Farmers and Mechanics
National Bank, and also from private in
dividuals. from time to time, money for its
uses, and has given its notes for the
amounts borrowed. Money has been fire.
quently needed by the School Board to
pay teachers, pay for school houses and
such matters, at times when the moneys
coming from the State Treasury, and from
the county levy, did not happen to be
available. but neither the banks nor the
individuals from whom money was Dor
rowed know, or could know, what the
money borrowed was to be used for The
School Board has right, in law, 20 borrow
and use the money as it thinks proper.
The School Board is not appointed by the
County Commissioners, but by the Judges
of the Circuit Court, and is responsible to
them alone 1t is composed Of three Dem
ocrats and two Republicans, aud Is there
fore comparison. Il has always acted
tremendously and with unanimous vote
on all official matters.
The County Commissioners have nothing
to do with the matter, directly or indi-
rectly. They are required by law 70 levy
on the county a specific amount Of school
tax, aud are authorized. in their discretion,
to increase the amount if the necessities Of
the public schools nay, in their Judgment
require it. The money Is paid over 70 the
School Commissioners, who disburse il as
theythiuk best. Neither Of the banks, nor
any individuals from Whom the School
Board has borrowed, can, by any possibility,
be uneasy about payment, as the school
property belonging to the School Board Is
sufficient to pay them ten or twenty times
over.
That this subject can be affected 10 any
way BY the resal, Of the election Is m alb
surdity, ridiculous in the extreme.
The debts Cor borrowed money are being
gradually paid BY the School Board with
moneys received from the state and county
More than half Of what it borrowed from
the Union National Bank has been paid
already. And. without doubt. every dollar
could be paid within the next ninety days
if il we're demanded.
On the other hand, the creditors are
willing to receive payment as the Board
can spare the money without GRIPPING the
schools, and We have no doub, would be
willing to lend again, whenever doing 81
would help to give yigor to the schools.
1t is well known THAI mary parts Of the
county are clamorous for improved school
buildings. The School Board has built as
rapidly as it thought it could with the
means at its command, and is believed to
be anxious to continue to supply every
school district with proper buildings as rap
idly as possible.
What does the author Of the promised
article in question mean2 What does he
want to accomplish if he could ? Would
he, if he could, have the loans to the School
Board, by which the cause Of public edu-
cation has been advanced, repudiated +?
And does he mean to ask the people Of
this county to accomplish this reputation
BY the agency of an eleetiOng Does he
want somebody elected who viii try to de-
fraud those who have lent money in good
faith, and for the worthiest Of objects, the
welfare Of the public schools
If he does not mean this, then what
does he mean
Would he ike to drag the non-partisan
public school system Of the county into
partisan scramble at every election? Does
he not know that the sober, staid people Of
Carroll intend that their children shall be
educated and their school system main
tanned, and that they viii not allow il to
be made political football, to be kicked
hitler and thither to suit the schemes Of
of party workers.
What have Messrs. Rinedollar and
Prugh to say of this manner of conducting
campaign? If there be one subject too
serious to be triAed with, surely it is our
public school system.
Fusion Frauds.
Twenty-nine of the Vice Presidents of
the Fusion Conspiracy Mass Meeting at