The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-07-24
The School Commissioner "UnpIeas.
antneSS.''

i ~ uumDef Vi persons from Un(
eighth and ninth districts me-
Governor Lowndes in Baltimore OF
Saturday to enter complaint against
School Commissioner White.
The charges against Mr.. White
are of different character from
what the Governor said would have
to be made to cause his removal
He decided that the charges must
show that the commissioner is in
competent and has not performed
his duties. Mr.. Biddle, the ex-
aminer, says that Mr.. White has
always performed his duties in a
satisfactory manner. Some of the
charges against Mr.. White are as
follows:
'That the signers to the charges
believe the interest of the public
school system demands the removal
of John r. White from the office OF
school commissioner and we do
hereby earnestly request his re-
moval. White, while processing
to be republican, has worked
among the colored voters of the
eighth district by corrupt means to
influence them to vote for democra-
tic candidates for office. In the
campaign of '93 and '95 it is no.
torious that he did this"
"That he advertised for repairs
to an old shoolhouse in the ninth
district, and after receiving bids
from mechanics gave the contract
to a man who is not a carpenter,
and when he went with this man
to repair the shoolhouse found the
house torn down by parties I'M
known because it was net worth
repairing.
"We believe that in appointing
trustees he selects only men who
will best serve his purposes, with
out regard to their integrity or
other qualifications.
ellis vote was refused by the
last republican primary in the
eighth district and would also have
been refused in 1898, but he did
not then offer to vote, and in our
opinion unfit him for the position
of school commissioner.
"The other charge against him
is that in August, 1898, Mr.. White
went to Zion to see the old Grove
school house and what repairs
would be needed. The house was
not tenantable, and the people had
asked for new school house for
years. He promised to send the
trustees blanks to petition for a
new school house, but never did it.
On his first trip to view the old
house he tore a large hole in the
roof, the only good part about it.
In few days he returned to repair
the old building, being assisted by
some boys. He tore off the roof
rafters and also removed the floor.
The old brick walls, being so frail
they would not stand alone after all
support was removed, collapsed,
and the whole school board blamed
the people of the community for
tearing down the house. An in
vestigation before the grand jury
established the fact that the Grove
school house was more likely to
have fallen down than to have
been pushed down. When the old
school collapsed, instead of going
on with the school in another build
ing, they discharged the teacher.
The trustees were not recognized as
such, and John R. White is now
running the school under his own
supervision without trustees. The
judges of the court ordered the
school board to procure a building
and give the people school at
once, but this was not done and the
children remained at home"
These are about the facts as re-
ported at Elkton which school eX-
aminer Biddle says are not true.
We understand that Commits
sioner Ash's term expires August
LIST next. If such be the case, the
place will be filled by a new ap-
pointee of different political CON-
plection.