The Democratic advocate., 1900-02-24
The sentiners Misleading Statement

The bill TO convert the public schools of Maryland
into recruiting stations for the Democratic party
has been passed by the General Assembly and Gov
Smith, whose fervid appeals for nonpartsan
schools during last fllps campaign. have not been
forgotten viii sign Ign it Sa iST Sr mi01y II may be-
regarded n reasonable certainty that the kepup-
cans will not be consulted in the selection OF those
who ostensbly, will be called their representatives.
A more misleading statement concerning
the law to reorganize the county school boards
could not have been made than the above
statement of the Sentinel of last week. And
the effrontery of ii is astonishing when it is
considered that Gov. Lowndes Republican
lied every school board in the state, and these
boards in turn made Republican partisan ma
chimes of the public schools in nearly every
county in the state. In some of the counties,
notably in the lower part of the Eastern Shore
and Southern Maryland, many of Governor
Lowndes' appointees were totally unfit and
incompetent, just as his appointments of JUS
tees of the peace were in the same counties
Sydney Mudd virtually made every appoint
ment in Southern Maryland and the Only
qualification necessary for any appointment
was to be blind supporter of Mudd. 1t has
even been charged, and not denied, that he
had colored female teacher discharged in
Charles county because the teacher boarded
with colored man who voted the Democratic
ticket at the late election.
In all his four years as Governor, Lloyd
Lowndes appointed but two Democrats as
school commissioners. In all other instances
he appointed Republicans, and he knew that
many were unfit When he went into office
he found the school board of Frederick coun-
ty composed of three Republicans and three
Democrats. He changed it to five Republi
cans and one Democrat. He found in Carroll
four Democrats and two Republicans, and he
changed the board to. FIVE Republicans and
one Democrat Tn epery other county in the
state he neper failed to appoint a Republican
TO succeed a Democrat phose term had er-
pired.
Now as to the .Sentiners statement that
s'the bill TO convert the public schools Of
MARYLAND into recruiting stations. for the
Democratic party has been passed by the
General Assembly, The statement, let us
remark, is the most reckless that we have
ever noticedin respectable journal upon any
subject. Under the present law there is no
provision for any division of school boards.
In counties, especially in Western Maryland,
where competent Republicans could be found
the practice of the Democrats was to give
Republicans places on school boards. In
some counties il Is difficult to find competent
Republicans who would serve, and in these
the boards we're composed of Democrats only.
The present bill to reorganize the school
boards makes minority representation on tn
boards obligatory. That is all the bill does
and yet the Sentinel was reckless enough te
declare the bill is designed to make the pub
lie schools Recruiting stations for the Demo
cratic party. Under the bill, which is now q
law, no school board can be composed wholly
Of members of one party, no matter whether
the Democratic or Republican party controls
the state. Under the law most of the coun
ties will have but three school commissioners
Of these one must be of the minority. Ii
three or four, including Carroll, there will b
six commissioners, and Of these two must b.
of the minority party.
As further evidence Of the determination
of the Democrats to divorce the public school,
from partisan control, Governor Smith has
selected two Democrats and two Republicans
10 compose the State Board Of Education
Under Governor Lowndes all four members
were Republicans. or these Gov. Smith re
appointed two.