The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-02-24
The sentiners Misleading Statement

The bill 70 convert the public schools Of Maryland
intorecruiting stations Tor the Democratic party
has been passed by the General Assembly. and Gov
Smith. whose fervid appeals for nonpArtisan
schools during last falls campaign have not been
forgotten viii sign It, II provides for minority re
presentation on the school boards, bat u may be
REGARDED as a reasonable certainty that the Repub
licans viii not b. consulted in the selection OF those
who. ostensibiy. win be called their representative
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 it is astonishing when It is
considered that Gov Lowndes Republican
lied every school board in the state, aud these
boards in sarn made Republican, partisan ma
chimes Of the public schools in nearly every
county il the state. In some Of the counties,
notably in the lower part Of the Eastern Shore
and Southern Maryland, many Of Governor
Lowndes' appointees we're totally unfit and
incompetent, just as his appointments Of jus
tees Of the peace we're in the same counties.
Sydney Mudd virtually made every appoint
ment in Southern Maryland and the oIly
qualification necessary for any appointment
was to be blind supporter Of Mudd. 1t has
even been charged ard not denied, that he
had a eolored female teacher discharged in
Charles county because the teacher boarded
with eolored 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, aud he knew that
many we're 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 Repubi.
cans and one Democrat. He found in Carroll
four Democrats aud two Republicans, and he
changed the board TO FIVE Republicans aud
one Democrat IN erery other county in the
state he nerer failed to appoint Republican
10 succeed Democrat phose term had er
PRED
Now as to the SeRtiaers statement that
'sthe 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 noticed in respectable journal npon 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 it is difficult to find competent
Republicans who would serve, and in these
the boards were composed Of Democrats only.
The present bill to reorganize the school
boards makes minority representation on The
boards obligatory. That is all the bill does,
and yet the Sentinel was reckless enough TO
declare the bill is designed to make the pub
lie schools i'recruiting stations for the Demo
cratic party Under the bill, which is now a
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. In
three or four, including Carroll, there will be
six commissioners and of these two must be
of the minority party.
As a further evidence of the determination
of the Democrats to divorce the public schools
from partisan control, Governor Smith has
selected two Democrats and two Republicans
to compose the State Board of Education.
Under Governor Lowndes az four members |
were Republicans. OF these Gov. Smith re-
appointed two.