Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1904-05-12
ssPublicoIa,s, Communication.

In our last paper we gave space TO a
communication signed ''Pubiicola, writ
ten BY a taxpayer Of this county, resi-
dent in Baltimore. The publication OF
the article was in keeping with the Gus
tom that has obtained in this Office for
over sixty year, of afiOriing our patrons
an opportunity Of printing their views,
provided they be clothed in proper Ian
guage, we, Of course, assuming no re
sponsibiIity for opinions 80 expressed.
We thus often give publicity to opinions
Numerically opposed TO our own, and
unless there he cause for comment join no
issue with our correspondent. In the
present instance, however, there seems
cause for comment, and moreover, i'm his
last paragraph we are expressly chal-
lenged by our correspondent to express
our views ON the issues he raises.
We shall pass ove- the first count in his
indictment, because Il has already been
diseussed. .Iakiasag oureorrespondent
incidentally finds slight fault with APP
Mary's Seminary and other colleges and
academies and specifically and specially
objects to the appropriation to st. Ma
ry's Academy at Leonardtown, because
that institution, so 'Publieola" asserts,
gives no free scholarships to citizens Of
the State" Before answering this OBJ
lection we digress to say that "PublieO-
Ia has been fair in publicly stating his
position, though tits pity he does il over
n nom de plume. What he says publicly,
however, il privately discussed in many
circles, and II il well that the matter has
been brought to public notice that an ex-
PLANTATION may be made of the action Of
the three st. Mary's representatives who
worked ard voted for the appropriation.
Now, what are the facts in regard to the
charge that st. Mary's Academy has
given no free scholarships to citizens Of
this State? Just the reverse il so, II res
idents of st. Mary's county he counted
as citizens Of the State. Every year since
the foundation Of the Academy at Leon
ardtown it has given free scholarships to
numbers of pupils, and To pupils with no
Influence" that would have secured
them scholarships elsewhere, and who
could not otherwise possibly have secured
"A liberal education. 1t il well within
bounds TO say that in the eighteen years
Of st. Mary's Academy's existence it has
annually given citizens Of this county at
least five free scholarships TO every one
given in any other institution, and this
without one dollar in return.
And that it's teaching has been thorough
Is evidenced by the large number Of its
pupils who have passed examinations
and are today teaching in the Public
Schools. Alumnae Of st. Mary's Acade-
my at LeOnardtown outnumber those of
any other school on the roll of St. Mary's
county Public School Teachers. This fact
is mentioned because one of the chief rea-
sons assigned for State aid to Academic
institutions is that they prepare theirpu-
pills for the profession Of teaching.
Now, for another feature of this appro-
priation. st. Mary's Academy il Cath
Ollie institution and is under the charge
Of the Sisters Of Charity. Possibly, the
views of the writer, ON this point, may
he somewhat warped because he il a
Catholic and is proud Of it, but may not
the views Of Others be also little biased
by the fact that they are not Catholic
This as it may he, however, but we sub
init that st. Mary's Academy being a
Catholic school is an additional justifica-
ton for Incorporation ivenit Cath
olies, and we think, Quakers also, sup
port schools Of their own. There is an
immense number Of Catholic taxpayers
in this State, and they cheerfuIly pay
taxes for the support Of the Public School
System, and at the same time pay for the
schooling Of their children i'm their own
schools. We are reliably informed that
over $4,000 pupils attend Catholic Pa.
rochial Schools Of Baltimore City. This
total Is greatly increased by numbers at
tending Catholic Schools, st. Mary's Acad-
envy among the number, in other sections
of the State The Public Schools of Bal
timore are now overcrowded, but sup
pose the Parochiai Schools there should
close and their pupils demand admission
To the Public Schools? In such a ease
how many new school buildings would
be required and how much greater would
be the city tax tn meet the additional ex-
pense entailed? How much il the aver.
age expense per pupil for maintaining |
the Public Schools in city and counties |
Ascertain this and multiply by the num-
Der Of pupils attending Catholic Schools |
throughout the State and the credit due |
Catholics on School Fund may be approx
mated. Look on the credit and the debit |
side of the ledger and we think that to |
the impartial mind the benefaction to st.
Mary's Academy viii be more than iusti-
fed.
Ii has been our endeavOr in this paper
to show that while the present policy of
the State obtains, it is gross injustice to
the five thousand dollars an
preparation To st. Mary's Academy per
se.
To appropriate money for colleges and
academies has been the policy of this
state Tor about seventy years And.
Whiie our space will not now permit us
20 discuss this broader phase Of the ques-
ton brought mp by our correspOndent
when IL does become an issue a. WE
think Is likely in the near future. we viii
Express ourviews upon it.
In conclusion, viii say, that in our