The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1910-07-23
The Late Geo. Biddie

COunty, DIV I1uSH w. NdiuWell. nc
cording Secretary:
Mr.. Biddle was elected President of
the Maryland State Teachers Associa-
ton at Mountain Lake Park, Md,
July end. 1900 He died at his home
in Elkton. Md, December I4th, 1909.
What constitutes state?
Not half-r raised battlements or labored
mounds.
Thick wall or moated gate:
Not cities proud, with spires and tur-
rets crowned
Not bays and broSd-arm ports,
Where laughing al the storms. rich
navies rise;
Not starred and spangled courts,
Where lowbrowed baseness waits per-
iume to pride,
No! Men-high- minded men.
Men who their duties know.
What constitutes a state?
These constitute state.
George Bidd,e was & man. He stood
iour-square t. eve y wind that blew.
He was not weakling. He had the
courage OF his convictions. The world
honors man of his type-a man who
weighs carefully and judiciously a |
questions that come before him and
then takes stand on the other side OF
right The world is looking for men
for good, strong, clean, pure, whole
some men like him to carry on its
work.
His life was gente and the elements
So mixed in him, that nature might
stand up
And say to all the world, This is a
man
We meet here tonight i'll sadness,
because our President has been called
Home to that Better Land Above, but
our sadness is tempered with JOY, be
cause our county and State have given
to the world-a George Biddle.
The sad message oi Mr.. BiddIe' 5
death on the 18th day OF last Dec M
Der. came as a shock to our entire
county and to the State 1t large The
President oi our County School Board.
Mr. George a. Blake. out OF respect
to Mr.. Biddle. ordered our schools
closed until after his funeral. The
hush OF sadness that prevailed through
out all oil the schools Of the county
when the announcement of his death
was made told more eioquently than
could have been expressed in words,
the high esteem in which Mr.. B:ddle
was held No greater tribute could
have been pal | to Mr.. Bddle than
this. Here i'll the schools in which
he had aborcd Tor So many years
here among the teachers and pupils
that he ioved-therc was sorrow that
this good friend OF education had been
called away. The greatest tribute that
can come to any man comes not from
the world at large. but from those
with whom he has been associated
daily.
Mr. Biddlc's early education was re-
ceived under Samuel Hayes OF Cecil
ton. From there he went to the Mans
field School in Wilmington and from
there to a school in New York. His
higher education was received at
Delaware College There he made
quite 1 record inr himself by carrying
off the honorS of his class and being
present every day during his four
years course From college he re-
illl tlSN u tHN Ia III anu I'i d liiiiI
fhought seriously OF being Civil En-
gineer. but fortunately Tor the cause
oi education. he gave up this idea. We
SOW see him, for the first time. tax ng
an interest in the pubic schools OF
the State and as early as 1862 he was
elected School Comm ssioner OF Cecil
County. having made his fight on the
ISSUE ul better school, and the elimina-
tion Of the public school from politics
in $40 ntbe school issue he was
elected to the Legislature OF the State
In the Legislature he made a splendid
record for himself--was ALWAYS found
on the side of right and won his poin,
ri having the school commissioners ol
the State appointed by the Circuit
Court Judges, thus taking them out oi
politics That he was iar-Seeng II
this is evident when we consider that
this system was followed for TWEEN y
years. when the law was changed an
the appplntlNc power given To- the
Governor. In 1872. Mr. Bidd'c Was
appointed School Commissioner Tor
Cecil county. This position he held
for twenty years, or until iSg9. y hen
ne vas made Cuunly Examiner lie
position ii County Examiner he held
until his death He was. therefore
working Tor the schools ui Cecil
county almost continuously from 1862
until the year OF h's death. a period OF
!orty eight wears.
His educational service To- his
county and State cannot be estimated
lie was an iudciatgablc worker. ii,
owed his work--hc loved to Ia k about
- !. = Il