The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1911-03-16
A Word in Defense.

| eRAioNC1 W my ollilllllOllO " JIC SOullIl
Superintendent hearing Thursday,
March End, 1911, in my behalf in regard
to the injusticeiof the school officials in
awarding!the Western Maryland scholar
ship, hereby take this means to state
few truthslin my defense and let the
public generally draw their inference.
An Act of the General Assembly of
Maryland enables the Western Mary
land College to furnish tuition, board,
fuel, light and washing free to two stu
dents lone male and one female) from
each senatorial district of the state, to
be appointed by the school commission
ers, by and with the advice and consent
of the senators in their respective dis
trict, after competitive examination
of the candidates. In order to enable
the facultyIto carry out fully the inten-
ton of the act of the Legislature provid-
ing for these scholarships it is highly
important that the school commissioners
should be careful to appoint students
prepared to enter the freshman class.
How are people to know when these
places are vacant? Is it not the duty Of
! the superintendent to publish in the
county papers and make known that
there are vacant scholarships and set a
time for a competitive examination?
Was this ever complied with? No.
As l haye stated before there was no
notice Of g vacant scholarship published
and no announcement made during the
teachers examination Or institute con-
corning the scholarship. 1 investigated
the matter and found to my surprise
that superintendent Broncng had
promised it to Miss Kellelrly aGrants-
vile. at once sought .ngly yice and
was instructed to writeout-of-te school
commissioners, asking them if there
was a vacant scholarship to Western
MarylandiCollege how it was obtained,
and to consider me an applicant. l re-
ceived reply to my letter from Mr.
Elllthorp, and all the satisfaction and
information he gave me was this, Il
think there is a vacancy" Dc 5 this
look as if Mr.. Browning, the superin-
tendent, consults the school commits
sioners before he uses his authority?
Does this not raove that he assumed
their responsibilities and decided before
they knew; anything about the proceed
ings?
Tx speech delivered by Mr.. Brown
ing last June at the institute he accused
me of daring to go over his head and
consult School Commissioner about a
scholarship. And also stated that he
had been handed a letter from me to
one of the commissioners accusing him
Of falsehood concerning the publica-
ton of scholarship. Fortunately
have in my possession the letter in re-
ply and it certainly doesn't read like an
answerto "a letter accusing our illustrious
superintendent of prevericating. Be
fore he had closed his eloquent remarks
he owned to the fact that he had prom
lsed the scholarship to Miss Keller, of
Grantsville. He said, 81 happened
down in the lower end of the county,
and by chance ran across Mr.. Keller. He
| asked me about the scholarship and |
told him as there had been no other APP
plicant his daughter might have it.
Not long after the previous storm,
had little conversation with the super
intendent andIhe frankly told me had
no right to the scholarship as my brother
had had it, audit must be passed around.
| presume this was his thought, as he
had already promised it. Doesn't this
prove the falsity of his statement that
Miss Keller received the scholarship
through merit and merit alone?
After Mr.. Browning had tried every
way possible to deprive me of the
scholarship he arrived at the conclusion
to hold an examination in his office. SC
as to make people believe he was acting
fair. When the day arrived upon which
the examination was to be held. went
to the school board office and met with
a very cool reception. In fact they
seemed very much surprised that had
come at all. Mr. Browning at once in
formed me that it was not necessary
for me to take the examination as they
were going to give Miss Keller the same
list of questions that | had taken at the
teachers examination, emitting my
first grade branches. Those present at
the examination held in Mr.. Browning s
Office were Miss Keller, her father, DR..
Bartlett and Mr.. Browning.
If Miss Keller did received the West
ern Maryland scholarship through merit
and merit alone, as Mr.. Browning so