Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-01-26
Inefficlency In Our Pablo Schools
AUd Colleges.

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within the confines Of Maryland. one il
which we are all stockholders, is the Stat,
itself. 1t employs more men and require,
more varied ability than is called for b,
any other corporation. Our Governor anC
Legislators should possess legislative skill
The Governor in addition should be a mar
OF the highest executive ability. In a
greater or less degree as the head of the
State government. he influences the legis-
lature; he directs the administration OF
the varied instrumentalities of the State
which include protection of the oyster in
dustry; investigations into industrial mat
tiers; insurance and State bank control
care for those injured in industrial pursuits
enforcement Of justice through punishment
Of offenders against theOiaw in the peni-
Tertiary and otherwise; charitable insti-
buttons in which the blind, the poor, the
insane and those afflicted by tuberculosis
and other diseases are cared for.
The administration of the law enters
into every hamlet. Our taxation system
touches every citizen whether directly pay
Ing taxes or not. Agriculture receives a
share of public attention. Meanwhile the
citizen is also brought into relation with
the State through its maintenance of State
roads, and, by means Of its municipal cor
posations, through city streets with their
varied requirements. In almost countless
other ways the State has need of the very
best and most carefully selected public
servants.
With all this we allow our elected pub
lie officers to be selected by machines and
the measure Of competency for inferior
Office is one Of political availability and
not ability to perform services for the
State. The wonder is, not that we have
bad or expensive or inefficient government.
but that our government is not infinitely
worse than it Is. This single fact bears
strong testimony to the innate desire of
men. when called upon. to render as good
service to the State as their limitations of
outside control. education and capacity
will permit.
Under the supervision Of the State, in
addition to those mentioned, as well as
many other branches which might be EMU
merated. we have an extensive school sys-
tenn. conducted. so far as primary and
grammar schools are concerned. In a man.
ner which yields poor results considering its
expense. This is true particularly in the
country districts where the rural citizen
has right to complain of comparative
neglect.
While our Legislators have been liberal
to our higher institutions Of learning. elev-
en- Of which were recognized generously
in the last State appropriation bill. these
institutions even are not doing their full
part in making of citizens competent to
carry on the work of government better
than we do it ourselves OF all the great
pressing problems Of government pupils
are left In ignorance. do not know. for
instance. high schools or colleges in
Maryland adequately acquainting the stu
dents with the public questions upon which
as citizen of this State he must pass.
Which one. for instance, gives him more
than an outline of the framework of ma
tional or State government Is there one
requiring the student to investigate the
meaning Of democratic government its
how TO make Il efficient; what
officers are properly elective. and how non
elective officers should be chosen to get
the best results; describes TO him proper
tional representation in legislative bodies
or the meaning Of preferential voting In
what school shall we discover that the
scholars are required to investigate and
explain TO their fellows the offices Of di-
rect legislation. the initiative and referen-
DUN, the recallI Although the money de-
rived from taxation is the very life blood
Of government. Is there high school or
college which demands Investigation by its
pupils Of the subject OF taxation or Of the
relation between taxation and poverty and
industrial distress What scholars are
Taught to examine and determine whether
taxation. levied at a Custom House or as
sessed through the Boards of County Com
missiOners, rests upon the first taxpayer
DR. is passed on to the user or consumer
Is the student taught to consider IL all
should possess the right to vote and whether
there should be a sex or educational or
other limitation upon it? Where in our
schools are these subjects really discussed 2
In short, although the prime business of
a democracy Is government. are not our
schools. so favored by the State, neglectine
absolutely their duty to the public Gnd
failing to build up an intelligent body OF
citizens accustomed TO consideration and
study Of political questions and ready to
enter upon their determination with an
open mindY
Have we not too long assumed that that
which was good enough. though none too
good even for them. to meet the immedi-
ate necessities Of our great grandfathers.
was good enough for us In government 2
No longer content ourselves to live in log
cabins. to travel by land over bride paths
or roads deep in mud. to journey by water
in canoes. to communicate with our neigh
bors only at long intervals. to manufacture.
each family for itself. It's own clothing.
nevertheless. we seem to consider that
antique government is the government we
should cherish. and that Its forms. clothed
in the homespun Of past generations. are
admirable. Attempting to make the out
worn institutions Of a hundred years ago
do the work Of q modern civilization we
fail to meet the problems Of today by les
sons from up-to-date experience. thought
and observation. and there have grown up
the evils Of our State government. includ-
ing all Of Its corruption and inefficlencies.
Our spasmodc attempts at betterment
have been controlled by our timidity We
have been like Mistrust and Timorous in