The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-08-26
4 LETTER WITH A MESSAGE
Written By State Superintendent Cook
to a Garrett County Teacher.

to Garrett County Teacher.
Following in this column of The
Republican will be found a copy of a
letter from Mr.. A. S. Cook, State SUI
perintendent of Schools, to Mr.. E. A.
Browning, of Friendsville, to which
the attention Of the readers of this
| paper is directed.
This letter has ring and a snap
to it that can come only from a man
| like Mr.. Cook, who stands upon the
simple platform, as his friends assure
US, which is built upon the four cor
ners of claw and order, decency and
righteousness"
With many similar letters sent
throughout this State, there will soon
percolate into our State school system
stream of great force that will make
towards of all who are not urged on
to action through the spirit of right
eousness and of wholly warranted
principles.
This letter from the State Superin-
tendent is striking lesson to our peo-
pie in exercising care in signing all
sorts of papers presented and will
have a SOLDERING effect in hating many
of them from signing petitions and
protests against things about which
they know nothing and are not willing
to learn the real facts concerning any
rumor or mere gossip under discus
sion before attempting to discredit
those in authority and who are sworn
officers.
We congratulate the State Superin-
tendent of Schools upon the vigor of
his stand as shown in his letter printed
below, and we venture the prophecy
that with the continuance of such a
professional and firm policy of school
administration in the schools of Mary
land, our State will soon emerge from
among the 'tail enders' in the list of
States educationally as recently an
nounced by the Russell Sage Founda-
ton of New York City and take a po-
sition that no true Marylander need be
ashamed of.
Mr.. Cooks letter to Mr.. Browning
follows:
"STATE OF MARYLAND.
'210 West Madison Street. Baltimore.
august %, 1920
"Mr. f. A. Browning,
"Friendsville, Maryland.
MY dear Mr.. Browning:
"a petition was received at our Of
flee on August 10, 1920, dated Oakland,
June 20, 1920, which contains your
name as one of the signers, and | am
writing to you because l know you
personally.
Il have before me at this writing
the report of the Board of Education
of Garrett county for the year ending
July 81, 1919, as well as the report of
the State Board of Education mot the
Comptroller's Report) for the same
year. The amount of $3,553.45 which
you complain about was deducted from
both the receipts and disbursements
by the auditors in our office, and en-
tries made in red ink to that effect.
The reason for this deduction was that
this $3,553.45 was returned to the
Board of County Commissioners as the
balance of the county general funds on
hand July 81, 1918, and was not spent
for school expenses that wear, | am
reliably informed that this information
has been given to you before. The
County Board of Education evidently
published its report before notice of
the correction made in cur Office had
been received by them.
Il am very much surprised, indeed,
to find your name attached to a petit
ton on matter of this sort. In the
first place, the books of the County
Board of Education were carefully au-
dited by two responsible and we'll
known bank officials in Garrett county;
and in the second place, were again
audited in the office of the State Board
of Education. A letter written here
by any citizen of Garrett county ask
ing for information would have
brought forth the reply that l am Civ
ing you above, just as understood the
explanation was made by the Garrett
County Board of Education. | there
fore wish to say that l am surprised
that you, as a member of the teaching
force of the county, have signed
petition which attempts to dscredit
your County Board of Education and
your County Superintendent, without
first ascertaining the real facts in
the case, if you did not already know
them.
81 am sending a copy of this letter
to the County Board of Education at
Oakland.
every truly yours,
(Signed "ALBERT S. COOK,
"ASC-GES State Superintendent"