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those who have a practical knowledge of the subjects to be
discussed or supervised. Why reverse the rule when we
come to questions which affect the Free Public Schools ? Here,
too often, the advice and experience of practical educators are
not invoked; every man claims to be a proficient and sits as
special judge. Even those who are least educated claim to
be competent to select teachers and decide upon educational
ptolicy. Thus in many States the whole work of primary
School instruction has been impeded by the theories of the
ignorant. They who are most proficient in the arts of dema-
gogism have aimed to be leaders in the plans, or rather have
proved to be the chief obstacles in the way of sound legisla-
tion for the moral and mental welfare of children. School
work ought to be submitted to men who are professional
teachers, and in all legislation upon this important subject it
will be good policy for legislative committees to ask the opin-
ions ef experts in education, just as the finance and mechani-
cal and Rail Road Committees seek the opinions of Bankers,
Mechanics and Engineers when they devise plans to advance
those important interests. Yet, according to my observation,
this has not generally been the rule. The professional
teacher seldom appears before the Legislative Committee, and
School laws are too often enacted, as if the only important
questions were, what shall the tax be, and how shall teach-
ers be governed and controlled, lest they become too power-
ful, instead of how shall they be encouraged that they may
be more useful.

Thus far the Legislation of Maryland has proceeded upon
the right principle, and there has been a most gratifying
readiness, in the discussion of School problems, to ask the
advice of School-men, to leave the detail of school work to
those who have practical knowledge of the wants of the
School room, and of the proper modes of discipline and in-
struction. This is a wise policy and I venture to suggest to
those who are sincere friends of public education, that in all
matters concerning Schools, information ought to be sought
from, those identified with School interests.

In the labors of the State Board of Education, such advice
has been sought, and many of the suggestions of this report
embody the views of the Association oi School Commissioners.
To make the State Free School system eminently practical
and to bring to its aid the wise counsel of representative
men, professional teachers were selected whenever practicable
to act as School superintendents. That the State might
profit by their collective as well as individual wisdom, the
Commissioners united in an Association for the discussion ef
School questions, and to aid each other by mutual counsel. As
the deliberations of the Association refer chiefly to the admin-
istration of the School law, the results of these discussions
are appended to this report. ,