and he meant no disrespect to gentlemen—in his
opinion, it was "penny wise and pound foolish."
There was another view of this matter. He
was a State's rights man, and perhaps he was a
little strenuous in this matter. He was for in-
dependent, untrammelled action of the State;
and the only way in which they could secure
this would bo to hold their elections unmixed
with the presidential elections. Look at the
action of the States of Massachusetts, Ohio, and
some of the States in the South. What did
they see? That the crisis which they had been
watching so long was not yet passed, it was a
crisis which was not going to he settled in a
day. It might take ten years. The next election
would be the great contest. They pro-
posed now, at this crisis, to gain some political
advantage by getting out votes. They proposed
to tie down Maryland—to put her at the feet of
the District of Columbia, where was concentra-
ted capital from all portions of the Union, which
could be made to operate upon their elections,
so as to make them go for a particular party,
At this peculiar crisis, he would go against all
connection with federal elections, if there were
no other considerations. He hoped very few
would go for such a proposition. He was for
ahiding by the patriotic resolutions which had
passed that body, and which had been so highly
spoken of by that distinguished man, Daniel
Webster.
In his opinion, if they should connect the elec-
tion of Governor with that of the President of
the United States, they would rue it. They
would, by such a course, lose character with
the other States, who would look upon Mary-
land as a State bought up with money contribu-
ted by other States. So far as he was con-
cerned, (and he said it with sincerity,) he would
rather see the opposite party have the govern-
ment for fifty years than at this peculiar crisis
of the government connect themselves with fed-
eral politics. There was no man who would
look at the subject fully in the face, but would
see the situation in which they would he placed.
They were a small State, and would be the last
subject of temptation in reference to these mat-
ters. If it was true that money was raised in
Baltimore to carry the State elections, he would
ask any man whether, at a reasonable calcula-
tion, ten times as much would not be raised in
Washington and other places to carry the pres-
idential election? He hoped, therefore, that no
State election would take place on the same
day as the presidential election.
Mr. THOMAS regretted exceedingly that the
motion of the gentleman from Queen Anne's
was such as to prevent his voting for it, being
so complex as to embarras members of the Convention,
and himself especially, in determining
which way to vote. He differed with other
gentlemen whom he had heard upon this ques-
tion, as to the best time for fixing the election
of Governor, whether upon the day of the Pres-
idential election, or upon a different day. He
would vote against connecting the two, and in
favor of having them in different years. He did
not attach so much importance to their separa- |
tion, however, with other gentlemen who had
spoken in favor of it; and for this simple rea-
son. He conceived that the Gubernatorial
election of Maryland hereafter, would be one
of fourth-rate importance, so far as it would
have a tendency to excite the ambition of the
great mass of society. He trusted the Conven-
tion would not terminate its labors until they
should have distributed among the people the
largest portion of patronage belonging to the
Governor. This would bring into the political
arena a clan of functionaries, about whose elec-
tion there would be a deep interest. Suffer an
election to be held fur the appointment of clerks
in the county courts, registers of wills, judges
of our courts, on the same day with the election
of Governor, and of members of the Senate
and House of Delegates, would not these various
objects bring together as large a number of
her of voters as the Presidential election.
He was willing to vote with the mover of this
proposition, so as to prevent the election of
Governor from being upon the same day with
the Presidential election, but he could not vote
to have this election in October instead of No-
vember. In the county of Frederick there
were a great many voters who could not get to
the polls without the aid of the owners of horses
and carriages. On the day now fixed, in October,
almost the whole farming interest would be en-
gaged in the seeding of their grain. He had
known many an election lost, because the farm-
ers would not cease their farming operations for
the sake of letting their horses beused to convey
men to the polls. It would be much better to
have the election in November. This would
not necessarily bring the election upon the same
day with the Presidential election. If the
Gubernatorial election be fixed for the odd
years, commencing with 1853, it could not in-
terfere with the Presidential election, which
must, by the Constitution of the United States,
always be held in the even years, the next being
in 1852. The former elections occurring at an
interval of two years, and the latter at an inter-
val of four years, they could never come to-
gether.
There was another reason for deferring the
election until November. When the elections
were directed to be held in October, the Legislature
commenced its sessions in November, and
terminated them early in the winter. There
was then ample time for the journals to be print-
ed, and for the people to ascertain who of the
delegates had voted right and ought to be re-
turned. But if the Legislature should sit as we
propose, until the month of March, the journal
could not be delivered until late in June, and
would not reach the remote counties possibly
until August. Before the journals could reach
the people, therefore, in numerous instances.
candidates would be put in nomination for re-
election, and many committals would be made
before the conduct of their candidates could
be fully inquired into. If the election should
be postponed for another month, from October
to November, it would give ample lime for the |
