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had urged the adoption of the poll-tax. If even the prin-
ciple was right, still they ought not to impose this tax.
They had taught the people of Maryland to believe that
poll-taxes were odious. The Bill of Rights declares that
every man must pay according to his worth—the man
who owns much pays much, and the man who owns little
pays little.
The assertion that the large class who own no property
contribute nothing to the support of the government is
utterly devoid of foundation, as shown yesterday by his
colleague from the first legislative district of Baltimore
city, (Mr. Vansant. ) Not only every article of luxury,
but every article of use and comfort which they needed,
they had to pay an indirect tax on. If this poll-tax was
established, there would have to be a penalty established
for its non-payment, and what would that penalty be?
You might call it a tax for public works, or for educa-
tion, or what you will, but the penalty would be a depri-
vation of the right to vote—a right which should be
hedged with no penalties or restrictions. Every man of
this Convention knew now how naturalization papers
were obtained; how they were paid for all over the coun-
try by political organizations for the purpose, and what
else would this poll-tax lead to? How many would this
poll-tax reach? There were about 90, 000 voters in the
State now, and probably one-fourth of them would be
reached by this tax who do not now pay taxes. If this
fundamental change was to be made in our organic law,
the prejudices of generations were to be encountered. He
asked that this one single right to vote should be left
without a tax. The shadow of the tax collector darkened
every door in this land now. Every species of property was
now taxed and burdened to the extremest limit by Fed-
eral and State law. They would certainly meet with the
scorn and denunciation of the people of this State if they
tampered with this right. The Federal government, in
its merciless cupidity, has spared this right to vote, and
let it not be said that the ingenuity of the law-givers of
the State of Maryland found an avenue of taxation which
had escaped the keen-eyed scrutiny of the Federal gov-
ernment.
Mr. McKaig professed his inability to understand the
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