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stitution. They were sent here to make the elective
franchise freer, not to put these restrictions upon it. The
poor men fought the battles of the country and did the
hard work. They did the voting, and were always on
hand at the primary meetings, and he would urge that
their claims be recognized, and this burden not be laid
upon them.
Mr. Howard had conversed with numbers everywhere,
and he had yet to see the first man who thought that the
levying of a poll-tax would be grievous or oppressive. He
(Mr. H. ) did not believe one word of it. Having the great-
est reverence for the time-honored principles of our fore-
fathers, he yet could not consent to be bound by colonial
usages which were only applicable to the time when they
were framed. As a member of the committee, he had
voted against inserting this clause, and he should now
vote for striking it out. Gentlemen had laid a great deal
of stress upon the prospective unpopularity of a poll-tax,
but he was unable to see the force of their arguments.
In all the cities and towns the class which would be
reached by a poll-tax are in the majority, and elect the
officers who assess the tax. In the little town where he
resided (Elkton) this was the case. The non-taxpayers
were in the majority and had the power of electing all
the corporation officers.
Mr. Kilbourne rose for the purpose of making an in-
quiry. He would like to know how this poll-tax was to
be collected.
Mr. Stoddert said the Convention had nothing to do
with this subject. It was entirely the province of the
Legislature. He was not advocating a poll-tax, the pro-
priety of that could be decided on by the Legislature, but
to strike out the prohibition. There was no proposal to
insert a provision providing for a poll-tax in the consti-
tution, but don't take from the Legislature the power to
do good by drawing money from a certain class, which he
had no doubt would cheerfully respond to it. It was a
moral impossibility that it should ever reach the right
of suffrage.
Mr. Wickes said that, in his opinion, the striking out
of this clause would be the most unfortunate thing that
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