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could happen in this Convention. He did not believe the
people would endorse it. They were not here to form a
constitution of a utopian character, and according to the
views of Mr. A, B, or C, but to frame one which would be
acceptable to the people of the State of Maryland. The
arguments which have been advanced in favor of this tax
are that it will be used for the improvement of the public
roads or for educational purposes. Did gentlemen wish
to impose a property qualification upon the right of suf-
frage ? If so, let them march boldly up to the issue, and
not attempt to accomplish their object covertly.
He did believe that poll-taxes were grievous in 1776;
grievous in 1851, as declared, and grievous in 1864, when
declared so by the illegal convention which then sat here,
and as he hoped to be declared grievous by this Conven-
tion. It was said that in case the Congress of the United
States should enforce universal suffrage, it would be in
our power, by the imposition of this poll-tax, to restrict
very much the exercise of it. Such an attempt would
utterly fail, it could not possibly be done. An attempt
to impose a tax on voting would prove a nullity. This Con-
vention, which was assembled here to correct the errors
of that body which disgraced the State House in 1864,
would, if it went on in its innovations, present an instru-
ment more shocking and revolting than that of its prede-
cessor, and the result of its labors would most certain
be rejected by the people and scorned by them.
Mr. Keating denied that the Convention was here for
the sole purpose of redressing the wrongs perpetrated
upon them by the Convention of 1864. It was in the
power of the Legislature by a three-fifths vote to pass
amendments to the constitution, and yet this Convention
was called together by more than a two-thirds vote. They
were here to expunge the false theories promulgated in
the constitution. The gentleman from Kent, (Mr. Wickes, )
asked him to come up squarely to the issue, and was he
in favor of property qualification for voters? He would
come up to the issue and answer the gentleman, and say
he was not in favor of a property qualification, but he
was in favor of every man who claimed the high and ex-
alted privilege of exercising the suffrage of paying for
it, and he would go with this issue in his mouth not only
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