ing diligently and in good faith, in this Conven-
tion, for the prevention of frauds, in such a line
of conduct we shall find a greater remedy for
the existing evils, than in all the opinions and
denunciations they may utter here. He desired
the sincerity of the opinions of the gentleman
from Kent to be exhibited in his acts. Opinions
without acts were, according to his view of
things, of little value.
We have also heard some tremendous denun-
ciations from the gentleman from Queen Anne's.
He may be very properly called the Jupiter Tonans
of this Convention. His bold and florid
style of eloquence always attracts. He com-
plained of aggressions by this Convention on the
rights of tee honest voter. So desirous was he
to open the polls to all, that he would perhaps
even be willing to admit women—who are called
the better half of creation, on which he should
give no opinion—to vote. The object of laying
slight restrictions on the right of suffrage is to
give it a higher character, and secure its contin-
uance.
He referred to the admitted fact, that one
night's sleeping in a ward of the city of Balti-
more gave a right to vote in the ward, so as to
afford facilities for fraud, and thought some re-
form was necessary on this point. He remark-
ed on the recent change which had taken place
in the opinions of the gentleman from Prince
George's, (Mr. BOWIE,) who had now become
a great friend of the people, and was ready to
give the freedom of the elective franchise to all.
The gentleman had taken an entirely new po-
sition on this subject.
He admitted that frauds exist, and he was
willing to apply some remedy. But he did not
believe that they existed to the extent which had
been represented by the gentleman from Cecil.
Wherever we find their existence, let us adopt
the best means in our power to prevent them.
But he refused to believe that the State was rot-
ten to the core. He had no doubt the gentle-
man from Cecil believed that the condition of
things was as he had represented. But he had
acted on erroneous information, and his remarks,
as they would go forth to the world, would be
keenly felt by the people of the State. He ad-
mitted that the gentleman had, by his manner
and his talents, done much to sustain the dignity
of this Convention, but he ought not to have in-
flicted so severe a wound on the State. These
declarations of the existence of gross frauds were
greatly exaggerated. He gloried in being a na-
tive of Maryland. He felt for her the affection
of a son to a mother; and when he heard these
charges made against her,
"In thoughts that breath and words that burn,"
he would not sit silent, but would rise in her
defence. Such defence would have come better
from some of those who are candidates for high
station. It would have better become them to
defend the State over which they intend to pre-
side.
He went on to state that he introduced the
registry law, in December 1836. The gentle-
man from Kent, (Mr. RICAUD,) voted for it. |
But times have changed, and men have changed.
with them. Side by side, that gentleman and
himself voted for that law. The gentleman had
changed his course and was now opposed to it.
When his friend from Charles should bring in his
proposition concerning a registry law, he would
go with him. And he would say in advance that
it does not restrict any right, while it secures the
parity of the franchise. His friend from Prince
Georges went for the law.
Mr. BOWIE. Was I there ?
Mr. SOLLERS. You know very well.
Mr. BOWIE. The record will show.
Mr. SOLLERS went on to say here was a re-
markable change.
He proceeded to state the importance of
securing the purity of the elective franchise.
He agreed that if our institutions were ever to
be destroyed, by corruption extending ilself
from one end to the other, it would result from
the abuse of this right of voting. The time may
come when the people will abandon the ballot-
box for a more fearful struggle. Where then
should we find the gentleman from Prince
Georges, from Cecil and from Kent ? Where
will they be in that day when the pillars of the
temple are giving way ? They will not remain
to fall, like Samson, but will fly from the temple
to seek some quiet retreat.
Mr. MCLANE said that some of the remarks
made by the member from Calvert, required
so much of reply from him, as would pat him
right before the community. He was not in a state
of health to permit him to deal in loud denuncia-
tions, and he was equally incapable of personali-
ties. He had thought it the best course to hear
the member speak out to the end, before he at-
tempted any reply. The member from Calvert,
in denouncing as untrue his statements of the
prevalence of corruption, had, at least, abstained
from any assault on his personal truth and honor.
Mr. SOLLERS. I intended to do so.
Mr. MCLANE resuming, said he thanked him.
At his age, and with the character he had sus-
tained through life, it was not probable that an
assault of that kind, if made, would have pro-
duced much injury. But the disavowal of such
intention did not excuse the attack. He knew
the gentleman from Calvert to be incapable of
assailing his character for truth. The gentle-
man had stated that he, (Mr. McL.) had denoun-
ced the State as corrupt to the core. It was not
so. If the gentleman had listened attentively to
the course of his remarks, he would have found,
that he did not. Quite the contrary : he stated
that he had not heard of the corruption till he
came here, and that he did not believe it. He
said explicitly that he did not believe the allega-
tion. But he did proceed to say, that if the in-
formation was true, and if the evil was as great
as had been represented, then the remedies pro-
posed were merely homopoethic doses. That
was what he had said. He had said further, that
we ought to look for the remedy in the correc-
tion of public opinion, and that no man now
thought it dishonorable to contribute, without
enquiry, to the expenses of an election. He had
also said that he would unite to make it disre- |
