they do about any other. So far as my con-
stituents are concerned, I know they would
be willing to go back to the old form of ap-
pointing all these officers. It was an experi-
ment made in this State and carried out it
seems to me, further than any State in the
Union, going down to the election of justices
of the peace, constables and road supervisors
by the people, bringing in all the little local
affairs of each part of the county into the
general politics of the State, combining them,
and mixing them together, and, as has been
stated, swapping off one of these little petty
offices for the more important office of repre-
sentative to Congress, or governor of the
State.
I am opposed to the system of electing
these officers by the people, and I am willing
to go back to the old system of appointment.
My constituents are not afraid of it. I do not
believe the people of the State are afraid of it.
I am sure that if we can accomplish this reform
we shall be doing a great good to our people.
And as I am satisfied that the negro will
carry this constitution, I want to put into it
as many good things as possible.
Mr. SCOTT. The " negro ' ' will carry it I
We do not propose to give him the right to
vote.
Mr. MILLER. I mean the emancipation
clause will carry it, and we can put into it
just. what we please.
Mr. ECKER. It may be presumption in me,
but I should like to ask the gentleman from
Anne Arundel (Mr, Miller,) what is his defi-
nition of the word " reform," His mode of
reforming seems to be somewhat of the crab
order. If reforming is going back I know
nothing about reform.
Mr. SANDS. I do not see why the people
have not a better chance to cure these evils
in their districts than we have here. Who
are interested in the roads of the counties?
The gentleman who own the real estate and
travel over those roads every day to their
homesteads. Are they not enough interested
in the roads over which they travel every
day to select a good supervisor to see that
they have good roads? So with justices of
the peace and constables. Who are the peo-
ple interested in those officers? The people
that choose them. As to this taking constables,
justices of the peace and road supervi-
sors out of county politics, by making them
appointed by the county commissioners, there
is nothing at all in the idea. It does not
take them out of politics at all. It puts
them right in. Instead of going round to
do their duty, making good roads, or doing
their duty as justice of the peace and magis-
trates, they are going round electioneering
for A. B. to make him commissioner, and
button-holing him afterwards, as my friend
(Mr. Scott) says, to appoint them. It does
not change the politics one bit. It only
takes the election out of the hands of the |
people, and gives the appointment to a poli-
tician who has been run with and shouted
for by the fellow whom he appoints,
My friend says this was an experiment in
1850; and that it was a dangerous one, and
worked badly. If we attempt now to take
from the people a right they have exercised,
and which is theirs, that may he a very dan-
gerous experiment; for although I believe
this constitution is going to be carried through,
not by the negro, but by white men, true
and loyal men, yet I will not do anything to
endanger it. I think we would better let the
people choose the men to make the roads, and
if the people of the counties choose to elect
bad supervisors, I hope the roads will jolt
them into a better course of conduct. I think
we would better adhere to elections, and not
make too many dangerous experiments.
Mr. PURNELL. I do not profess to speak
authoritatively for any other county of the
State; but I do say, representing in part the
county of Worcester, that I have never heard a
single individual but has expressed a wish for
this change. The effect of the working and op-
eration under the constitution of 1850, in this
particular, has been a perfect and total failure.
The consequence has been that since the adop-
tion of that constitution, and the election of
road supervisors under it, we have had no
good roads in Worcester. And without a
change in this respect there is no probability
that we shall have. The universal wish, so
far as I understand the opinion, and it has
been freely expressed in Worcester, is that
there should be a change; that the system
should return to the old plan of appointing
overseers by the board of commissioners, and
letting out the road by districts, by sections;
appointing overseers who will supervise faith-
fully, diligently and practically the roads,
and keep them in good condition.
Under the si stem of the present constitu-
tion, the road supervisor is elected every two
years for each district. Many of the districts
are so very large that it is utterly impossible
for him with ordinary diligence and vigilance
to discharge his duties; because if he dis-
charges them at one point, his duties are so
extensive, and the district so large that by
the time be reaches the other end the roads
where he began are as bad if not worse than
when he Commenced. The object is to return
to the old system, in order that we may have
not only one overseer and one supervisor as
provided by the present constitution, but
that the commissioners may have the power
of appointing as many overseers a? may be
necessary to keep the roads in good condition,
as was the case under the old system.
Mr. SANDS. That difficulty is practically
met in this way, that the men elected as road
supervisors generally farm the roads out in
the different parts of the State.
Mr. STIRLING. That is the very reason they
have no roads. |
