mitted to the people without any canvass
either for or against it. There was no politi-
cal party, no organization that took any in-
terest in it. There was no organization for
the purpose of distributing copies of the con-
stitution. The whole thing was left to take
its course.
We are now about to submit this constitu-
tion on the eve of a presidential election.
We are about to submit it with party in-
fluences and organizations, on the one side
and the other, in every county in the State,
besides our central organization. We have
meetings organized all over the State in ref-
erence to this constitution and the presiden-
tial election. These copies can all be dis-
tributed at these public meetings, and by the
action of independent special committees
who feel an interest in this matter. There
are none too many. A certain amount will
bewasted, of course; we cannot help that,
and you need not try. In order to guard
against that, you mast have a certain num-
ber in excess, I am satisfied, from what I
have heard, that those who are interested in
the adoption of this constitution, have already
taken measures by which these copies will all
be distributed.
Mr. MILLER. I will merely say that I voted
for the order for publishing and distributing
these sixty thousand copies of the constitu-
tion. I am also in favor of the proposition
of the gentleman from Washington county
(Mr. Negley) or some similar proposition,
by which this constitution can be published
in our county papers, and in the papers
in the city of Baltimore. There are a great
many people in the State who are deeply
interested in this subject, who would like,
before they vote upon this constitution,
to have its provisions before them so that
they car. read them. I know farmers who
would like to take their county paper, with
this constitution in it, and read it over by
their firesides at night in the presence of their
families, and discuss its provisions. Many
of those people will be reached by the county
papers. A fair and impartial judgment
ought to be expressed upon this constitution
by those who are entitled to vote upon it
It is but right and just that it should be made
as public as possible. The time allowed be
fore we are to vote upon it is limited. I do
not think we should consider the additional
expense of a few hundred dollars for pub-
lishing it in the papers.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE. I had but one purpose
in offering the order which was adopted; and
that was to secure the circulation and distri-
billion of this constitution as widely as pos-
sible throughout the State. I suppose that
many of the county papers, being small
if they were to publish this constitution
would contain nothing else; it would fill up
their papers entirely. And I thought the
publishers of those papers would be very |
glad to be able to furnish it, without addi-
tional expense to themselves, to their sub-
scribers in addition to their usual matter. If
the contract with the Baltimore American
should be made by the committee, this con-
stitution will certainly appear in that paper
within the next two or three days. By that
arrangement alone, without any expense
whatever, there will be struck off about fifty
thousand copies to be circulated far and wide
throughout the State, There will then be
published the sixty thousand copies called for
by this order, the expense of which will tie
far less than .publishing it in forty or even
twenty papers throughout the State. I there-
fore do not see the utility of having it so
i published, and am satisfied it will be attended
with great expense.
1 am satisfied also, that these "extras"
can without any difficulty be distributed
everywhere through the means of public
meetings. For instance, the members from
Washington county will have twelve hundred
copies for them to distribute in that county.
And then by distributing other copies at the
public meetings which are already announced
for that county, it seems to me this constitution
will reach every household in that county.
If it can be done in that way, and this very
considerable item of expense saved, I would
be glad of it, I would be glad to see it pub-
lished in every county newspaper, if it could
he done without too great expense to the
State. I would be glad to save any unneces-
sary expense, and not have it added to the
$10,600 or $12,000 we have already this
morning unnecessarily imposed upon the
State.
Mr. NEGLEY. The sole object I have in
going for this publication at all is to bring
this constitution to the notice of the people.
The plan proposed by the gentleman from
Baltimore city (Mr. Stockbridge) is a good
one, I admit, if it will work; if the object it
proposes can be attained, it is a good one. 1
know that twelve hundred copies will besent
to my county; I will have two hundred of
them; I know we can distribute them among
our people. But there is a large number of
our people who do not come out to our po-
litical gatherings; they only come out to
vote. They are a reflecting and reading and
thinking people. How will you reach them ?
if you trust to these copies, you will have to
got a colporteur in each county, put him on
horseback, and send him out to distribute
B them. We have six thousand voters in our
1 county. I know that the only means by
- which you can reach our people is by publishing
this constitution in the papers.
t Now let us have a reasonable number of
, these " extra" copies. But if the object be
, to bring this constitution before the people,
p there is no mode so effectual as to publish it
e in the county newspapers. There is a large
y class of agriculturists in our county, and this |
