and penalties for the refusal or neglect to vote
without reasonable excuse,"
Mr MILLER said; I was aware that that
motion would create a smile on the counte-
nances of many in this House; but I have
offered in good faith, and I think for a good
purpose. The amendment, as it stands adopted
by the House, provides that no capitation
tax shall be imposed as it qualification for the
exercise of the right of suffrage. I hold that
the right of suffrage is an inestimable, an in
valuable right; and I wish that every citizen
every qualified voter in the State, may be in
some way compelled to exercise that right
It is not a new thing by any means, in the
legislation of Maryland, that such a provision
as this should be adopted. The act of 1716
in its 6th section, provided ;
"That all freeholders, freemen, and other
persons qualified lo give votes in the election
of delegate's, shall and are hereby obliged to
be and appear at the time and plaice appointed
for elections, to be hereafter had or made of
any delegates, burgesses and citizens, to serve
in any assembly fur this province, under the
penalty of one hundred pounds of tobacco
tor every person so qualified as aforesaid ne-
glecting to appear;" &c.
I desire that there should be some guard
thrown around the exercise of the elective
franchise, and I know of no better one than
the compelling, by a small fine or penalty, if
the Legislature choose to impose it, every
qualified voter in the State lo exercise the
right when the pulls are open. One of the
members from Baltimore city, (Mr, Barron,)
said the other day that the polls and the
death bed were the only two place's where
the rich man and the poor man were upon an
equality. I think they may be upon an
equality in other positions; but they cer-
tainly ought to be at the polls, where every
qualified voter is upon an equality with every
other; and I desire that the people of the
'State shall be compelled at the elections to
exercise the right of suffrage. Let us go back
and do as was done in 1716, compel the peo-
ple, under a penalty, to come up and exercise
the right of suffrage. It would be, I think,
the surest guaranty of the full and fair exer-
cise of that right.
I would also, in the discretion of the Legis-
lature, if fines and penalties were imposed,
raise a fund out of it from which the public
schools may be supported. If a man has the
right to vote, and negligently and without
reasonable excuse stays away from the polls,
and does not exercise his right of suffrage,
let him pay what the Legislature imposes
for such neglect, into that fund. If we are
to keep up a republican form of government
it can only be done by the people exercising
their right of suffrage. If they will not do
it, the political power will go into the hands
of demagogues even more than it is now,
whereas, if every person was compelled to |
vote, and knew that he owed it as a duty not
only to the law, but his neighbor and the
community at large, we should have better
laws, better legislators, and republican institu-
tions would be carried out more in their purity.
I am serious in desiring that this provision
may be adopted, that the people of the State
who are qualified to vote shall pay a penalty
if they refuse to exercise that right, and suf-
fer republican institutions to fail for want of
effort upon their part to keep them up and
maintain them in their purity and integrity.
I hope that this amendment may be adopted,
and that the Legislature will provide such
penalties for the refusal or neglect to vote
without reasonable excuse as in their judg-
ment they may see fit to impose, to apply to
such elections as they may choose to desig-
nate. That is all that my amendment pro-
poses. It is not a new thing. I have shown
the precedent from colonial times, in the ac-
tion of our ancestors in 1716, when every
freeholder, every person entitled to vole, was
compelled to vote or subject himself lo this
penally. I see no reason why that principle
is not applicable now; but, on the contrary,
it seems to me that much stronger reasons
can be urged for the adoption of such a pro-
vision now than existed at that time
Mr. MILLER demanded the yeas and nays ;
and they were ordered.
The question being taken, the result was—-
yeas 9, nays 71—as follows :
Yeas—Messrs. Belt, Blackiston, Bond, Hen-
kle, Johnson, Lansdale, Lee, Miller, Par-
ker—9.
Ways—Messrs. Goldsborough, President;
Abbutt, Annan, Audoun, Baker, Barron,
Berry of Prince George's, Billingsley, Bris-
coe, Brown, Carter, Crawford, Cunningham,
Cushing, Dail, Daniel, Davis of Charles, Da-
vis of Washington, Dellinger, Dennis, Duvall,
Earle, Ecker, Edelen, Farrow, Galloway,
Greene, Harwood, Hebb, Hopkins, Hopper,
Horsey, Jones of Cecil, Jones of Somerset,
.Keefer, Kennard, King, Larsh, Mace, Mar-
bury, Markey, McComas, Mitchell, Morgan,
Mullikin, Murray, Negley, Noble, Nyman,
Parran, Peter, Pugh, Purnell, Ridgely, Robi-
nette, Russell, Schley, Schlosser, Scott, Smith
of Carroll, Smith of Dorchester, Smith of
Worcester, Sneary, Stirling, Stockbridge,
Thomas, Thruston, Todd, Wickard, Wil-
mer—71.
So the amendment was rejected.
Mr. DAVIS, of Charles, when his name was
called, said: As this is abill of rights, and
not of obligations, I shall be compelled to
vote—no.
Mr. JONES, of Somerset, when his name was
called, said: I am under the impression that
the Legislature would have such a power, if
they deemed it expedient to exercise it, to
regulate such a matter by law, and therefore
I do not see the necessity of incorporating it
in the bill of rights. I vote—no. |
