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one more vote anyhow; your motion would
make it imperative that there be at least
two. Delegate Grumbacher's would make it
imperative that there be at least three.
Before you decide what you desire to do,
I have to ask whether there are any other
amendments to be offered to this section
because this may affect your decision.
The only other amendment that the Chair
has is one by Delegate Hostetter. Would
you still intend to offer your amendment,
Delegate Hostetter?
DELEGATE HOST.ETTER: I would not,
sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Arc there any other
amendments at all to section 1.17?
(There was no response.)
That being the situation, without the mo-
tion to reconsider, the question would arise
on the adoption of section 1.17. If it were
adopted on second reading, no further mo-
tion to reconsider would be in order accept
pursuant to Rule 54. If the motion to re-
consider is made now, you would have that
vote and then vote on section 1.17. What is
your pleasure?
Delegate Jett?
DELEGATE JETT: I would like to avoid
any more votes than are absolutely neces-
sary and with that in mind I think we
should move on to the vote on section 1.17.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, sir.
The question arises on the adoption of
section 1.17 as amended. The only amend-
ment — and I ask the Clerk to correct me
if I am in error about this — the only
amendment adopted is Amendment No. 13.
Is that correct, that is, in addition to the
amendments recommended by the Commit-
tee on Style ?
Very well, the question arises on the
adoption on second reading of section 1.17
as amended and the "as amended" means
as amended by the amendments submitted
by the Committee on Style and by Amend-
ment No. 13.
A vote Aye is a vote in favor of the
adoption of the section. A vote No is a
vote against. I do not want there to be
any misunderstanding. I hope there is no
necessity for changing the record so let us
be abundantly clear, this is the reverse
of the situation when you were voting on
Amendment No. 5. As it is now, a vote
Aye is a vote in favor of section 1.17 as
amended. A vote No is a vote against 1.17
as amended.
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For what purpose does Delegate Hard-
wicke rise ?
DELEGATE HARDWICKE: Is it in
order, Mr. President, to make a statement
with regard to the matter before us ?
THE PRESIDENT: The section is under
consideration and debate is in order. If you
desire to be recognized, you may proceed.
DELEGATE HARDWICKE: Thank you.
As many delegates may have observed in
the early votes on this matter, I voted
regularly as a matter of my personal be-
liefs in favor of the labor position. How-
ever, in recent days and hours, if you will,
there has developed a very serious split in
the State and among our people back home
with regard to this particular issue.
Now, I think that we can weigh our own
conscience with regard to various things
on the one hand, versus whether or not we
want to go out on a limb in risking the
ratification of this constitution by the peo-
ple on the other. In other words, I think if
we feel very, very strongly as a matter of
principle and truth and morality on some-
thing, then I say yes, let us put it in the
constitution and if the constitution gets
rejected because we stuck our neck out in
favor of the truth and principle, then it
gets rejected, because there is nothing
worse than having a bad constitution
adopted.
But I suggest to you today that this is
not that kind of grave issue. However we
feel about the subject of a labor bill of
rights or a labor principle in the constitu-
tion, I suggest that it is not that crucial, it
is not basic, it is not that fundamental ,to
our structure of government that it has got
to go in.
Now, we have compromised a great many
things in this Convention; some of them to
my regret were questions with regard to
separation of church and state, questions
with regard to the comptroller and attor-
ney general, etc. If we had had our druth-
ers in many cases I think some of us would
have fought to the last ditch against the
compromise, and yet I think the conviction
of many of us was that the compromise fa-
vored getting this constitution passed in
the State of Maryland.
I submit to you this afternoon, ladies and
gentlemen, that the issue before us is not
that crucial. I suggest that we ought not
risk this Constitution for this principle.
It may be an important principle, but
it should be extremely important in your
own mind before you would risk the con-
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