The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1858-05-15

! THE CoNvENTIoN.-Those guilclcss
patriots the locofoco Editors of this
State, have, in body, agreed to oppose
the proposed Constitutional Convention.
Some six or eight of them met in Balti-
more last week, as we understand, and
called their meeting a Conrention :.
Strsightway they repair to their homes,
and now we find their columns filled with
Examinations against Reform, and appeals
to the people to 60 out and vote
"Against a Convention" And these
cbullitlons are given out as the voice of
the Democratic party of the state.
Among that hopeful half dozen was
the Editor of The Cecil Democrat and
so, last week, he hurls his puerile thun-
der at the Convention. We are informed
that he does not echo the sentiments of
the majority of his party, in this county,
on that subject. Col. NJ. Y. Kidd, a
man of far more influence in his party
than the Editor of The Democrat voted
i'll the House of Delegates for the Bill
to call the Convention, and hundreds of
others in the ranks of that party, as we
are told, wish to see the present Consti-
tuition changed.
The grounds of the Democrats ap-
peal to the voters of Cecil in its last
weeks issue are either fall Sc or ridiculous.
We find it-so lately led away in the
Easton foroy for money from the trea-
sury, which contemplated an extra scs-
sion of the Legislature-now opposing a
Convention because of expense as if
the extra session would have cost nothing
So far as the existing constitution is
concerned, it is the most expensive one
ever saddled on people: everything
costs far more than under the constitu-
ton it supplantcd; and in this respect
1T was retrograde movement. The ex-
travagant estimate made by The Demo-
crat of the cost of the Convention, will
not deceive any one. A new convention
would, we have no doubt, make such
reforms as would, in single, year, and
in every year thereafter, save more than
its whole cost.
The assertion that it is designed to
put the offices now elective into the
hands of the Governor is simply false.
The election of Clerks and Registers, as
to that, was not the result of the for
mer Convention. And equally false is
the assertion that it is designed to give
Baltimore city a greater number of Del
egates. 1t was the locofocos that in
creased her delegation before now we
find a sample of thei1 consistency and
sincerity in their false charges on this
point against the American Party. The
American party has the state now by
| thousands, and 1t does not need q Con-
vcntion to give it power. The people
of the State ever since the present bur-
densome Constitution came into effect,
have complained of its Inconvenience
and expressions. Such has been the al
most universal expression and that it
may be amended to suit the wants of the
people is the reason the Convention is
called.
Without reference to general reasons there
! are local causes enough to make the people Of
Cecil vote on the Goth inst, " For Conuen-
| t,on."
We have school bill imposing heavy taxes,
every dollar of which must be paid by the
property of the county, (for the present con-
stitution allows no other basis of taxation, J
while our farmers arc already taxed to OPP
preston. A man may be in the receipt of a
salary Of 81 900, Or $1,000 year and send
half dozen children to school without pay
ing cent of tax, while his neighbor with a
small farm on which he can scarcely manage
by hard labor to live, has to pay heavy tax
to pay for the schooling of those very children,
at the Same time that the land is paying
nearly every other public expense. Every
farmer should come quietly out and vote
" For Contention" for certainly the land
should not struggle under every burden, as
1T has to do under the present odious con-
stitution.
We are tied down to the same road system
that suits the flat counties of the lower
parts of both shores; for this oppressive
Constitution says the system must be uni
form the consequence is, our Cecil hills can
never have passabe roads till there is a Con.
vention.
| This oppressive Constitution has put us in
Judicial district so crowded with business
that we cannot have the business of the coun-
ty transacted and on this account alone, in
this single year, Cecil county will be put to
greater expense than all her share Of the