MARYLAND. 



497 



and 24 black females. Of the 598 prisoners in 

 the institution in 1872, 179 were laborers, 155 

 farm-hands, 10 draymen, 21 sailors, 12 shoe- 

 makers, 2 printers, 3 railroad-men, 8 cooks, 6 

 hackmen, 6 butchers, and 4 clerks. Of the 

 598, 8 were convicted of arson, 8 for murder 

 in the first degree, 30 for murder in the sec- 

 ond degree, 16 for attempts to commit rape, 2 

 for attempts to poison, 20 for horse-stealing, 

 271 for larceny, 71 for stealing, 5 for stealing 

 vessels, 12 for rape, 2 for perjury, 1 for counter- 

 feiting and forgery, and 1 for offering to vote 

 illegally ; 7 are committed for life, 1 for 30 

 years, 3 for 20 and 21 years, 12 for 18 years, 

 50 for 5 years, and 50 for 1 and 2 years. Of 

 the 598 prisoners, 129 were between 10 and 

 20 years, 205 between 20 and 25, 10 between 

 50 and 55, 8 between 55 and 60, 2 between 60 

 and 65, and 1 between 65 and 70. Of the 

 whole number, 355 could not read or write, 63 

 could only read, and 180 could read and write. 

 314 attended Sunday-school in youth, and 255 

 did not attend. The record of the temperance 

 question is as follows: Strictly temperate, 122; 

 moderate drinkers, 36 ; occasionally intemper- 

 ate, 433, and habitually intemperate, 7. Of 

 the 598 prisoners, 207 were married, 376 un- 

 married, 1 was a widow, and 14 widowers. 



A State Convention of those favoring the 

 extension of the right of suffrage to women 

 was held at Baltimore, on the 29th of February 

 and 1st of March. Their claims were set forth 

 in the following resolutions : 



Whereas, This Government was founded to pro- 

 mote the common interests of society, is based upon 

 the equal rights of man in its generic sense, founded 

 in reason and justice, and as woman is a component 

 part thereof, and as every civil right grows out of a 

 natural right, we deny any authority to deprive her 

 of those prerogatives which were expressed in the 

 Declaration of Independence, "life, liberty, and 

 the pursuit of happiness." 



Resolved, That, as the fourteenth amendment de- 

 clares that " all persons born or naturalized in the 

 United States, and subject to the jurisdiction there- 

 of, are citizens of the United States and of the State 

 in which they reside, no State shall make or enforce 

 any law which shall abridge the privileges or immu- 

 nities of citizens of the United States ; " and, as the 

 fifteenth amendment declares that the right of citi- 

 zens of the United States to vote shall not be denied 

 or abridged by the United States or by any State, on 

 account of race, color, or previous condition of 

 servitude, that the immunities and privileges of 

 American citizenship, however defined, are national 

 in character and paramount to State authority. 



Resolved, That justice and equity can only be at- 

 tained by enacting laws, to govern men and women, 

 based upon the equality of sexes. 



Resolved, That we invite the cooperation of all 

 those who have human rights and the righting of hu- 

 man wrongs at heart, and, throwing aside all minor 

 differences, will work as with one mind for measures 

 tending to ameliorate human sufl'ering, and to create 

 powers" in society whose exercise shall be peace on 

 earth, good-will toward men. 



There was no State election in Maryland this 

 year, but party conventions were held to ap- 

 point delegates to the national nominating 

 bodies, and to name candidates for presidential 

 electors. The Republicans met in Baltimore, 



VOL. XII. 32 A 



on the 24th of April, and appointed delegates 

 to the National Convention to be held at Phil- 

 adelphia. Presidential electors were nomi- 

 nated at the same time, both for the State at 

 large and for the districts, but no platform was 

 adopted. On the same day a meeting of Lib- 

 eral Republicans was held in Baltimore, pre- 

 sided over by ex-Governor Bradford, which 

 appointed delegates to the National Conven- 

 tion at Cincinnati. 



The Democratic Convention was held at the 

 Maryland Institute, in Baltimore, on the 19th 

 of June, and delegates to the national gather- 

 ing of the party were chosen. A resolution, 

 instructing the delegates "to oppose the nomi- 

 nation of separate or party candidates for 

 President and Vice-President, as inexpedient 

 in view of existing political complications, 

 and to support instead the indorsement of 

 Greeley and Brown on the Cincinnati platform, 

 as more likely to effect a change in the na- 

 tional Administration, an object of paramount 

 importance, as the first practical step in the 

 great reform movement which we hope to see 

 carried forward to ultimate triumph in every 

 department of the Government," was referred 

 to the Committee on Resolutions ; but, before 

 that committee had made any report, a motion 

 to adjourn sine die was carried by a vote of 

 52 yeas to 23 nays. * 



Another convention of the Democracy was 

 held on the llth of September, to nominate 

 presidential electors. A committee was ap- 

 pointed to confer with a committee of Liberal 

 Republicans, which resulted in giving to the 

 latter the nomination of one of the electors-at 

 large and one of the district electors. No plat- 

 form was adopted. 



A convention of colored men was called to 

 meet in Baltimore, on the 19th of June, the 

 objects of which were thus stated : . 



1. To organize the colored Republicans of 

 the whole State upon such a basis as will se- 

 cure a complete vote and triumphant victory 

 for the nominees of the Philadelphia Conven- 

 tion: 



2. To consider the question of equality of 

 rights for colored citizens, and how to elevate 

 and improve our present condition. 



3. To devise the best means to successfully 

 better the condition of the laboring-men of the 

 State, and to make labor profitable to all. 



4. To create a more adequate plan for the 

 instruction of colored children in the State. 



The convention, after organizing on the 19th; 

 of June, adjourned to the 17th of July, when 

 little was done beyond discussion, and the 

 adoption of a resolution indorsing the platform 

 of the Philadelphia Convention and the Admin- 

 istration of President Grant, and pledging the 

 support of those represented in the convention 

 for the election of Grant and Wilson. 



The whole number of votes cast for presi- 

 dential electors in November was 134,464, of 

 which 67,685 were in favor of the election of 

 Horace Greeley for President, and 66,760 for- 



