Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1901-10-30
REPUBLICAN MASS MEETING
THE OPERA HOUSE CROWDED TO
THE DOORS.
Speaking By Congressman Sydney E Mudd
And Hon. Thomas s. Parran, Gam
didate For Clerk Of The
Court OF Appeals

Il
didate For Clerk Of The
Court Of Appeals.
The Republican campaign was opened
in this city last night with a large and
enthusiastic mass meeting at the Opera
House. The meeting was called to order
by DIR. w. g. Tuck, chairman OF the
Republican State Central Committee, who
| named Mayor Charles A. Dubois as
president OF the meeting, and all the
Republicans of Anne Arundel county as
vice-presidents.
Mayor Dubois thanked the chairman
for the honor conferred on him as the
president of the meeting, and said he
would not take up any of the valuable
time of the evening in preliminary
speech, as there were others present who
would address them on the issues OF the
campaign and he would now introduce
to them a man whom every citizen OF
Annapolis should delight to honor, the
Hon. Sydney Z. Mudd Mr.. Mudd
was received with tumultuous applause.
Mr.. Mudd said he had come here to
speak a few encouraging words to the
Republicans OF Anne Arundel county
and to help some men who had helped
him in the past--and to help along the
local ticket. and 10 help his friend Tom
Parran, who was a candidate for Clerk
of the Court of Appeals, and who he felt
sure would be elected. He referred to
his attachment for Annapolis, which he
said had been formed during the years
he had spent here as student under the
shadow of Mcdowell Hall, and later as
a member of the House of Delegates,
where he took an active part in the
passage of an election law--one of the
best that was ever given to the people
of the State.
Mr.. Mudd then confined his remarks
to the present unjust and unconstitutional
ballot law. which he said was passed for
the purpose of giving the Democratic
party control of the State at the expense
of the illiterate voter, whom they had
charged as the corruptable voter. The
present law, he said, did not only dis
franchise the illiterate voter, but it de-
prived the man who left his county and
State for temporary employment, unless
he went in person to the Circuit Court
clerk and there made affidavit of his
intention of returning in six months. He
cited a number of instances where men
whose families and all their interests are
in Maryland, had gotten employment in
Washington, and had been cut off. He
would not say that Senator German
had anything to do with this new ballot
law-oh, no.
The Democratic party. he said, pro-
posed to add to the illiterate property
qualification at the next Legislature, if
they were in power. which was an abridg
ment of the rights of the people. The
constitution of the State and OF the
United States guarantees to every man
above twenty y-one years of age the right
of suffrage, unless disqualified by some
criminal act, lunacy, idiots or crazy.
The Democrats places you in this class
by this law. They claim that illiterates
are incapable OF voting. The Declara-
ton of Independence, written by Thomas
Jefferson over a hundred years ago, was
signed by men who made "X'' marks,
and these men would be disfranchised if
living today under this ballot law.
The next thing. he said, they would
put the voter through categorical ex-
animation of hypothetical questions. He
said the Democratic party had done
everything possible to confuse and en-
barrass the illiterate voter. They had
set the ballot in every conceivable type,
from Old English to German text, and
he would not be surprised to see it print
ed in Greek or Sanscrit before election
day. He referred to the great prosperity
of the country under Republican rule,
and said he was glad TO see that Annap-
oils had begun to feel the inspiration;
that it had given to it new life and re-
luvinated the old man. and was now
fairly on the way to prosperity, for which
he claimed a little OF the credit. He
urged his party to familiarize themselves
with the ballot before the election; to 90
to the polls and vote the Republican
ticket and to redeem their manhood.
Hon. Thomas S. Parran, of Calvert
county, nominee for Clerk of the Court
of Appeals. was next introduced, and for
upwards of an hour reused the laughter
and applause of his hearers with his
happy hits and sharp sallies. He gave
a number of amusing and interesting illus
trations--always making an effective and
telling point. Mr.. Parran is one of the
most effective stump speakersin the State,
and always wins and holds his hearers.
He asked frankly for the votes of all his
hearers. and promised. if elected, to do
his duty, as he had always done when
ever called upon to serve the people.
The meeting was then closed with ad-
dresses by Messrs. Oliver NJ. Ruark and
Louis M. Kines, OF Baltimore. The
Naval Academy Band, Prof. Charles A.
Zimmerman. leader, furnished music for
the occasion.
After the close of the meeting the
speakers and candidates a number
of friends. through the courtesy of
Mr.. Walter Clark, partook of an oyster
roast at his oyster house on Compro-
mise street, which was greatly enjoyed.
How This2
We offer One Hundred Dollars Re-