Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-01
MR.. BONAPARTE TALKS
ENTHUSIASTIC GATHERING AT
HYATTsvILLE LAST NIGHT.
Directs His Attention Largely to the
Poe Amendment to the
Constitution.

/ In Masonic Hall here last night. In a STIR
! ring address he denounced the democratic
| ring in Maryland, and his criticism was re-
| ceived with every evidence Of approval. The
| Secretarys remarks were directed mainly
| toward the Poe amendment, which he char
| acterized as creature OF the ring. con-
| ceived to perpetuate their power In the
| state
Mr.. Bonaparte came from Washington in
a City and Suburban Electric railway car,
| escorted by Mr.. Francis s. Carmody, candi-
| date for the state senate. AS he stepped
from the car he was greeted by commit-
| tee composed Of Messrs. Joseph A. Blundon
| and Frank B. Metzerott, reinforced by sew
| eral hundred citizens and a brass band. :.
The Secretary's reception at Masonic Hail
was most cordial. Every seat was occu-
| pied long before the hour set for the speech
making to begin. The front seats were re-
served for ladies'
on the stage, among them being Postmaster
| G.. B. Timanus Of Laurel, Oliver s. Met
zerott and Charlton Sasscer, candidates for
the legislature; Judges F. A. Holden and
A. D. Barley. Francis 8. Carmody. candi-
date for state senate; B. H. warner OF
Washington, ]. T. Hall of Baltimore and
Others.
Promptly at O'Clock Mr. Frank B. Met
zerott chairman Of the meeting introduced
the Secretary Of the Navy. 1t was several
minutes before the applause that greeted
his appearance subsidized sufficiently to al
low him to proceed.
Refers to Poe's Raven.
The Secretary put his audience in good
humor by abiding in a happy vein to
Poe's Raven" and the Poe amendment,
saying the former was a much more re-
spectacle production than the latter.
Continuing. he said that during the past
| six weeks he had been doing great deal
NJ Tall rfy1<r go
ment, not because he liked the measure,
but because he particularly dislfked 1t. He
| had, however, done more thinking than
talking on the subject.
Il came to Hyattsville tonight" declared
the Secretary. 'in the hope that l might
| persuade my fellow-citizens to dislike this
scheme as much as do, and to contribute
| few words Of counsel. encouragement and
warning.
The Poe Amendment
1.-The Poe amendment amounts sub
staptially to putting the political power and
material and moral welfare Of the state in
| the hands of a little group OF men whom I
call the ring 1t Is unnecessary to name
| these men. the people know them. When a
| mau sits on a tomcat he does not always
| see the cat, but he knows the feline is
there. all the same. This ring desires to
| secure control Of the boards of registra-
| ton, and the man who will swear allegiance
| to the rings cause, II is charged, will have
| no trouble in passing his examination in
| constitutional law. He will secure 100 in
his examination, while the fellow who ex-
| ert;ises any spirit of independence will get
| zero for his trouble
| Speaking of the revolt against the demo-
| cratic ring about twenty years ago, Mr..
| Bonaparte said:
| AT that time this small coterie had con-
| troll OF the board of supervisors of cleo
| tons, which was composed entirely of dem
ocrats. on this board was one man who
| was troubled with a conscience, and was.
| therefore. not satisfactory to the ring. The
| ring placed the man In another and better
| paying position, and appointed notorious
political character in his place. Then the
| arrangement was, as the ring hopes to have
| 1t now, that there should be two democrats
| In the board to outvote one republican, and
at the last session of the general assembly
Dill was introduced to re-establish this
| system, but, thanks to some manly demo-
Gratis. 1T failed. 1t was only a part and
| parcel Of the Poe amendment"
The Secretary said he was convinced that
the Poe amendment is beaten and, on a
| clared. I'VE are not going to have a fair
| vote. We have got to win by a large
| enough majority to overcome a large
| fraudulent vote, and the thousands of hon.
| by political tricksters in southern Mary
| land. They are not In this thing for their
health. They are in it for big money" The
Secretary declared that the question to be
|
| whether the amendment should :be adopted
| or rejected.
1t was far more important question
than this. The adoption rejection OF
| the amendment Is not the whole of the
| matter. IT you allow the ring to send
| back to Annapolis enough of their crea-
| lures to assure them of a three-f1fths ma
1ority in each branch Of the next general
| assembly 1t will avail tlt little to defeat
| the amendment. You will have done but
| a small part Of your duty. 1 do not be-
leve they could give us worse amend
| ment, but IL they only give us one as pad
You may rest assured that We will have
| an election law that will not give the peo-
| pie half as much chance as they now en-
| Joy II they secure the majority l have
| just referred to they will at once submit
another constitutional amendment. and
| will pass any law they please over the
| veto of the governor. While we have cor
| rupt boards Of election supervisors now
| they will be worse IL the ring Is given
| power to organize them Unless every re-
| publican candidate for the legislature ce-
cefves the vote of every man who Is op-
| posed to the amendment but half of the
| DUTY demanded OF good citizens will have
| been accomplished.
Healing Discussions.
IT have not had time to acquaint myself,
| since I became a political boss with the
| local conditions OF all my domain. and L
| really do not know whether what I am to
| cality or not. But I want to say to you
! that IL you have any discussions in the
| ranks wait until after Tuesday next 10
settle your troubles AS Benjamin Franz
| lin said after the signing of the Declara-
| ton of Independence In Philadelphia. This
| is the time for us to hang together. IL
we do not we are certain to hang sepa-
| rately in the future "
| The Secretary cited the oath taken by
election officials to perform their duties
! inlpartially and without prejudice. accord
| ing to the laws of the state. Every super
| visor Of election In the state has taken this
| oath, and yet, in several counties, trick bal
| lets are now being circulated and will be
used on election day. Big black lines"
declared the Secretary, ARE drawn under
| the names Of the democratic candidates as
an aid to the illiterate democrats, and
other methods of unfairness resorted to by
these supervisors, who have sworn to do
| their duty impartially and without preju-
| dice. Do you say that these men have kept
| the oath they have takenf They have be-
come SO accustomed to paying no attention
| to their official oaths that they hardly
know what you mean when you charge
1 hon Until mr. W1zaV So y,o%