The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-01-28
SECT'Y BOHAPARTE HITS
THE DEMOCRATS HARD.
He Accuses Them of Attempted Theft
Of the Peoples Rights.

Republican City Leader William F.
Stone had the editors of the Republican
papers of Maryland as his guests Tues
day at a dinner given at the Union
League Club, on Wast Fayette street.
Several Of Mr.. Stone PERSONAL friends
who are prominent in the '1l:tics of the
State, and especially in Ba. more city,
were invited to meet them.
Several weeks ago MIR. Stone gave a
dinner to the leading politicians of Ma
ryland inaugurating the campaign
against the proposed DISTINGUISHING
amendment. Tuesdays dinner was a
continuation of the same movement.
/ Mr.. Stone welcomed his guests, and
introduced James P. Curley, president
of the Republican Editorials Associa-
ton, as the postmaster. He spoke and
then introduced Attorney General Bona
parte.
+ In his speech Mr.. Bonaparte said, in
part:
i Since reducing to writing what l
expect to inflict on. you today, have
seen and seen with great pleasure, the
unequivocal condemnation of the dis
tranchising amendment by Cardinal
Gibbons. Like Mr. Taft, he condemns
it mainly because it disobeys the Consti-
tuition of the United States and despoils
Of their rights our negro citizens. |
should be sorry indeed if anyone had
any doubt of my own sentiments on
these aspects of the amendment Its
adoption will be a triumph of sectional
i'm over loyalty, of prejudice and
crooked dealing over charity and good
faith; in short, of iniquity over righteous
ness.
/ Il wish and expect to say, and say
plainly, what think of it and its au-
thors in this light long before it is sub
mitted to the peoples verdict. But to-
day | propose to consider its practical
consequences, to point out what its
adoption will mean, not particularly for
black men or for Republicans, but for
all Marylanders, and more especially for
those Marylanders who belong to the
Democratic party, without also belong
ing (body and souD to the Democratic
ring.
Next November the voters of Mary
land will be called upon to say whether
for an indefinite time, if rot forever, the
State shall belong to its people or shall
belong to its ring. This will be the real
question involved in the adoption or
rejection of the DISTINGUISHING amend
ment and it is your business and my
business; it is the business of every
patriotic citizen who knows enough
about Maryland politics, past and pres
ent to know that such is the real ques-
ton; to make sure, so far as each one
of US may, that the voters answer this
question with their eyes open.
''The authors and avowed supporters
of the amendment do not deny that it
will make Maryland one party State;
that, with it in force. a Democratic
nomination will mean a certain election
in the State at large, in Baltimore city
and in three fourths of our counties, but
they would have the voters, or at least
the Democratic voters, believe that this
concerns Republicans only;l that no
Democrat-som would say that no
white manned be troubled TAT the
outlook. Is this true?
with the amendment in force we
could not have elected the new judges
in 1882, we could not have rejected the
call for the constitutional convention in
1887 and again in 1907, we could not
have elected Lloyd Lowndes in 1895, we
could not have defeated Bryan in 1896
and again in 1900, we could not have
rejected the Poe amendment in 1905
All of these great deliverances were
brought with the aid of many thousands
of Democrats who turned against their
ring ridded party for the good OF their
city or State; but, in fghtingsthe ring
they would have been as mice under a
cats claws had there been nosRepubli-
can party or negro vote.
81 know, of course, that Just now the
ring and it's apologists are talking about
primaries, fair primaries, legal pri-
maries and dangling that old weather.
worn, moth-eaten pigeon reform with
in the party before Independent eyes.
NY former comrades, the Democratic
reformers, are nowadays pretty old
birds, for they are, for the most part,
of the same Matching as myself, and |
am nae chicken, either politically or
otherwise; but they remain truly senile,
in their very dotage, if they are caught
by any such chaff as that. After all
the experiences of the last 40 years, can
one of them believe that, under political
conditions in Maryland, with no civil
service law and corrupt practices act
administered by the ring itself. thew