[Léon Hayard]. The Great Secret of Freemasonry. The art and the way of being elected Member of Parliament . Patented method with guarantee and government stamp. Initiation to be an Apprentice, Companion, Master, Rosicrucian and Kadosch. Paris, Léon Hayard, no date [ca. 1902]. Poster 76 x 56 cm. Printed in blue.
Rare parody poster by Napoleon Hayard, alias Léon Hayard (1850-1903), the publisher nicknamed “the emperor of the camelots”. His business consists of political pamphlets (including parody wills and obituaries) and caricatures. On the occasion of the Dreyfus affair, he published anti-Dreyfusard and anti-Semitic publications. Hayard was himself a virulent anti-Semite. He was arrested on 25 May 1892 near the Synagogue de la Victoire for shouting “Sales Youtres” ! ” and “Vive Drumont” ! » against the people invited to Emmanuel Leonino’s wedding with Juliette de Rothschild, daughter of Gustave de Rothschild.
Framed by funeral Masonic symbols, 28 captioned caricatural scenes narrate the Masonic career of Poilopattes [leg hair] who aspires to become a deputy.
« POILOPATTES wanting to become an MP, decides to be accepted brother three-points / He goes to find a Jew from the Grand Orient and pays the large sum. / He is invited to enter the cabinet of reflections while waiting for the ministerial cabinet. / He is in front of his mother-in-law’s skull. / A brother brings back the will by which Poilopattes bequeaths to the Grand Orient the property of the Congregations that he can confiscate. / The future MP shows up in regulatory dress and asks for light. / Poilopattes learns the way to get through the legislation that doesn’t suit. / He endures without fear the trials of iron and fire. /
Profane… The Grand Orient is happy with you and proclaims you apprentice mason and candidate for deputation. / To ensure his election, Poilopattes is presented at the Masonic companionship. / He is taught the steps and other obligatory secular monkeys, but not at all free. / Poilopattes vows to keep secret about the bribes he may receive. / The future MP is invited to take his place among his many brothers. / The little note for companionship costs. /
Poilopattes having learned that a competitor is also a companion, asks to become a master. / An old brother’s monk examines whether his apron will be wide enough to hide all the panamists and dreyfusards. / Poilopattes is put in front of a coffin, he believes he recognizes Baron Reinach [Jacob Adolphe, alias Jacques, baron Reinach, (Francfort,1840-Paris, 1892), French banker of Jewish-German origin, Freemason mainly associated with the Panama Scandal], he is told that it is Hiram’s body. / With a mallet blow, Poilopattes is thrown into the coffin; he does not meet a corpse, but he’s got a strong contusion. /
Guaranteed to be the only candidate, Poilopattes wants to be received Rosicrucian to know all the tricks of the trade. / He is covered in his head to be blind to all the misdeeds of his brothers in acacia. / A brother shows him a note bearing the initials of the qualities he will have to possess from now on. [INRI] : idiotic, nincompoop, repulsive, insane. / Recognizing employment morale, Poilopattes swears loyalty to masonry that will make him elected. / Great meal and toasts in honour of the future MP. / Poilopattes is accepted at 33th degree; he is amazed to provide the embers and light at his own expense. / Poilopattes became knight Kadosch, promises to fight the government relentlessly until he is a member , the army and religion. / Poilopattes finally practices the sign of distress to appeal to the dedication of his brothers in case of danger. / The perfect Kabosch [a pun beetwin “Kadosch” and “Kabosch” (noggin)] [sic, in the form of a donkey’s head]. “
Follows the “List of MP who belong to Freemasonry or Lay Congregation of Acacia“. It is specified that the list “is not complete and cannot be complete. These Knights of the Trowel usually put their apron in their pocket, when they appear before the electorate. None of those whose names follow, did not protest when his name appeared in the newspapers, as belonging to the Hiram family. […] In this list, everyone will find most of the fumists who use the people, instead of serving the people, supporters of l’assiette au beurre, the supporters of the Waldeck-Millerand-Dreyfus ministry. »
Alexandre Millerand, Freemason, was Minister of Trade, Industry, Posts and Telegraphs in the government of Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau known as the “Republican Defence Government” (22 June 1899 at 3 June 1902) ; the latter had decided to revise the Dreyfus trial.
Two small marginal tears restored, not serious. Few foxing.
Poster of any rarity.
600 €