New-York tribune., 1908-03-11
MAY BE A BOOMERANG.
POOR POLITICS IN TEXAS.
Story of Cam paign Assessments Flu
tile Attack on administration.
From The Tribune Bureau. ]

Washington March 1o.-The extraordinary
lengths 70 which the anti-administration forces
are Wiling to go in their efforts TO besmirch the
Presidents friends are declared in administration
circles to be demonstrated by a report TO the
effect that all postmasters in Texas are as
sessed per cent of their salaries for campaign
purposes as authority for which Representative
Acheson, of Pennsylvania, is given
1t is not doubted that Representative Acheson
is responsible for these reports. but there is
amazement expressed here that he should have
permitted misleading account to get into
print in view of the fact that the Attorney
General. by direction of the President, has
fought prosecution for such assessments, made
by Edward s. Thayer, member of the execu-
tive committee of the Texas Republican State
Committee, all the way the Supreme Court
of the United States, and that only yesterday
that court handed down an opinion favorable
to the government, reversing the lower court
and rendering Mr. Thayer liable to an aggre-
gate fine of $4,000 and imprisonment for thirty
years
A peculiarly unfortunate phase Of the situa-
tion is found in the fact that Representative
Achesons brother, Dr- Acheson, is a Texas
Republican. leader of the faction which is op-
posed TO Colonel Cecil Lyon. and that the in
vestigation which the President caused to be
sentative and Dr. Acheson, revealed the fact
that the faction TO which Dr. Acheson belongs
guilty of impropreties~ even graver than
those charged against the Lyon faction if not
actually as illegal
In the complaint fled by the Achesons at the
White House about year ago it did not appear
that Colonel Lyon had solicited any campaign
contributions whatever but that E P Barde. of
the 22d Senate District. of Texas, had sent a cir
cular letter to postnasters asking them to remit
10 per cent of their salaries TO Colonel Lyon for
use as campaign fund.
The President after calling the attention OF
his complainants to the fact that under the law
non -off1ceholder could not be prosecuted for
soliciting campaign contributions unless such
solicitation made at the official place of
business of an oficeholder. referred them to the
Postmaster General who caused a thorough in
Nestlgatfon TO be made. In the mass OF evidence.
some of it rejecting the Acheson wing of
the Texas Republicans, a case was found against
Thayer. of the Lyon faction and prosecution in
the federal courts begun. Thayer alleged
that as'he had merely conducted his solicitation
by mail it had not constituted solicitation
Withln the intent of the law, and the lower court
sustained this contention. but Justice Holiness
in the opinion delivered yesterday in the Su-
preme Court of the United States, decided that
when the letter delivered such solicitation
was complete
While nothing is known in administration
circles regarding the authenticity of the letters
which it is believed in those circles that
Representative Acheson has furnished zte the
press IN support Of his warfare on the regular
Republican organization of Texas OF which
Colonel Lyon, who is not an Office holder is the
head. it is regarded as extraordinary that, in
view of his knowledge of the drastic measures
which the President has taken to stamp out this
practice he should have failed to give equal
emphasis TO that part Of the affair
There is a strong impression however that
as in the case OF other equally unfair attacks on
the President and his friends, this will prove
another boomerang to the anti-administration
forces and will work them greater injury than
1t possibly to the administration or the
regular Republican organization in Texas