Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-20
Finds Only One Clerk in Of
fees at 8 Am. Today.
TAXED ANSWERING MAIL
President Kept Busy Replying to
Political Advice of Friends.
ONLY TEXAS NOW DOUBTFUL
Fight to Be Waged on Cecil Lyon,
Who Has Declared for Roose-
velt-North Cardinals Scrap.

| When President Taft arrived at the
Executive offices this morning at s
O'Clock he didn't see White House
messenger or clerk in sight. He sal
down at his desk and rang for stenog-
rapher. No stenographer appeared
The President rang again. Nothing GO
ing on. Then the President took turn
through the rooms where stenographer:
are supposed to be. The only live OBJ
ject in sight was a man on chair in a
corner nodding.
The President cleared his throat kick
ed several chairs and otherwise en-
deavored to arouse the sleeper. He
succeeded
Mr.. es-pres-pres-ident." stammered
the clerk.
| Enjoying YOURSELF, the President re-
/ marked pleasantly. That's all right
Are YOU a stenographer? I'm glad to
know it. Please come in and take some
| dictation.'' and the President dictated
| for an hour until his regular stenog-
| rapher arrived.
| 1t was the second time that the Presi-
! dent had gotten to his office that early
in the morning without advance notifica-
| ton. William Pannell, his cOlored mes
senger. was much worried when he
| found that the President had been or
duty without his services.
The President is having an immense
| amount of correspondence now, most of
| 1t from personal friends telling him of
politics in various states. He is trying
| to keep up with this correspondence, al
though to do so, along with his other
work, he is heavily taxed.
Texas in Doubtful List.
In a general way, the news received
at the White House is all encouraging.
Almost everywhere, according to let
| ters. kilograms and visitors, the Presi
dent is gaining strength. He has ap-
parently lost ground nowhere unless
it is in Texas. where tremendous
fight is waging Cecil Lyon, the re-
last announced himself for Roosevelt. He
was for years onSntimate terms with the
| colonel who visited Lyon several
times in Texas. Lyon made the White
House his headquarters when in Wash
ington during the Roosevelt regime.
Lyon tried to block the Taft people
during the national committee meet
ing here. but not until a short time
ago did he make the positive statement
that he was for Roosevelt. His posi-
structed delegation. The Taft leaders
a few days ago decided to go into
Texas and fight Lyon to the limit,
whether they win or lose. II. r. Nc
Gregor, Texas republican. has been
| put in charge of the Taft campaign
| there. and the fur already is begin
ming to fly.
| If the Taft people win they will have
accomplished much. with the knowledge
that Cecil Lyon has been the undefied
h<ao of
Lyon is said to be worth millions. and
! he has poured it out for the mere JOY
| politics gives him. He pays everybody
| expenses everywhere, and then some
more. if necessary. and he is said to have
every officeholder in the state bottled
up for Roosevelt or anybody else that
Lyon may want. Ordinarily the Office
holder is for the administration, but
Lyon has put nearly all of them in Of
| flee. and they think he can keep them
there. no matter what he does or whom
he supports for President. Against Lyon
and his cohorts are arrayed many of the
strongest republicans of the state and the
business men of both parties. who are
| using pressure to help the Taft managers
The Taft men believe they will get the
| bulk of the delegates, but Lyon is sure
to pull off some for Roosevelt. and he
talks as if he proposed to capture prac-
tically all of them for his idol.
Fight on in North Carolina.
curious situation has arisen in North
Carolina. National Committeeman E. c.
Duncan and Representative Morehead
are fighting to the bitter end for control
of the state organization. Both are
Taft men. and the. ascendency of one
| over the other will not hurt the chances
| of the President getting all the delegates
from that state. The President however
found it hard to dispose of the patronage
without appearing to favor one side or
the other. Recently he sent to the Sem
ate nominations for ten positions, two
collectors of customs and eight postmas-
tiers. Some of them were Duncan men
| and some Morehead men. Neither side
was fully satisfied wanting all or moth
| ing. So the leaders of each faction
| Joined in a request that the President
withdraw the nominations sent in and
| hold up all other appointments until the
| fight was settled. the patronage to go to
the side that won in the state convention.
The President agreed to do this and with
drew ten nominations from the Senate.
The battle now is as much for patronage
as control.
! today extended the President an invita-
| ton 70 attend the exercises commemorate
| ing the 18th anniversary of the estab
| lishment of the University of Pittsburgh
IN PlttSDurRn, feDTuafy -. Inc TTeSl
dent cannot go.
| p " De Graw, assistant postmaster
general. introduced to the President to-
day the officers and executive committee
of the National Association of Rural Let
ter Carriers. They were Edgar A. Nc.
Mahon. president; l.. H. Wilson, secre
! tary, and r. z. Terry, Thomas Z. Wick:
and Burns l.. Osgood.
| Confers With Laboring Men.
| President Taft this afternoon con-
ferred with T. j. Dolan, general secre-
| tary-treasurer of the international
Brotherhood of Steam Shovel and Dredge
Men: w. B. Jones. general president of
the International Dredge Workers, and
Martin Cole. president of the tugmen, a.
to the bill pending in Congress relating
| to the Limitation of hours of daily serv-
| ice of laborers and mechanics on public
| works Of the United States. The bill is
tdesigned to clinch the eight-hour laws
| now on the books. The President ex-
| pressed himself I'm a general way as fav-
| orable to the eight-hour proposition and
| as believing in organized labor His
visitors We're pleased with their con
| ference.
RULE IN HOMICIDE TRIALS