Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1912-04-04
PASSING THE
WORD ALONG. !"
Tatt's Texas Manager Shows How
Patronage Club Is Welded.
.'MAcenEGOR'S ADVERTISEMENT
1t Warns Against an Expression Of In.
s dependent Preference and Bids For
Support Of Taft, With Federal Pat.
,sronaqs a. tho Alluring Bait.

sfronage a. tho Alurin9 oait.
Four years ago Congressman VII.
liam B.aMckmley Of Illinois was man
aging the campaign Of Joseph q. Can.
non. then speaker Of the house OF rep
resentatives at Washington. for the
Republican presidential nomination.
Mr.. Mckinley was eXerting himself at
that time to the extent of his ability
to prevent the nomination of Mr.. Taft.
Tho Great Patronage Dispenser.
When he WAS. appointed director OF
the national Taft bureau In Washing
ton and placed at the head Of the cam
paign for the denomination OF Mr.. Taft
this year, he expressed the opinion to
some of his friends that It would he "A
very much easier job than he had had
in 1908, for the reason that all he
would have to do now would he 10
''pass the word along" Mr.. Mckinley
meant. of course, that II was only nee
essary to convey the Information au-
thoritatively to the thousands OF fed
eral otficeholders throughout the coun-
try and especially In the southern
states that the president desired to he
renoHiinated and that 1t was the wish
OF the great patronage dispenser that
all the federal officeholders should CO.
operate In forcing the election Of Taft
delegates to the Chicago convention.
A concrete illustration Of the method
of passing the word along" used by
the Taft managers was furnished re-
Gently by Mr. II. f. MacGregor the
Taft manager in Texas. The RepuD-
lican state committee Of Texas Is com
posed of men not one Of whom holds
federal office. Colonel Cecil Lyon. the
state chairman and also the Republic
an national committeeman from Texas.
recognizing the unavailability of Mr.
Taft as Il candidate for the presidency
this year. because OF the great revolt
of Republican voters against him. sent
out circular letter to- Republicans OF
Texas asking for expressions Of their
Individual preference for their presi.
dental candidate.
A Threat and Promise.
Mr.. Lyon having been ut the head of
the Republican organization In Texas
for several years, his recommendation
had naturally had great. weight in the
selection Of uppointees to the numer-
Gus federal offices in Texas. The Taft
managers affected to see in Colonel
Lyons circular an attempt to control
the action Of the federal offceholders
In Texas with regard to the election
Of the delegates from that state to the
Republican national convention. There
upon Mr.. Ma,a:regor published his ad
vertisnmcnt widely in papers that cir
culate throughout the Lone Star State.
This advertisement Is both threat
and promise. II brutally warns n;
persons concerned that they express an
independent preferenr" at their peril
and ut the same time 1t braZenly dan
Kles the bribe of federal patronage for
Taft support. Nothing like 1t has ever
occurred in the history Of American
politics.
"Has Now No influence"
This Is full copy OF Mr.. MacGreg.
or's advertisement;
'"To the Republican Federal Ofiicehold
ers In Texas
1.-THE state chairman has notified you
officially to send him money to defeat
President Taft. under whom you hold
commission. and to file your allie
glance to him within ten days. This il
TO notify you that the state chairman
has now no influence in Washington
and will not have If reelected after
President Tafts triumphant reelection.
"In some other southern states where
complaint was made and where cOndi
lions were similar to those In Texas,
the president had the Republicans Of
the state meet In conference and Sc
lect committee to make recommended
lions az TO PATRONAGE. and you can rest