Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-22
COL. LYON
Statement Issued by National
Taft Bureau.
CIRCULAR LETTER QUOTED
Republican Committeeman Said to
Be Trying to Make Offceholders
Work for Roosevelt,

Counter charges that efforts had beer
made to coerce the federal officeholders
or Texas are made by the Taft and
Roosevelt national headquarters ir
washington, in statements given out
here. The Roosevelt managers declared
that the Taft managers were making ar
"open and unbushing attempt to coerce
the republicans of Texas into selecting
Taft delegates to the Chicago convention
by means of the patronage club
The Taft headquarters statement fol
lows:
1.-THE open and unblushing attempt of
Cecil Lyon. republican national commit
teeman and chairman of the republican
state committee of Texas, not only to
force federal officeholders in Texas to
join him in electing Roosevelt delegates
from that state, but the further attempt
of the opponents Of President Taft in
Texas to. collect 'sush fund from the
federal officials in that state. has been
revealed by Mr.. Roosevelt's campaign
managers in Washington and by Col.
Lyon himself.
I'm an open circular letter to the federal
officials in Texas Cecil Lyon wrote March
6, last:
I take this means of announcing that
while / have recommended for office
every man holding presidential COM
mission in the state of Texas except five.
I wish to say to all that I am expecting
to send this circular letter to every man
1 have recommended for office, and take
this means of saying to them and to the
state at large that I shall cherish no
malice against any man who sees MT to
differ with me in his presidential prefer
mt to n n
make his own selection.
Requests Information.
Since I am stating my own position
I think it is only fair to me that those
whom I have recommended to Office be
equally fair to me, and to that end I
inclose a card with a request that you re-
turn it to me. signed. after filing in the
blanks. This information is requested for
my own personal guidance, and ask an
immediate reply.
"I regret to state that there are In
water on both shoulders and on that &C.
count there will be some who will seek
to avoid placing themselves on record
and who would ordinarily, therefore, not
comply with my request that they fill
out and return this card. To such I will
say that l will make my own classical
tion If receive no reply in ten days
Coming from the mild-manEered and
thoroughly docile Col Lyon. who has the
habit Of turning the left cheek to the
enemy after the right has been smote,
this document is a seven-day wonder.
Literally translated, it means that every
postmaster in Texas, every United States
marshal and district attorney in Texas
every collector Of customs and of internal
revenue, and every federal judge whom
Lyon admits he appointed to Office in
every particular instance, save five out of
nearly 5000 must either take sides in
this fight or suffer the consequences from
Lyon, personally. When judges pronounce
such sentences they usually have the de-
cency to add: And may God have mercy
on your SOUL
1.-The most 'unblushing' part of the
whole Texas matter. however. is the pub
LEGATION by the Roosevelt managers in
Washington of an open letter from H. F..
Mac Gregor, the Taft manager in Texas,
who, in his protest against the methods
of Lyon and his associates, not only in
forms the people of Texas that Lyon will
no longer be allowed to build up person.
al machine in Texas among the federal
Office holders, but makes public for the
first time the fact that federal office
holders in Texas are bling assessed by the
opponents of President Taft.
Letter of Mr.. MacGregor.
Mr.. MacGregor's letter. as published
'unblushingly' by the Roosevelt managers,
is as follows:
sTo the republican federal Office holders
In Texas:
1.-The state chairman has notified you
officially to send him money to defeat
President Taft. under whom you hold a
commission, and to file your allegiance
to him within ten days. This is to notify
you that the state chairman has now no
influence in Washington and will not
have if reelected. after President Taft's
triumphant reelection.
In some other southern states where
complaint was made and where conditions
were similar to those in Texas the Pres
ident had the republicans of the state
meet in conference and select COM
mittee to make recommendations as to
patronage, and you can rest assured that
loyal Taft republicans cannot be slaugh-
tered by the state chairman.
The recommendation of Taft republic
cans will control the Texas situation in
the matter of patronage, and not the rec
concentrations of those engaged in dis
crediting one of the best Presidents the
country has ever had, and who are by
their disloyalty endangering republican
success nationally.
III. F. MACGREGOR,
Taft Texas Campaign Manager.
Houston, Tex, March Is, 1912