Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-08-05
THE CoLQUITT 0 T

Under the significant caption
"The Zweibund in Texas" tn
Eagle, in a recent issue
says:
1t sounds like an anomaly to
say that party politics in Texas
is bipartisan. Yet that is about
the only possible description Of
the conditions that have sprung
out of the personal friendship
and semi-public interdepend-
ence of o. b. Colquitt and Col
onel Cecil Lyon. The Colquitt-
Lyon Zweibund is delightfully."-
effective in its operation.
The democrats have real pri-
maries in Texas which settle
things finally, the election only
ratifying what those primaries
determine on. In primaries
held last week ii appears that
the ~so-called "drys," with
whom Colquitt has no affilia- :
ton, carried everything except
the governorship, made sure Of
most of the state officers, and
cinched both branches Of the
legislature. But Colquitt my3-
teriously won by nearly 10000
over his dry" opponeat. The
total republican vote for gov
ernor under the Lyon manage
ment at the last election was
less than 26.O6O.
How far 2nd in what way
rUTrrH aaAelpaaaLypn ia fixing
up a Roosevelt delegation to be
excluded from the republican
national convention may never
be fully known. We do know
that when the %battleship Texas
was to be christened, Colquitt,
at the request of the navy de-
partment, selected the young
woman who was to oflciate,
and made a furry in Washing
ton by choosing the daughter
ot Colonel Lyon, the Roosevelt
state leader. We know that
the date on which party claims
for a place on the state ticket
must be filed was passed this
year by the Lyon organization.
The party can have no place on
y the official ballot for state of
hcers this year. At the time
This happened it was guessed
. professionally that the object
was to leave Lyon free to help
out his friend in the democratic
primaries. The conclusion that
he has so done Is almost ir-
resistible when the result is
studied.
After all, straight party poi
tics is not nearly so demoraliZ-
ing as bipartisan party politics
and the Colquitt-Lyon Zwei-
bund offers an example to be
stunned, not one to be emulated
in other states.
The Eagle adopts a view of tn
Texas election mystery" which ha
been advanced by some other politt
cal analysts. Even before the cleo
ton, the alleged alliance betwee
Cecil Lyon and the governor wa
limited at, and the casting Of a larg
percentage Of the republican vote q
the state for the latter in the pr.
was predicted. The Heral
does not believe the apparent
anomalous result of the primarie
should be so construed.
-Rarfner. as The Herald has state
previously. does ii indicate that tn
Texas democrats, or a very larg
majority of them, believed that Col
,uitt was entitled to the customar
.wo terms, which precedent Ia
to most Texas governors. Tn
heory of the republican vote goinI
Colquitt could hardly hold in thi
Instance. Had it been a genera
election, 1t might have been pos
iiblc but 1t is difficult to understan
ne republicans could hay.
in the primaries. A humble
might be willing TO periur,
es by taking the pledge a
Is in the democratic primar
he sake of paying Col
Lcial debt 10 tbs governor
}, but it is to be &ubte'
very large numbj
Texas re