The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-10-06
BLISTERS TEDDY
Halo Of integrity That Surrounded
|; Roosevelt
HAS FADED AWAY

.
Says Haskell, Who Charges That
the President Granted Franchises
to Oil Company and Got Large
Campaign Contributions in Re
turn for the Grant.
Gov, Charles N. Haskell, formerly
treasurer Of the Democratic national
committee. tonight gave out long
letter to President Roosevelt repeat
ing his published defence to the
charges made against him. The let
ter, in part: is as follows:
"The serious, character Of your
charge against me should have sug-
;gested to you That you. as: Chief
Executive, should proceed with de-
liberation and certainty before mak-
ing such hearsay statements your
own declarations.
"Your attacks on me finally rested
on my conduct toward the .Prair.,
Oil and Gas Company in this State
have said that you were respon-
sible for granting q franchise before
statehood, thereby creating vested
rights. You seek to evade the issue
and create strong Impressions. You
said Ithe interior department had
no power, except where crossing an
Indian reservation. You would have
your readers believe that the Indian
Territory was then conducting its
own government and that only parts
of the same were Indian reservations
"Mr. Roosevelt, you know it Is not
true; you know all the land was
Indian land without county, township
or territorial government. What
halo of integrity surrounded you last
week, like the mist has faded away
and the interior department holds
the record which convicts you.
"You granted the franchise at the
solicitation of Senator, Depew, and
a few days thereafter received $780,
600 in cash for your campaign fund.
( "You charge me with having at
tempted to bribe the Attorney Cen
erai of Ohio. That was presumably
nine years ago. You have abandoned
that position. Charles p. Taft says
through his paper that no evidence
was ever, produced that would con-
vict me Of the charge
"In touching on the State Unive..
sity question, you pretended to quote
from the Outlook magazine, but how
dishonesty you enlarged on the mag
azine article. That article charger
me with substituting Democratic, for
Republican, professors, for political
purposes. have shown that state
ment to be false, but / charge you
with trying to enlarge on that mag
azlne article and give the world the
impression that we were. improperly
using the money appropriated to
conduct that institution.
"Your charge that / vetoed child
labor law, you have not apalogized
for. Notwithstanding you know. that
I did it with the, approval: Of union
labor, and that our; !. State Constitu
ton which you: said was $50; bad .yop:'
opinion OF It would, not look well in
print. contains more. details, and
child labor legislation than all You
have recommended to the, New York
Legislature as Governor, or to the
Congress- OF; the, United State as
President. and that l, had approved
further Acts, Of {, our. Legislature
passed at the solicitation Of anson
labor. -. -, -; -: .,3y...n.@,...;,. / i
...:"You said IN your first statemen:
that I had suits, brought against me
to recover title TO- Creek Indian land,
I overwhelmed you on that state
ment. Adopting your. usuat policy,
you flee from that statement Without
just apology and adopt; the. state
ment uoH that 1t was. Government
town site lots that. you, charged me
with being, sued for, Yes. I believe
am a defendant as to, certain. Gov
ernment town site lots in. one. of
nearly 900 suits that; yop have
had brought against. as many . DIFF
ferent honorable and highminded
citizens of this State during this
Presidential campaign year, and You
will not undertake to deny that poi
itics for the purpose Of Republican
izing about 10000 Indian voters was
your sole motive for. having those
suits brought, and l charge you with
knowing that there has been no de-
lay in these cases, except tina. oc-
casioned by the Courts deliberations,
taken by himself as time he deemed
necessary to consider whether or not
there Is any merit in the petition
filed by your attorney. s.,
Iat 1on