East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-09-24
ROOSEVELT DECLARES HASKELL IS GUILTY

Washington. Sept. 24.-When Will
liam Jennings Bryan demanded of
President Roosevelt, "Show me-" he
found the president ready with the
goods.
Last night Mr.. Roosevelt gave out
a statement regarding Haskell and
his connection with the Standard OIL
company IN which the charges form
erly made are reiterated, and in which
the president characterizes Haskelrs
connection with the Bryan campaign
as a scandal and disgrace. Roosevelt
also declares that the visionary and
chimerical character of Bryan's prop
aganda Is gathering the trusts about
his standard, by reason o. its imprac-
ticability.
The full text Of the presidents let>
ter is given herewith:
White House, Washington, Sept. 2S.
Dear Sir: In your telegram you speak
OF so much Of the charge against
Governor Haskell as dealt with his
relations. while in Ohio. with the
Standard oil company. You omit the
charge as 10 his relations with the
Standard oil companys interests as
shown by his action while governor OF
Oklahoma. this very summer, this ac-
tion being in part taken while at Dem
. yer where as you state he was by your
wish made chairman of the commit
tee which drafted the platform upon
which you are standing.
In my statement 1 purpcsely made
no specific allusion to the Ohio mat
ter and shall at this time make none,
In spite Of its significance and in spite
OF the further fact that Governor Has
keli's close relations with Standard
Oil interests while he was in Ohio was
a matter of common notoriety.
Appeals To Records.
In oklahoma II is a matter OF court
records. BY this court record ii ap-
pears that the attorney general Of the
state. elected by the people. obtained
an injunction to prevent the Prairie
Oil & Gas company from building a
pipe line and Governor Haskell found
this out while he was at Denver, as II
appears by the representations for
dissolution OF the injunction made in
his name on behalf of the state be-
fore the court Of superior jurisdiction
10 that which issued the injunction.
In this the governor of the state,
acting as governor in his absence, had
asked that the hearing be postponed
until the governor might return and
have an opportunity to investigate the
controversy. The governor sets forth
in the petition that he is the sole au-
thority TO determine such matters and
that the attorney general and the
Judge cf the lower court had no right
in the case and the action Of the judge
OF the lower court represented an
"encroachment by the judiciary"
Haskell Stands by Oil.
The attorney general opposed the
dissolution OF the injunction stating
that the Prairie oil & Gas company
was a foreign corporation which had
not accepted the provisions of the con-
stitution applicable 10 such corpor'
ations and without the authority Of
the law 1t was employing a great force |
OF men and teams to dig up across
and into various highways OF the state |
for the purpose OF laying pipe lines.
The governor prevailed and the in,
junction was suspended and the pipe |
line was permitted to continue its
work to use words of the attorney
general without any color OF the
law"
call your attention to the fact that
the question is not whether or not the
Judge erred or whether the injunction
proper The point is that the gov
arnor was alert to take out of the
hands Of the attorney general what
the attorney general felt was his
worn duty and to prevent an alleged
instance of the breaking Of laws by
his particular great corporation. Far
Is I ha4e seen, Governor Haskell has
not even attempted anything which
AN be called q tefense Of this action
II his.
Action l. WantOn.
l. thus appears his action was as
nexcusable as was wanton. except on
he theory In defiance Of the attorney