Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-24

foreign corporation which had not ac-
cepted the provisions OF the constitution
applicable to such corporations, and that
without authority OF law it was employing
great force of men and teams TO dig
up, across and into various highways Of
the state for the purpose of laying its
pipe lines. The governor prevailed, the
| injunction suspended. and the pipe
line was permitted to continue its work. TO
use the words of the attorney general,
| without any color of law
! call Your attention to the fact that
the question is not whether or not the
Judge erred. whether the injunction
was proper. The point Is that the gov
ernOr alert to take out of the
hands of the attorney general what the
duty to prcvent-an alleged instance
of the breaking of the laws by this
particular great corporation.
Not Defended by Haskell
AS far as have seen. Gov. Haskell has
not even attempted anything which can
| be called q defense of this action of his.
! IT thus appears that his action was as
! ineXcusable as it wanton, except on
the theory that. in defiance of the attor
ney general of the state and at all haZ
ards. he intended, for some reasons of
his own, to protect the interests of
great corporation against the law. 1t has
al he did not favor the Standard Oil
Company. but merely the Prairie Oil and
Gas Company.
This claim is disposed of by the testi
mony of the Standard Oil Company it
self. taken in the latter part of 1907 in
the suit now pending before the United
States court at st. Louis against the
Standard Oil Company. In his testimony
the Standard Oil Company, upon being re-
quired by the government to put in d list
of all the companies in which it held
stock or in which its subsidiary COM
panies held stock, reported, among the
others, the Prairie Oil and Gas Company,
+ total capital $4,000. 600 of which the
National Transit Companys proportion
was D,999,5 500; and. furthermore, it APP
pears that the National Transit Company
had a capital stock of s25. 45o. 200. of which
the Standard Oil Company owned SO. 451,-
6a0 In other words, this Prairie Oil and
Gas Company was owned, all except $500,
by the National Transit Company, and
this National Transit Company was
owned. all except about $3.50 by the
Standard Oil Company.
Foraker's Case.
! Now contrast your action in this case
of Gov. Haskell with Mr.. Taft's action
as regards Senator Foraker as set forth
| in his letter of July 20, 1907, which l
4 quoted in my statement. 1t was a mat
ter of common notoriety about Senator
| Foraker. AS it has long been a matter
of common notoriety about Gov. Haskell.
| that he was the defender and supporter
! of certain great corporate interests, and
| therefore hostile to the policies for which
this administration has stood.
| There was no such convincing proof
| against Senator Foraker at that time,
| however. there was against Gov.
| Haskell. when, as you say. he was with
| your approval made treasurer of your
| campaign committee. But Mr.. Taft re-
sod to he .lrft fha n a
of Senator Foraker, even though it was
| represented that only thus could he ad-
vance his own interests, showing by
| actual deeds that his words were true
when he said: II do not care for the
presidency if it has to come by COM
promise with any one on matter OF
| principle"
With a hundred fold clearer evidence
| before you as to the connection of Gov.
| Haskell with the Standard Oil than Mr..
| Taft then had as to the connection of
| Senator Foraker with any corporation.
you. nevertheless. having secured Gov.
| Haskell as chairman of the committee to
write the platform on which you stand.
put him in as treasurer OF your cam
paign committee.
! Let me add that Gov. Haskelfs utter
unftness for any public position of trust
or for association with any man anxious
| to make an appeal on a moral issue 10
| the American people has been abundant
| ly shown wholly irrespective of this &C
| ard Oil interests.
Scandal and Disgrace"
AS an American citizen who prizes his
IAmericanism and his citizenship Tar
above any question of craftsmanship,
regard 1t as a scandal and a disgrace
that Gov. Haskell should be connected
| with the management Of any national
campaign. 1 have not the space in this
| letter to discuss Gov. HaskeiIs conduct,
| for instance in vetoing the child labor
| bill: or the fact that his name appears
as one of the defendants in various suits
brought by the government to prevent
the Greek Indians from having certain
of their lands fraudulently taken; or his
| connection with various other matters
of the kind; but let me call your atten-
ton to his conduct in prostltutlng to
base purposes the state university, as
set forth in an article in the Outlook Of
September 5 last, under the heading of
| Shall the People Rule-in Oklahoma?'
In this article you will see that Gov.
Haskell was given full opportunity to
make every explanation, and that he
made none
Haskell and University Affairs.
After setting forth the facts to
Gov. Haskelrs conduct the Outlook ar
ticle concludes as follows:
ION this state of affairs We have two
| comments to make and two questions to
ask.
The people of Oklahoma are taxed to
support their educational institutions
from the primary school to the univer-
| sity. They pay their money to have
their children educated. When the poli
ticians use this money to promote the
| interests of political machine or a
| church sect they are guilty of breach
| of trust. What do the taxpayers OF Ok
| lahoma think of the use which their
public servants are making of the pub
lie funds? What do they think about
| this financial poicy-the taking of the
| money due their sons and daughters and
diverting it for the benefit of politicians,
| ecclesiastical and civil?
| Gov. Haskell was one of Mr. Bryans
vention, and, at Mr. Bryans instance,
| has been made treasurer OF the demo-
lcratic national committee. 1t is appalling
| to think what would be the results in the
| educational systems of the Philippines
and Porto Rico. in the digging of the
| Panama canal, in the work of irrigation
and reforestation, in the administration
of the post office, the Interior and Agri-
| cultural departments. in the appoint
ments of foreign ministers and consuls,
if the spirit which has actuated the
democratic authorities in the state of
Oklahoma should be permitted to take
control of the federal government at
Washington.
Gov. Haskell. by actions which speak
louder than words. has declared his dis
| belief in Grover Cleveland's motto. A