Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-24
PRES, ANSWERS
MR.. BRYAN.
CONTINUED from Page One.)
ing governor, in his absence. had asked

that the hearing be postponed until ne,
the governor. might return and have an
opportunity TO Investigate the controver-
sy. The governor sets forth in his petit
tion that he is the sole authority to de-
terrnine such matters, and that tie attOr-
ney general and the judge of the lower
court had no right in the matter and
that the action of the judge Of the lower
court represented an encroachllent by
the judiciary.
1.-The attorney general opposed the dis
solution Of the injunction, stating that the
Prairie Oil & Gas Co. was a foreign cor
poration which had not accepted the pro-
Visions of the constitution applicable to
such corporations, and that without au-
thority 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
was suspended, and the pipe line was pei
m!tted to continue its work, to use the
words of the attorney general, Without
any color OF law l call your attention
to the fact that the question is not wheth
er or not the judge erred, or whether the
injunction was proper. The point is that
the governor was alert to take out of the
hands of the attorney general what the
attorney general felt was his sworn duty
to prevent, on alleged instance of the
breaking Of the laws by this particular
great corporation.
'..As far as / have seen, Governor Has
kell has not even attempted anything
Nuhi .,t b<. 1o1 of
tor Of his, 1t thus appears that his ac-
ton was as inexcusable as it was wan
ron. except on the theory that in defiance
of the attorney general of the state and
at all hazards he intended for some reas-
ons of his own to protect the interests of
great corporation against the law. 1t
has been suggested on his behalf that af-
ter all he did not favor the Standard
Oil Co. hut merely the Prairie Oil &
Gas Co. This claim is disposed of by
the testimony OF tine Standard Oil Co.
Itself, taken in the latter part of 1907 in
the suit now pending before the United
States court at st. Louis against the
Standard Oil Co. In this testimony the
Standard Oil Co.. upon being required by
the government to put in a list of all the
which it's subsidiary companies held stock,
reported among others the Prairie OIL &
Gas Co, total capital $4,000 0OO of which
the National Transit Cos. portion was
$99y9.a00: and. furthermore. it appears
that the National Transit co. had a cap
ital stock of SIS 455, POO of which the
Standard Oil Co. owned $25. AL $50. In 9TH
er words, the Prairie Oil Co. was owned,
all except $500. by the National Transit
Co.. and this National Transit Co. was
owned. all except about $3.50 by the
Standard Oil Co.
Now contrast your action in the case Of
Governor Haskell with Mr.. Taft's action
as regards Senator Foraker, as set forth
in his letter of July 20. 1907. which quoted
in my statement. 1t was a matter of COM
mon notoriety about Senator Foraker as
1t has long been matter of common no
toriety about Governor Haskell that he
was the defender and supporter of certain
great corporate interests and therefore
hostile to. the. policies for which the adj
minjstration has stood There was no
such convincing proof against Senator
FORAKER at that time, however as there
was against Governor Haskell when. as
you say, he was with your approval made
treasurer Of your campaign committee
But Mr.. Taft refused to be a party to
the denomination of Senator Foraker.
even though it was represented that only
thus could he advance his own intere SITS
showing by actual deeds that his words
were true when he said: 4 do not care
for the Presidency if it has to come bv
Vr-itb
principle With a hundred fold clearer
evidence before you as to the connection
Of Governor Haskell with the Standard
OIL than Mr.. Taft then had as to the
connection of Senator Foraker with any
corporation YOU nevertheless having So
cured Gov. Haskell as chairman OF the
committee to write the platform on which
you stand put him in as treasurer of yo,,r
campaign committee
Let me add that Gov. Haskelrs mite,
unfitness for any public position of trust
or for association with any man anxious
to make an appeal on a moral issue to the
American people has been abundantly
shown wholly irrespective of this action
or ms IN connection with the Standard Oil
interests. AS an American citizen who
P'"eS MS Nmer1Can1Sln and his citizen
snip far above any question of PARTISAN
snip. l regard 1t as a scandal and q dis
grace that Governor Haskell should he |
connected with the management of any
national campaign.
II have not the space In this letter 70 |
DISCUSS Governor Haskell's conduct for
instance. in vetoing the child labor bill
or the fact that his name appears as one
or the defendants in various suits brought
ny the government to prevent the Creek
Indians from having certain of their lands
fraudulently taken: or his connection with
various other matters of the kind: but let
me call your attention to his conduct in
TO base purposes the State
University as set forth in an Article in
The Outlook of Sept ). last. under the
heading Shall the People Rue-in Okla.
homa" In this article you will see that
Governor Haskell was given full oppor-
funity to make every explanation, and
that he made none. After setting forth
the facts as to Governor Haskeii's con-
1uct. The Outlook article concludes as