The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1908-09-30
ANSWER TO BRYAN
FROM PRESIDENT
TAKES UP PRAIRIE STATE OIL
AND GAS CASE.
He SCORES GOV. HASKELL
Declares Him Unfit for Association
with Patriotic and Moral Men
Hot Reply from the
Oklahoman.


members of the cabinet at the White
House, prepared and gave out his re-
ply to William J. Bryan, the Demo-
cratic candidate, relative to w. r.
Hearsts charges that Gov. Haskell,
treasurer of the Democratic campaign
committee, had represented Standard
Oil interests both in Ohio and Okla
homa.
Mr.. Bryan had demanded proof of
the charges, promising that in the
event of their substantiation Gov. Has
kell would be eliminated from the
campaign.
Diminishing the Ohio case, which in.
volved an allegation of attempted
bribery with the explanation that he
had made no direct charge against
Gov. Haskell as regards that particu-
lar instance, President Roosevelt takes
up the matter of the Prairie State Oil
Il Gas Company, and argues that
Gov. Haskell's action in stopping legal
proceedings begun by the attorney
general of Oklahoma demonstrates
conclusively that he was controlled
by the great corporation to which the
Oklahoma company was subsidiary.
Declares Haskell Unworthy.
After contrasting Mr.. Bryan's de-
Tense of Gov. Haskell with Judge
Tafts reputation of Foraker in con-
nection with the Hearst charges
against the Ohio senator, the president
proceeds to declare that Gov. Has
kell's utter unftness for association
with any man anxious to appeal to
the American people on a moral issue,
has been abundantly shown by other
acts of his as governor of Oklahoma"
Haskell Makes Reply.
Guthrie, Okla. Gov. G. N. Has
kell Wednesday night issued a
statement in reply to President Roose.
velt's letter to William J. Bryan, deal.
ing with four specific charges against
Mr.. Haskell, namely, that he is sub
servient to Standard Oil, that he We
toed child labor bill; that he dealt
extensively in Creek Indian lands, and
that he had allowed politics to domi-
nate him in the removal of members
of the faculty of the state university
and the appointment of others to sue
coed them.
Gov. Haskell took up the four
charges as dwelt upon by President
Roosevelt in turn, dealing with each
in a characteristic manner.
The Prairie Oil & Gas Company
charges Gov. Haskell declared to be a
Joke on Roosevelt's stupidity as
sorting that he had done nothing
which would confer upon the Standard
Oil subsidiary company more authori-
ty than it already possessed under
franchise granted it by Secretary
Hitchcock.
Declares He Acted Properly.
Continuing, Gov. Haskell says:
"President Roosevelt comes to Ok
lahoma and finds a substitute for his
Ohio failure. Does he, in the case Of
the state against the Prairie Oil &
Gas Company which he complains
compelled to be dismissed?
Yes, | did have it dismissed. We
all know that the Prairie company is
a Standard Oil offspring, and don't for
get the president claims to have
known this also, and l charge that the
political allies, Hearst and Roosevelt,
both knew that l acted properly.
First, the Prairie Oil Company got
its franchise in the state not from me,
but from Roosevelt's secretary of the
| interior, long before statehood began,
| and had it's main line built and operat-
| ing, and congress in our statehood bill
was careful to declare that our new
state when organized must respect all
such vested rights and existing fran
chises. That was all l did, and the
federal courts stood ready to call me
down il | violated the Roosevelt terri.
torial franchises. ..
Sarcasm and Abuse.
The president comes to the local
affairs of our state and assails me for
vetoing a child labor bill. True, did
so. simply because the bill went too
far and included things not desired by
our people. Union labor representa-
lives approved my veto. l hope the
president will survive this veto of a
local bill and permit us to run our To-
cal affairs.
THE president complains that we
removed certain professors from our
state university, our three state nor
NAL schools and preparatory school in
violation of civil service rules. That
is, the president in his usual impetu.
osty and reckless disregard of others,
misstates the facts. Less than one
fifth of the faculties are changed All
changes were for good cause.
His Indian Land Suits.
The president complains that there
are several suits pending against me
to reclaim Creek Indian land The
president should have gone farther
and said that l was not dealer in
Indian land and only came in as a sub
sequent purchaser and only incidental.
ly party without personal interest
at all, and especially he should have
said that it is quite apparent that
those who are being sued in those
land cases appear to be and apparent
ly are the victims of political chican
cry which the president can better
explain than I.
Want Haskell to Resign.
New York. - 1t became known
at Democratic national headquar
ters Wednesday night that several
committeeman are preparing to use
every influence to bring about the
removal of Gov. Charles N. Haskell