Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-10-01
HASKELL STRIKES BACK
Ip . Long Lsiier 9e Makes At tack Upon President
 Roosevelt.


 Charles. N. Haskell, formerly treas- urer of the democratic national com mittee, last night gave out a long letter to President Roosevelt, repeat ing his published defense to the charges made against him. Among other things he said:
 Your attack upon me finally rest ed upon my conduct toward the Pral-
 rie Oil and Gas Go in this state: l
 have said that you were responsible
 for granting a franchise before state hood, thereby creating vested rights.
 You seek to evade the issue and ere.
 ate wrong impressions. You sain
 the interior department had no
 power, except where crossing an In
 dian reservation. You would nave
 your readers believe that the Indian
 Territory was then conducting It's
 own government and that only parts of the same were Indian reservations.
 "Mr Roosevelt, you know, 1t IS
 quite 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 depart ment holds the record win convicts you. "In the office of the interior de- partment the records will speak as between us. l say that you granted that franchise, l say that you did 1t at the solicitation of Senator DepeW and others and that within a few days thereafter, chiefly by subscrip- tions of Standard Oir men, according to MT Hartman, the sum of $260,OO0 in cash was added 70 your campaign fund. Yes, I believe I am a defendant as to certain government town site lots in one of the nearly 11,000 suits that you have had brought against as many different honorable and high minded citizens of this state during this presidential campaign year, an1 you will not undertake to deny that petty politics for the purpose of re- publicanizing about 10000 Indian voters was your sole motive for nav | ing those suits brought.
 "y1a criticize my directing the dismissal of the suit against the Prairie oil and Gas Go, which could not have been successfully man. tained by the state. Well me, please, what Your reason was for directing the dismissal of the suit against the Atchison. Topeka and Santa Fe rail- road, being prosecuted by Judson | Harmon and MT Judson, special counsel, when the facts disclosed that a member of your cabinet (Paul Morton) was being uncovered as the prime offender. Answer this, VIII iyou?
 MT Roosevelt, you cry out for purity. You say you did not, four years ago, know where the campaign fund was coming from to secure your election until the testimony of two years ago disclosed the bargains and sales between MT Cortelyou and the corrupt interests of Wall street. You have known that fact for two years | and MT Cortelyou is still a member | of your cabinet.
 MT Roosevelt, let us not leave this Standard Oil question without invit- I ing from you information that we | really need. You made ruling that
 4,SOO acres of land was the limit that any person or corporation di- rectly or indirectly could obtain un- der lease for oil purposes in the h. dian Territory, and renewed the lease on 680,000 acres of Osage lanS to the Indian Territory Illuminating Oil Co, and you know that the agent of the Standard Oil Go owned ma jority of the stock. Why did you | give them a monopoly on the Osage
 nation oil lands. Again, Mir Barns. dall, the well known representative
 of the Standard oil Go. has leased, as
 I am advised by Mir Shea of Bartlcs vile, little over 100000 acres oi Indian allotments in the Indian Ter
 ritory, and I am advised that on ac
 count of a controversy brought tt your personal attention, you knew
 of these excessive lease holdings | Why did you do this?
 T challenge you to publish the I records of the interior department or
 the subject of this franchise; and
 mark you now, MT Roosevelt, you
 must not garble the records nor sup
 press any of them. The public shal
 know the truth. It may have beer
 sufficient four years ago for you tc
 wipe out the truthful statement made
 by Judge Parker by simply calling
 him a. liar, but that was four years ago, and your controversy now is
 with a man who will not accept g
 bluff in exchange for receipt in full settlement. Any character of, state.
 ment you make. that I have at any time during my entire life had any
 connection whatever with the Stan!
 ard oil or any of its sub-companies am ready to refute and to show
 that such statement is a falsehood.' T |