Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-10-07
HASKELL BLIsTERs ROOSEVELT.
Says Presidents "HalO of Integrity"
Has Faded Away.

Guthrie, Okla, Sept. 3O.--Gover-
nor Chas. n. Haskell, formerly treas
urer of the Democratic national COM
mittee, tonight gave out a long let
ter to President Roosevelt repeating
his published defence to the charges
made against him. The letter, in
part. is as follows:
"The serious character Of your
charge against me should have Sug-
gested to you that you, as Chief Ex-
ecutive, should proceed with delib-
Grafton and certainty before making
such hearsay staten ents your own
declarations.
"Your attack on me finally rested
on my conduct toward the Prairie OIL
and Gas Company in this State.
have said that you were responsible
for granting a franchise before state
hood, thereby creating vested rights.
You seek to evade the issue and cre-
ate wrong impressions. You said the
interior department had no power,
except where crossing an Indian res
ervation. You would have your read
ers believe that the Indian Territory
was then conducting it's own govern
ment and that only parts Of the same
were Indian reservation.
"Mr. Roosevelt, you know 1t Is not
true; you know all the land was In
dian land without county, township
or territorial government. What halo
Of integrity surrounded you last
week, like the mist, has faded away
and the interior department holds
the record which convicts you.
"You granted the franchise at the
solicitation of Senator Depew, and a
few days thereafter received $780,
600 in cash for your campaign fund.
Oh, witt 1a, i,,cy =
tempted to bribe the Attorney Gene
raj Of Ohio. That was presumably
nine years ago. You have abandoned
that position. Charles p. Taft says
through his paper that no evidence
was ever produced that would convict
me Of the charge.
"in touching on the State Univer-
sity question, you pretend to quote
from the Outlook magazine, but how
dishonesty you enlarged on the mag
azine article! That article charged
ME with substituting Democratic for
Republican professors for political
purposes. l have shown that state
ment to be false. but | charge you
with trying to enlarge on that maga-
zine article and give the world the
impression that we were improperly
using the money appropriated to con-
duct that institution.
"Your charge that | vetoed a child
labor law, you have not apologized
for, notwithstanding you know that
| did 1t with the approval Of union
labor and that our State Constitution
which you said was so bad your
opinion Of 1t would not look we'll in
print contains more detail and child
labor legislation than all you have
recommended to the New York Legis-
lature as Governor, or to the Con-
gress Of the United States as Presi-
dent, and that had approved four
teen acts of our Legislature passed at
the solicitation Of union labor.
You said in your first statement
that had suits brought against me
to recover title to Creek Indian land.
| overwhelmed you on that state
ment. Adopting your usual policy,
you flee from that statement with
out just apology and adopt the state
| ment now that 1t was government
town site lots that YOU charged me
with being sued for. Yes, | believe
am a defendant as to certain govern
| ment town site lots in one of nearly
| 900 suits that you have had
brought against as many different
honorable and high-minded citizens
Of this State during this Presidential
ctlllpalSn year, ana you VIII not un-
dertake to deny that politics for the
purpose Of RepublicaniZing about
10000 Indian voters was your sole
motive for having those suits brought,
and | charge you with knowing that
there has been no delay in these
cases. except that occasioned by the
courts deliberations, taken by him.
self as time deemed necessary to
consider whether or not there Is any
merit In the petition filed by your
attorney.
"You say that on that land ques-
ton you will see that | get hearing
In court. Yes, sir, | will come to
your hearing. Call to your assist
ance all the power that your high
office commands, present cases in any
form you like. | am ready to meet it
and before its conclusion the people
Of America will be disgusted that
they ever elected you President of
the United States.'
I