Bismarck daily tribune., 1908-09-24
Scored
rr'f = -,
CONTINUED from page ~

CONTINUED from page ~
opinion that he was the sole author
ity to determine such matters and
that the attorney general and the
judge Of the lower court represented
an er1croaehment by the judiciary.
The attorney general opposed the dis
position of the injunction, stating that
the Prairie Oil and Gas company was
foreign corporation which had not
accepted the provision of the coristi.
tuition applicable to such corporations
and that it had no authority Of law |
for employing great force of men
and teams to dig up, across and into
! the various highways of the state for
the purpose Of laying its pipe lines.
"The governor prevailed, the in
junction was suspended and the pipe
line was permitted to continue its
work, to use the words Of the attorney
general, without any color Of law"
n call your attention to the fact
that the question is not whether or
not the judge errer or whether the
Injunction was proper. The point Is
that the governor was allowed to take
out rof the hands of the attorney gen.
eraI what the attorney general felt
was his sworn duty-to prevent the
alleged instance of breaking of laws
by this particular great corporation.
"As far as have seen, Governor
Haskell has not even attempted any
thing which can be called defense
of this action of his. 1t thus appears
that his action was as inexcusable
as it was wanton, except ON the the
ory that in defiance Of the attorney
general of the state and at all hazard
he intended for some reasons Of his
own to protect the interests Of the
great corporation against the law. 1t
has been suggested, that In his be-
half, after all, he did not favor the
Standard Oil company, but merely the
Prairie Oil and Gas company. This
claim is disposed of by the testimony
OF the Standard Oil company 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 company, and this testi.
mony stated the oil company, upon
being required by the government to
put in list of all companies in which
1t holds stock, reported, among others
the Prairie Oil and Gas company
tota! capital $4o,o0o,ooo of which the
National Transit cornpany's proper
tion was $9,ese, $50; and furthermore
it appears that the National Transit
company had capital of $25, ,455, ,23o
of which the Standard Oil compan,
owned $25,45f $50. In other words
this Prairie Oil and Gas compan,
was owned, all except $500 by th,
National Transit company, and tn,
National Transit company was ownet
all except about $3.50 by the STANDARD
Oil company. r. %:.; Il,
NOW contrast your action in thi
case Of Governor Haskell with MI
Taft's action as regards Senator Fora
ker as set forth in his letter Of Jul,
20, 1907, which j quoted in my state
rnent. It was common notoriety abou
Senator Foraker, and it has long beel
"a matter of cor1mon notoriety abou
Governor Haskell, that he was tn
defender and supporter Of certai
great corporations and therefore hos
tile to policies for which the admins
tration had stood. There was no sue
convincing proof against Senator Fora
ker at that time, however, as tfler
was against Governor Haskell, Wi1er
as you say, he was with your appre
e val made treasurer Of your campaig
committee.
with hundred fold clearer ey
dence before you as to the comes
tioH Of Governor Haskell with Star
dard Oil thar Mr.. Taft then had q
to the connection of Senator Ferake
with any corporation, you, neverth,
less, having secured Governor Hal
keIi as chairman Of the committee
write the platform on Whic, you stan,
put him IN as treasurer of your can
paisn committee. Governor Ha
ketl's utter unfitress for any publ