New-York tribune., 1908-09-26
OUT or THE CAR WINDOW,

The great Haskell tragi-cOmedy is entering us
last stages. The most ubiquitous promoter now
in politics has gone to Chicago to he croSSeA'iii-
ined by the Democratic Presidential candIu"le.
''I shall never resign" he shouts uenahtl!. hut
he will probably find resignation form hlled
out in advance and awaiting his signature II j
almost inconceivable that Mr.. Bryan VIII suiler
him to retain his post as treasurer OF the DEM
ocratic National Committee in the face OF the
unshirkable evidence accommodating from 50
many quarters of his glaring disabilities
II NAV be that Governor Haskells airy con-
6dence in his own invulnerabllty is due TO his
knowledge that Mr. Bryan has hitherto declined
10 take cognizance of charges brought against
the great exemplar in Oklahoma of Jeffersoniah
ideas and morals According t" statement
made by Mr. L. L. Russell. editor OF 'lhe Ard
more Democrat there were persons in Okla
homa who rs early last fail warned MI
BRYAN against Mr. Haskell This Democratic
editor prpnared a resume of Mr.. HaslelI's oper-
ations and among the statements which he says
he presented to Mr.. Bryan were these:
You meet On every hand men who confess in
private that e y. Haskell secured his nonina-
ton by fraud and that he is the most danger
Gus der1agosuA in the state-a wolf IN Sheep :
clothing: and Yet these men are going out over
the state asking the masses of Democrats to
srlpport this man. Even a large majority OF the
Democratic nominees on the state ticket WIN
IT
you that they have absolutely no confidence IN IN
his business or political integrity. and that he Is
a corporation tool and political trickster
For q pcrjod of fwenfu mcars he has hGd ~
other business than organizing and prom0fng
corporations. From the records 06fd'Hd6t" !"
pcr cent of these corporations haze 6cCn on me
The average life Of the Haskell corporations
was less than one year. a large majority of tnem
making no first annual report required The
few that lived have practically all been forced
into the hands of a receiver, trustees. etc. and
then reorganized obligations left unpaid and
Haskell showing UP with the stock of the re.
organized" corporation in his name as trustee
and beyond the reach of the courts or creditors
Was Mr.. Bryan moved by these complaints 10
investigate Haskell'S character and record! pld
he throw Mr.. Haskell overheard as a degener
ate Democrat? Not at all. According to Mr
Russell's testimony. Mr.. Bryan did him the
courtesy" of tearing up the charges and throw
ing the pieces out of railroad car window.
Mr. Haskell probably considers himself i'm
mune because Mr. Bryan refused year ago to
believe him open to criticism. Since then the
Democratic Presidential nominee has done
many things which make il even more awkward
now to believe anything detrimental TO Mr.
Haskell Mr.. Bryan has heaped political hon
ors on the Oklahoma statesman. By his orders
Mr. Haskell was made the chief spokesman of
the Bryan forces at Denver. He was chairman
of the committee on resolutions. MADE one OF
the chief speeches nominating Mr. Bryan, and
though not a member Of the committee on Gre
dentials, was delegated TO lead the fight rail-
roading Colonel Jim Guffey's followers from
Pennsylvania out OF their seats in the conten-
ton. 1t was the irony of fate that the man
who is now charged with laboring in the Stand
ard Oil Companys interest should have been
put forward to rebuke the Pennsylvania oil
operator and virtuously thunder in his teeth ::
Go back to your oil tanks,
Mr.. Bryan has leaned so heavily on Governor
Haskell that perhaps the latter thinks be is
now an Indispensable prop. But he will find
that the past does not count when it comes 70
getting rid of a political ally who has become
impossible He will be sacrificed now even If he
was judged immune and serviceable in 1907.
Mr.. Bryan cannot afford at this juncture to he
the indulgent friend and generous critic. He
cannot dispose of the Haskell charges second
time by throwing them ont of the car window.