The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-26
Taft's Letter.

July 20. 1907, when he wrote the
letter the president publishes he was
so devoted to the trust smashing poll
cies of the administration that he
could consent to be made president il
as part of the same movement it
was to be honored with the reelection
TO the senate because of my opposition
to that special feature of my policies
and now since the Standard Oil COM
pany matter. there is manifested the
most unusual indignation.
Apparently every man who has any
relation to the company is to be driv-
en- out of public life. If so, 1 shall
probably have a great deal of COM
pany.
"Only one month ago. when Mr..
Taft visited Middle Bass and Toledo
he was the guest of c. T. Lewis. of
the law firm Of Doyle and Lewis. who
have been the attorneys for the Stan
dard for many years. standing next in
rank in that relation to Virgil T.
Kline, and when Mr.. Taft had occasion
| to pass back and forth between Middle
Bass and Toledo, where 1 had the
pleasure of meeting him he Travelled
on the yacht of Mr.. Richardson, a
prominent magnate of the glass trust
and while he doubtless paid his fare,
at least the paper so announced, when
travelling from Hot Springs to TOLEDO
on his way to Middle Bass, yet never
theless he rode in the private car OF
one of the officers of the road of which
also Messrs. Doyle and Lewis are at
torneys What a series of unpardon-
able crimes.
There did not seem to be any
righteous dislike of these Standard Oil
and other trust representatives rank
| ling in the bosom of Mr.. Taft on the
| occasions to which | refer. on the
contrary he acted like good. sensible
honest minded man, who really enjoy
| ed the company he was keeping ana
the entertainment he was receiving
and who recognized as the late Sena-
tor Hanna was accustomed TO say,
that there were Good trusts as well as
| bad ones and even decent people in
the employment of the Standard OIL
company as well as objectionable peo-
pie. and all that is to his credit
Friendly With Oil Men.
SIT is also highly to his credit that
when three years ago the president
had occasion to appoint United
States district judge for the northern
district of Ohio, Mr.. Taft, knowing the
abilities and high character of John
/ Dovle of this Standard Oil firm of
Doyle and Lewis did not hesitate to
| recommend him to the president in
strong language for appointment to
that judgeship.
| DOYLE, then we'll known to Mr.. Taft did
not prevent him from recognizing his
high character and general fitness for
such a sacred trust, and I happen to
know. as did Mr.. Justice Moody, who
was then attorney general that the
president, on the recommendation OF
4 Judge Taft was intending to appoint
Judge Doyle. and would have done so
no doubt, except that for reasons
which did not reflect on Judge Doyle
he finally appointed Judge Robert w
Taylor. But if the Standard Oil
company was in enough repute only
three years ago to warrant Judge Taft
in recommending Doyle and President
Roosevelt in appointing him to a
iudgeship much more was 1t in suffi-
GENTLY good repute six or seven years
earlier before any of the recent vir-
uIent attacks, were made on it, 70 war
rant me in accepting employment OF
the character mentioned. What pity
! Il is that Judge Taft's letter was not
allowed to continue its slumber until
| after the election.
II "As to the Brownsville matter. Mr.
Taft says, speaking of me: He has
, seized upon and magnified an unim-
portant and incidental matter to en-
barrass the administration, using ir
this without scruple blind race
pref JUDGE to accomplish his main pur-
: pose.
! 81 have no way of proving what
was in mind except by referring t,