The San Francisco call., 1908-09-27
Democratic Leaders Will Make
= Their Campaign a Fight
on President
Bryan Replies to the Republican
Leader by Accusing Him
OF Insincerity
Denies Being Aware of Peculiar
Record of Oklahoma
Governor
Finds Excuses for Some of the
Acts OF Haskell and Ig-
nores Others
CHICAGO, Ill, Sept. &c.

CHICAGO, ILL.,, Sept. 26.
w. j. Bryan, at a confer
ence with his party man
ayers in Chicago this morn
ing, was told by them to "Go
after Roosevelt" and from
this time forward in the
campaign to make Roose-
velt the issue Next week Bryan
will assail Roosevelt's campaign
fund of 1904 in an effort to show
that Roosevelt appealed to trusts
for money and got it.
The party managers are in
tensely wrought up over Presi-
dent Roosevelt's letter, which
compelled Bryan to throw over
board his personal friend and con-
hdant. Governor c. N Haskell OF
Oklahoma. As long as the charges
against Haskell were confined to ths
speeches made by w. R. Hearst. Bryan
clung TO Haskell; but when President
Roosevelt took up the record of the
Oklahoma governor Bryan was com
PEELED to throw Haskell overheard AT
the democratic conference this morn
in o. Prva hxr 1cr
of leaders. They did not want to
abandon Haskell. but they had to.
Go after Roosevelt He's the man
to blame for this" was what Bryan
was told. Bryan left the conference in
an agitated frame of mind. He said
he would address a letter to President
Roosevelt at once This he did to-
is said to be Bryan's purpose to attack
Roosevelt to the exclusion of other
topics.
Mr.. Bryan's letter follows:
Milwaukee. Wis, Sept. 26, 1908
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, President
of the United States, Washington. ID. c.:
Dear Sir-While have not yet re-
ceived your letter and shall not until
reach home next week, / have read
a copy of it in the press and beg leave
to submit the following reply:
Mr.. Haskell having voluntarily re-
signed from the committee that he
might be more free to prosecute those
who have brought charges against him.
1 need not discuss the question of his
guilt or innocence further than to say
that the public service which he has
rendered and the vote OF confidence
which he has received from the peODle
of his state ought to protect him from
condemnation until the charges can b.
examined in some court where parti-
pafgn exigencies do not compel pre-
Judgment. L would not deem it neces-
fact that you seize upon the charges
and attempt to make political capital
out of them You even charge that my
connection with Mr.. Haskell's selection
as a member of the resolutions co1a-
mittee and as treasurer OF the COM
mittee raises question as to my sin
cerity 7;s as an oppone;nt, ;n,,,c,,, Of trusts aGd
the candidate of my party. I resent tho
charge and repel the insinuation- (
have been in public life for eighteen
spicuous to make my conduct a matter
of pubic interest. l have passed
through two presidential campaigns in
thet was exhausted. / have no hesi-
tation in saying that you cann9t find
an act, word or thought Of mine
to justify your partisan charge.
HEARD NOTHING AGAINST HASKELL
I had never been informed of any
charge that had been made against Mr..
Haskell connecting him with the Stan
dard oil company or with any other
trust. had known him as leader in.
the constitutional convention OF Okla
homa and had known him as one OF ths
men principally responsible for she ex-
cellent constitution which has since
been adopted, and adopted. by major
ity OF 100000. / had known his election
to the govern0rshtp of that great
young state by majority Of some &C.,
900; had known that the constitution
was adopted and that Governor Haskell
was elected in spite of the efforts OF
your administration ana IN spite Of the
speeches made in Oklahoma by Mr..
Taft
mon notoriety that Mr. Haskell was
pany. / have right TO assume that
If SO serious an objection had existed
to Mr. HaskelPS election and had been
q matter of common n0tOriety In Ohio,
as YOU say. Judge Taft would have felt
il his conscientious duty TO warn the
he did not have the knowledge. why
can il be assumed that I had 1T? And
ff he had Ii, how can you excuse his
failure TO communicate the information
to the people OF Oklahoma
TAF"F,s SPEECHES IN
OKLAHOMA CAMPAIGN
If you feel ii your patriotic duty to
den0unce Mr.. Haskell when he is only
a member of the national organization.
how much more would Mr.. Taft have
felt Ii his patriotic duty to denOunee
Mr.. Haskell when he was aspiring to
be the chief executive of a great state7
/ could have had no knowledge OF
the suit TO which you refer when hs
was appointed chairman OF the resolu-
tions committee of the democratic ma