The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-09-25

: company from building . pipe line
: and that Governor Haskell found thi
out while has was at Denver, as an
pears by the representations for til,
dissolution Of the Injunction made ii
his name In behalf Of the state he
fore . court Of superior Jurisdiction tt
that issuing the Injunction. In thi.
the governor states that the actinf
governor in his absence, had asked
that the hearing be postponed unit
he. the governor. might return, and
have An opportunity to investigate the
controversy. The governor set forth
in his petition that he Is sole author.
ity to determine such matters and
that the attorney general and Judge Of
the lower court had no right in the
case and that the action Of the Judge
for the lower court represented ian
encroachment by the judiciary
The attorney general offered the
dissolution Of the Injunction stating
that the Prairie Oil & Gas company
was = foreign corporation, which had
not accepted the provisions Of the
constitution applicable to such cor
%porations, and that without authority
Of law it was employing a great force
ct men and teams to dig up, across,
and into various highways Of the state
tor the purpose Of laying It's pipe lines.
The governor prevailed, the injunction
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
II call your attention to the fact
that the question is not whether or
not the judge erred, or whether the
Injunction was proper. The point is
that the governor was alert to take
out Of the hands Of the attorney gen
eral what the attorney general felt
was his sworn duty to prevent, an al
legged instance Of the breaking OF the
laws by this particular great corpora
ton.
Haskell Has not Defended Himself.
"As far as I have seen, Governor
Haskell has not even attempted any.
thing which a be called a defense
of this action Of his. 1t thus appears
that his action was as ~inexcusable az
it was wanton, except on the theory
that in defiance Of the attorney gen
eral of the state and at all hazards
he intended for some . of his
own to protect the interests of al
great corporation against the law. It
has been suggested on his behalf that,
after all, he did not favor the Stand
ard Oil company, but merely the Prai-
RE 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
court at st. Louis against the
Oil company.
The Evidence.
'sIn this testimony the Standard OH
company upon being requested by the
government to put in q list Of all
in which it held stock or
in which Its subsidiary companies
held stock reported, among others, the
Prairie OIL and Gas company, total
$10.00O,O0O Of which the Ma
ttonal Transit company's proportion
was 5000, 500. and furthermore it ap-
pears that the National Transit COM
pany had q capital stock Of $25,455,-
200, Of which the Standard Oil com.
pany owned $25,451,e5 81 IN other
the Prairie Oil and Gas com.
pany was owned, all except $500. by
the National Transit company and the
National Transit company was owned ,
al except 1850. by the Standard Oil
company. &
"Now, contrast your action in this
Of Governor Haskell, with Mr..
raft's action as regards senator Fora
xer, Is set forth in his letter Of July !
20. 1907, which ! quoted in my state :
nents. It was a matter OF common :
1otoriety about Senator Foraker. as :
t has long been q matter Of common :
lotoriety about Governor Haskell, :
hat he was the defender and sup I
'orter Of certain great corporations :
md therefore hostile to the policies :
or which the administration has 2
stood. There was no such convincing
proof against Senator Foraker at this 6
lime, however, as there wat against
Governor Haskell, when as You say. 9
was with your approval, made ]
treasurer of your campaign commit y
But Mr.. Taft refused to be al
'arty to the renomination Of Senator ,
foraker even though It was reported {
hat only thus could he advance his T
'wn interests. showing by actual
ZHLEE ri 4 =