The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-28
Calls Attention to the Cover.
nor's Endorsement at Home.
COMPARES RECORDS.
Points to His Own and Taft's
on Public Questions.
Takes a Shot at Governor
Hughes in Passing.

| knowledge of Governor Haskell against
the charges which have been brought
against him until the charges can be
examined in some court where part
lsanshfp does not bias" w. j. Bryan,
on his way from Madison to this city.
gave out for publication his reply to
President Roosevelt's recent letter in
| response to his telegram on the SUBJ
! ject.
| MI. Bryan speaks of the election of
Mr.. Haskell as governor of Oklahoma
and says that 1.-The constitution was
adopted and that Governor Haskell
was elected in spite of the efforts OF
your administration and in spite Of tho
speech made in Oklahoma by Mr..
Taft
Mr.. Bryan charges among other
things that the Steel trust, with your
express consent" purchased one of it's
largest rivals and thus obtained con-
troll or more than so per cent of the to-
| tai output. He asks the president IL he
VIII insist that in permitting this you
showed less favor to the monopolistic
corporations than L do in opposing
them"
Mr.. Bryan abruptly charges thai
Governor Hughes, quoted by President
Roosevelt as having ''riddled the Dem
"
beneficiary of the trusts and cites the
| campaign contribution to the Hughes
| election fund two years ago. Among
these are ]. 2. Morgan, John D. Rookie
feller, Andrew Carnegie and William
Nelson Cromwell Mr.. Bryan says that
as the president quotes Governor
Hughes he takes it for granted that
Judge Taft has not expressed himself
satisfactorily on the trust question.
Bryan's Letter.
The letter of Mr.. Bryan is as fol-
lows:
Milwaukee. Wis, Sept. 26. 1908.
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, President of
the United States, Washington. d. c.
Dear Sir:-While have not yet re-
ceived your letter and shall not until.
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.
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 people
of his state, ought to protect him from
condemnation until the charges can be
examined in some court where partisan
ship does not bias, and where cam
paign exigencies do not compel pre-
judgment. I would not deem it neces-
sary to address you further but for the
fact that you seize upon the charges
and attempt to make political capital
out of them.
You even charge that my connection
with Mr.. Haskelrs selection as a mem
ber of the resolutions committee and
as treasurer of the committee raises
a question as to my sincerity as an
opponent of trusts and monopolies.- AS
an individual, and as the candidate of
my party, resent the charge and repel
the insinuation.
Defends Haskell.
"I have been in public life for eigh-
teen years, and have been sufficiently
conspicuous to make my conduct a
matter of public interest. have pass
ed through two presidential campaigns
in which party feeling ran high and
epithet was exhausted. / have no hes
itation in saying that you cannot find
an act, word, or thought of mine
to justify your partisan charge.
Il had never been informed of any
charge that had been made against
Mr.. Haskell connecting him with the
Standard Oil company or with any
other trust. I had known him as a
leader in the constitutional convention
of Oklahoma and had known him as
one of the men principally responsible
for the excellent constitution which
has since been adopted, and adopted
by majority of. more than 100, 900,
! "a, 900 of which was furnished by Re
publicans. had known of his election
to the governorship of that great
young state by majority of some S0,-
O00; L had known that the constitution
was adopted and that Governor Has
keIl was elected in spite of the efforts
of your administration and in spite of
the speeches made in Oklahoma by
Mr. Taft.
'You say that it was matter of
common notoriety that Mr.. Haskell
was connected with the Standard Oil
company. 1 have a right to assume
that if so serious an objection had ex-
listed to Mr.. Haskell's election and had
been a matter of common notoriety In
Ohio. as you say, Judge Taft would
have felt it his conscientious duty to
warn the people when he spoke in Ok
lahoma If he did not have the know
ledge, why can it be assumed that I
had it? And If he had it, how can you
excuse his failure to communicate the
information to the people of Oklaho-
ma? If you feel it your patriotic duty
to denounce Mr.. Haskell when he is
only a member of the national organ
Taft have felt it his patriotic duty to
denounce Mr.. Haskell when he,vas as
hiring to be the chief executive of a :
great state?
Was Not Informed.
81 could have had no knowledge of
the suit to which you refer when he
was appointed chairman of the resolu-
tions committee of the Democratic ma
tional convention, because the suit was
begun while he was at Denver, and as
a matter of fact, I did not know any
thing OF the nature of the suit until
national committee, and no fair-mind-
ed person can decide upon the merits
of your charge without an examina-
tion of the provisions of the enabling