Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-28
Courts Busy With Governor.

equity 1Or the CanCelldllOH VI al uCeuS
to town lots in the Creek Nation where
the same had been secured by fraud.
Proceeding upon instructions. and
after full investigation. found that Gov
c. n. Haskell. among others. had Sc
cured deeds to quite a number OF lots
| In Muskogee by conspiracy and fraud:
that he had these lots scheduled In the
name Of dummies" or STRAW" men. who
lived In the state of Ohio and elsewhere.
and then had them quit-claim back to
him without consideration. BY this dis
honest means he succeeded In getting
deeds to a large number of lots belong
ing to the Creek Indians at one-half their
appraised value.
az have filed quite number of suits
against Gov. Haskell. In which conspiracy
and fraud is charged and the manner
of concentrating 1t is set out In detail.
Haskell has not filed an answer In any
of these cases. He has simply through
his attorney filed dilatory motions. such
as demurrers. pleading to the Jurisdiction.
etc. He dare not answer and deny the
allegations set up in our bill: such an
to be by the large numoer of STRAW"
men and dummies he used In perfect
ing the fraud
More About Late Treasurer.
For this particular act of the men
whose public record you indorse you may
rest assured that the Interior Depart
do Justice to him.
when Mr.. Haskell was In New York
various judgments were filed against him.
will not at the moment discuss the
charges of perjury and fraud made
against him by Attorney Albert II. Wal
ker of New York in connection with the
suit decided by Judge Lacombe in March,
1902. But the records of the county clerk
of New York county show that on Feb
| ruary q, 1900 a judgment for damages
CT incy tn
cred in the supreme court of the county,
was filed against Charles n. Haskell. On
April 2 1890. this Judgment was returned
on the sheriff's execution satisfied to the
extent of only $3.50. and the remainder
of it remains still unsatisfied.
I'm this instance your proposal that
Mr.. Haskell be left to the court does not
seem to have produced thoroughgoing
justice Neither shall 1 touch upon the
various suits of all kinds now pending
against him for all kinds Of reasons. Thus
1t Is reported in the press under date of
September 10. 1908. that 500 judgment
an attorney of Arkansas, who was en-
ployed by him to lobby before the city
council OF MuskOgee to get through a
franchise. The attorneys fee was never
paid but the franchise was granted.
Nor again shall 1 touch upon the fac
smile published in the press of Septem-
Der p last showing Mr.. Haskell's having
| three years ago joined an organization
10 prevent union ldDOr from entering the
city in which he lived. Indeed. as re-
CARDS this last statement. 1 wish dis
tinctly to acquit Mr.. Haskell of being
opposed on principle to either trade unions
or corporations. for 1 wish to acquit him
Of being opposed on principle to any
thing.
Now as to Gov. Haskelrs connection
with the Standard Oil Company in Okla
homa.
That Pipe Line Case.
Gov. Haskell advances the fact that
the United States government permitted
the Standard Oil Company, on the same
terms as any and all other companies, 10
enjoy the legal privileges to which it was
entitled on the Indian reservations OF
Oklahoma. as his justification for having
given it illegal privileges to which 1t was
not entitled in the state of Oklahoma.
The excuse furnishes the measure of Gov.
Haskell's moral quality.
THE federal act of March II. 1904, con-
ferred upon the Secretary of the Interior
the right to grant permits for oil and gas
pipe lines to cross Indian reservations.
Regulations to carry out the law were
drawn up by the Indian office and ap-
proved by the Secretary of the Interior
April ~. 1904. In compliance with the law
and the regulations. the Department OF
the Interior permitted the Standard OH
pipe line company the Prairie Oil and
Gas Company and the various rival pipe
line companies (SuCn dS the okldllOmd
Natural Gas Company, the Cary River
Gas Company, the DEM Portland Cement
Company and others, including Texas and
gulf companies), all on the same terms
| and under the same conditions, the right
of way across the Indian reservations.
No preference or privilege was granted to
any company that was not also granted to
all the others.
ANY other action than that actually
taken by the Interior Department would
have h6an grossly imnrOner
actions of Gov Haskell himself. The gov
eminent stood neither for nor against any
company, but it required each to obey the
law. Its action was precisely like the
ceeding against the Standard Oil Com.
| pany in the rebate matter; 1t did not thus
proceed because the Standard OH Com
pany was involved, but because rebates
had been granted; it would have pro-
ceeded just as quickly against the rivals
of the Standard Oil as against the Stand
ard Oil itself.
Punish the Guilty!
Our only concern was to punish any
guilty party. Our effort is to do equal
justice to ALL and to exact justice from
all alike. We are no more to be swayed
from this course by desire to punish
corporation than by desire to favor 1t, no
matter whether it is the Standard Oil
| or any other. The permit of the national
of the Secretary of the Interior to Gov.
Haskell of April 23 last, was merely to
cross or use the restricted allotments and
tribal property of the Indians; it had
nothing to do with the question of COM
pliance with the laws of the state of
Oklahoma, and conferred no privilege to
cross territory in Oklahoma outside of
those reservations.
Gov Haskell refuses to permit any
proceedings to be taken against the
STANDARD Oil Company. although this
company declines to obey the law of
Oklahoma. He claims that the Standard
Oils rights were superior to the require
ments of the Oklahoma constitution. for
which he was himself mainly responsible:
he took the decision of this question away
from the courts. and, against the opinion
of his attorney general. he decided 1t in
favor of the Standard Oil corporation The
attorney general of Oklahoma has made
the following statement in this matter:
THE Presidents statement as to the
Prairie Oil and Gas Company suit is less
than the whole matter in its whole in
iquity. because on the 23d of April had