Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-27
BRYAN REPLIES TO
ROOSEVELT LETTER
Bitterly Resents Reflection on
His Sincerity.
SCORES GOV. HUGHES
Discusses Charges Against Gov. Has
kell of Oklahoma.
ASKS ABOUT CAMPAIGN FUNDS
Takes the President to Task for Dis
play of Intense Partisanship in
His High Office.
Discusses Charges Against Gov. Has
kell of Oklahoma.
ASKS ABOUT CAMPAIGN FUNDS

MILWAUKEE,, Wis, Septem-
ber 26.-Defending his knowledge
of Gov. Haskell against the
charges which have been brought
against him until the charges
can be examined in some court
where partisanship does not bias
William ]. Bryan, democratic
candidate for President, on his
way from Madison to this city
today, gave out for publication
his reply to President Roosevelt's
recent letter in response to his
telegram on the subject. Mr..
Bryan speaks of the election of
Mr.. Haskell as governor of Ok
lahoma, and says that the con-
stitution was adopted and Gov.
Haskell was elected in spite of the
efforts of your administration and
in spite of the speech made in
Oklahoma by Mr.. Taft"
Mr.. Bryan charges, among other
things, that the steel trust, with
your express consent" purchased
one of its largest rivals and thus
obtained control of more than 50
per cent of the total output. He
asks the President if he will in
sist that in permitting this you
showed less favor to the monopo-
listic corporations than I do in
opposing them"
Hughes Beneficiary of Trustsp
Mr. Bryan abruptly charges that Gov.
Hughes. quoted by President Roosevelt
as having ''riddled the democratic trust
remedy" was himself the beneficiary of
the trusts. and cites the campaign con-
tributions to the Hughes election fund
two years ago. Among these are ]. r.
Morgan, John D. Rockefeller and Andrew
Carnegie and William Nelson Cromwell.
Pursuing this subject further. Mr.. Bryan
says that as the President quotes Gov.
Hughes he takes it for granted that Judge
Taft has not expressed himself satisfac-
torily on the trust question.
Here Is Bryan's Letter.
The letter of Mr.. Bryan is as follows:
milwaukee, September 26. 1908.
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, President Of
the United States, Washington, d. c.
Dear Sir: While 1 have not yet re-
ceived your letter, and shall not until l
reach home next week. 1 have read a
copy of it in the press. and beg leave to
submit the following reply:
MIR. 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 inno-
cence 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 partisanship does not bias, and
where campaign eXigences do not compel
prejudgment. l would not deem it neces-
sary to address you farther but for the
fact that you seize upon the charges and
attempt to make political capital out of
them. You even charge that my connec-
ton with Mr.. HaskelIs selection as
member of the resolutions committee and
as treasurer of the committee raises a
question to my sincerity as an opponent
of trusts and monopoIies
As an Individual and as the candidate
or my party. l resent the charge and
repel the inSinuatiOn. l have been in
public life for eighteen years, and | have
been sufficiently conspicuous to make my
conduct matter of public interest
have passed through two presidential cam
and epithet was exhausted. | have no
hesitation In saying that you cannot find
an act. a word or a thought of mine to
justify partisan charge.
Pays Haskell Compliments.
II had never been informed of any
charge that had been made against Mr.
Haskell connecting him with the Standard
Oil Company with any other trust L
had known him a leader in the consti-
tutional convention of Oklahoma and had
known him as one of the men principally
responsible for the excellent constitution
which has since been adopted-and adopt
ed by majority of over one hundred
thousand, seventy thousand OF which was
furnished by republicans i had known
of his election to the governorship of that
great young state by a majority OF some
thirty thousand. ! had known that the
constitution was adopted and that Gov.
of your administration and in spite of the
speeches made in Okla homa by Mr. Taft
You say that 1t was a matter of COM
mon notoriety that Mr.. Haskell was con-
nected with the Standard Oil Company. /
have a right to assume that if serious
an objection had existed to Mr.. Haskelrs
election and had been matter of COM
mon notoriety in Ohio. as you say. Judge
Taft would have felt II his conscientious
duty TO warn the people when he spoke in
Oklahoma. II he did not have the knowl-
edge. why can II be assumed that l had
II? And IL he had il, how can you excuse
his failure to communicate the intorma-
tfon to the people of Oklahoma? If you
feel II your patriotic duty to denounce
Mr.. Haskell when he is only a member
OF the national organization how much
more would Mr.. Taft have felt it his pa
trtotic duty to denounce Mr.. Haskell when
he was aspiring 10 be the chief executive
OF a great state?
Il Didn't Know" Says He.
II could have had no knowledge OF the
suit to which you refer when he was ap-
pOinted chairman n resolutions com