The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-10-15


that James A. Harris, treasurer OF th'
Republican state central committee, Il
man whom Charles j. Bonaparte, at
torney general Of the United States
has pronounced as unworthy Of ere
dence under oath, and that ]. Blail
Shoenfelt, prominent Muskogee Re
publican and former Indian agent, has
Offered to furnish numerous witnesses
who would swear that Harris general
reputation for truth and veracity is
bad and that they would not believe
him under oath, Chairman J. B. Thomp
son of the Democratic state central
committee in an interview today, de-
mands that the Republican organiza'
ton Of Oklahoma measure their own
officer by the same standard Of politi-
cal ethics with which they tried and
condemned Governor Haskell when the
latter was made the subject of un-
Justified assault by William Randolph
Hearst and President Roosevelt.
"Since the Republicans Of Oklahoma
through their state organization and
their newspapers, have seen fit to ap-
prove the dennuciation by President
Roosevelt OF Governor Haskell as a
man utterly unfit for any public office
of trust, or for association with any
man anxious to make an appeal on
American issues, to the American peo.
pie. because Of hearsay story repeat
ed by william Randolph Hearst, and
then taken up by President Roosevelt.
I cannot see how then can avoid purg-
ing their own party organization in
Oklahoma Of treasurer whom no
less distinguished member of the Re-
publican than Attorney General
Charles J. Bonaparte branded as a man
whose evidence was not credible under
oath" said Chairman Thompson. IF
the Presidents objections TO Governor
Haskell as an officer Of tne Demo
cratic national committee is to be sus-
tanned by the Republicans Of Oklaho-
ma, when the charges against Haskell
have never been made by other than
his political enemies. and then, in the
heat Of political campaign, how much
more forcibly would the Presidents
objections apply to James A. Harris,
of the treasurer Of the Republican state
committee, who has been declared by
prominent members OF his own politi-
cal party to be man against whom
numerous witnesses could be found to
swear that his general reputation for
veracity is bad, and that they would
not believe him under oath. In volume
5. OF senate documents, Fifty.eighth
session Of congress, is contained re-
port signed by Charles J. Bonaparte
and Clinton Rogers Woodruff, special
inspectors sent by the secretary of the
Interior 10 investigate alleged abuses
and Irregularities in the public serv-
ice Of Indian Territory. in which the
following language concerning James
a Harris Of Waggoner, now treasurer
Of the Republican state central commit.
tee, occurs: Mr.. Shoenfelt was, it
seems. told by Mr.. Harris what the
Iatter's evidence would be, and asked
Us to permit him to summon a num-
Der Of witnesses who would, he said,
testify that Harris general reputation
for veracity was bad and that they
would not believe him under oath; but
his testimony impressed us both so
unfavorably and our time was so linn
tied, that we refused this request,
deeming additional evidence unneces-
sary. According to his own statement,
the witness was among other things,
= dealer in land and land leases. In
resisting the suit decided against him
by the Indian agent, he apparently re
lied upon an agreement with one he
knew at the time to be a minor ESQ
that the agents decision was clearly
right and he had been refused relief
by court Of equity. Moreover his
appearance and his manner while tes-
tifying were not such as to make his
evidence credible.
The matter in which Harris was
examined under oath before Bonaparte
and Woodruff was in regard to charges
that had been made against Indian
Agent J. Blair ShoenfeIt, at Muskogee
A few months previous to the investi
cation. James A. Harris had had a trial
before shoepfelt for possession of the
llotment of a Creek Indian who had
rot attained his majority, for which
allotment Harris claimed to have Sc