Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-10
OKLAHOMA IS
FOR HASKELL
PEOPLE OF STATE HAVE FAITH
IN GOVERNOR
RESENT ATTACKS BY PRESIDENT
ROOSEVELT
Big Gathering of Democrats at Shaw
nee Passes Resolutions
Lauding Execu-
tive
Especial to The Herald. ]

GUTHRIE, Okla. Oct. 9.-Absolute
confidence in the integrity of Gov. C.
N. Haskell and a dignified rebuke to
the president of the United States for
his persistent and unprecedented parti-
san denunciation of Oklahoma's chief
executive are embodied in a resolution
adopted at gathering of oklahoma s
most prominent Democrats to the num-
ber of 200 at Shawnee. The attendance
included five candidates for congress, a
majority of the candidates for the state
legislature, members of the state CEN
trail committee and the state executive
committee.
The resolution in full says:
We, the Democrats of Oklahoma, repre-
senting the various congressional districts,
called together in mass convention by the
state central committee, submit the follow
ing resolution and address to the American
people:
We wish to place on record our great sor-
row that the president of the United States,
Honorable Theodore Roosevelt, should have
thought 1t expedient to denounce the COVER
nor of the state of Oklahoma as n man un-
worthy of confidence; to have charged MIN
with numerous corrupt and indecent acts
which have heretofore been considered by
the people of state and decided as un-
founded.
We deplore this action by Mr. Roosevelt
because we feel that 1t lowers and weakens
the reverence in which our people have been
taught to hold the presidential office.
We deplore 1T because Mr.. Roosevelts ac-
tion would bring into disrepute and would
lower the standing of the executive head of
the government of Oklahoma
We respectfully and earnestly call the at
tention of the people of the United States
to the fact that we have drawn a constitu-
tion recognized by the ablest experts In
statecraft peculiarly fitted to control in
Justice and wrong doing by corporations,
either foreign domestic, in our state.
We call attention to the fact that this
constitution supported by a majority of
109,0 votes, about 10000 of whom were
Republican citizens was 80 severely critl-
cised by the president that he declared his
opinion of 1t was unfit for publication"
We further call attention to the fact that
notwithstanding the almost unanimous ap-
proval of our constitution by the citizen
ship Of our state, William H. Taft, the pres
ent candidate for the presidency, after con-
sulting with Mr.. Roosevelt, came to our
state and advised our people, numbering
1,441,000 human souls, to vote down the
right of self-government; Notwithstanding
the fact that majority of their votes
could have amended this constitution at any
time they fit.
The presidents action in denouncing our
constitution, in attempting to overthrow it,
and now in attempting to discredit the gov
ernor of our state by a series of charges
against him on insufficient evidence. not
only tends to destroy the respect of the
people for government in Oklahoma, but for
government in the United States. 1t is as
unWise in our opinion, to discredit the presi-
dency or the governorship of a state as it is
to discredit the judiciary. When the peo-
pie cease to respect their government, gov
ernment itself is in danger and it should
be the duty of all. good citizens to maintain
and teach respect for government and not
teach the people to suspect or discredit theiI
government.
To take the charges against Governor
aelra Mr. NIr
welt accused a few years since of being in
directly responsible for the assassination of
President Mckinley is just cause for alarm
to every patriotic citizen of the United
States, and is destructive of that confidence
in the chief executive of this great nation,
which every good citizen should entertain.
These charges have been considered in
Oklahoma and have been declared un-
founded. We declare to the American peo-
pie that the charges which have been filed
against Governor Haskell by Mr.. Roosevelt
are not worthy of credit. That we have
had every opportunity for testing the sin
cerity and integrity of Governor Haskell
and We vouch for his uprightness of pur-
pose, both in the writing of the cQnstItuz.
tion of Oklahoma and in promoting the laws
vitalizing the same. as having demonstrated
him to be a true lover of Justice and good
government, and to revive these charges for
purposes, SO obviously partisan, Is painful
in the extreme to lovers of good govern
ment. Every righteous demand of labor
was provided for in this constitution. and
every just demand for the protection of cap
ital provided for. There were approxi-
mately only 10000 white votes against this
constitution out of 253, 900 registered votes.
1t is impossible for any man. or set of
men, to have received a greater Endorsement
than the Democrats of Oklahoma received
in this vote of the people of Oklahoma, in
Guiding all classes of citizens.
We wish to say to the American people
that have entire confidence in the gov
ernor of our state; that the charges against
him have been considered In this state and
found unWarranted.