The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-09-24

AooseVeiI at O'CLOCK last night gave
out his reply to William j. Bryan, the
Democratic candidate relative to Mr..
Hearst's charge that Governor Has
kell Of Oklahoma, acting for the
Standard Oil trust, sought to bribe
Attorney General Monet Of Ohio. The
presidents reply contains about 5000
words. e>sAt
President Roosevelt in his reply to
w. j. Bryan says:
Sept. %, 1908.
Dear Sir:- .4&
"In your telegram you speak Of SO
much Of the charge dgainst Governor
Haskell as dealt with his relations,
while In Ohio, with the Standard OIL
company. You omit the charge as to
his relations with the Standard OIL
interests, as shown by his action
while governor of Oklahoma this
very summer, this action being in
part taken while he was at Denver,
where, as you state, he was by your
wish made chairman Of the commit
tee which drafted the platform upon
which you are standing. In my state
ment ! purposely made no specific al
lusion to the Ohio matter, and shall
at this time make none, in spite Of
Its signi6cance, and In spite Of the
further fact that Governor Haskell's
close relations with the Standard Oil
interests while he was In Ohio was q
matter Of common notoriety. In Ok
lahoma 1t is matter Of court record.
By this court record It appears that
the attorney general : Of the state,
elected by the people, obtained an in
junction to prevent the Prairie Oil
and Gas company, from building q pipe
line; and that Governor Haskell
found this cut while he was at Dem
yer, as appears by the representation
for the dissolution of the Injunction
made In his name on behalf Of the
state before court OF superior juris-
iiction to that which issued the in
junction. In this the governor states
that the acting governor, in his alb
sence. had asked that the hearing be
postponed until he, the governor,
might return. and have an opportunity
to investigate the controversy. The
governor setsfoFth ia HIS petition ttitiiat
he Is the sole authority to determine
such matters, and that the attorney
general ana the judge o. the lower
court had no right in the case and
that the action Of the Judge Of the
lower court represented IAN encroach-
ment by the judiciary The attorney
general opposed the dissolution OF the
Injunction, stating that the Prairie
OIL and Gas company was q foreign
corporation which had not accepted
the provisions of the constitution ap-
plicable to such corporations, and
that without authority Of law II was
employing great force Of men and
teams to dig. UP, across and into va
rious highways Of the state for the
purpose Of laying its pipe lines. The
governor prevailed, the Injunction
was suspended, ami the pipe line was
permitted to continue its work. to
use the. words Of tho attorney general,
without any color of law call your
attention to the fact that the question
is not whether or notShe Judge erred,
or whether the injunction was proper.
The point Is that the governor was
alert to take out Of the hands Of the
attorney general what the attorney
general felt was his sworn duty to
prevent, an alleged instance of the
breaking OF the laws by this particu-
lar great corporation.
No Defense From Haskell.
"As far as l have seen, Governor
Haskell has not even attempted any,
thing. which can be called defense
Of this action OF his. It thus appears
that his action was as inexcusable as
It was wanton, except on the theory
that, in defiance of the attorney. gem
eral Of the state and at ali hazards he
intended for some reasons Of his own
to protect the interests Of a great cor.
poration against the law. It has been
suggested on his behalf that, after all,
he did not favor the Standard Oil
company, but merely the Prairie Oil
and Gas company This claim is dis
posed OF by the testimony Of the
Standard Oil company itself taken in