New-York tribune., 1908-09-25
B4sKELL'S ETASI0NS.

Governor Charles " HaskelIs EFFORTS 10 eA-
plain who he is what he is and where ne Is at
do not materially help to solve the great hasheil
enigma The statements when ne haS hlau0
so far have been evasive and inconclusNe' ne
original charge against him was contained III
on affidavit filed nv Frank s. Monnett then AT
tornev General of Ohio Mr.. Monnett testif1ed
that Mr. Haskell was named by MI Squire,
who had approac ched him with the oher or
bribe as one of three agents or gopet"eehs Sc
lected TO represent the Standard OH Company
in the transaction. The Attorney General was
only reneating what he said he had heard. But
how did Governor Haskell meet this accusauon:
He first asserted that there must nave peen ah
error in Identification and that the Hasken
meant must have been w. {. Haskeli, now
federal employe in the District of Columbia
This exclamation, however, lasted only until the
other Haskell had been heard from. Then the
treasurer of the Democratic National Commit
fee dropped the aiibi defence and asserted that
even if he was the person meant MI Mohhetl
had gone 10 Oklahoma last year and acquitted
him of snv connection with the alleged bribery
conspiracy.
But Mr. Monnett now says that IN MS
speeches in Oklahoma he only repeated what
he had said in his affdavit-that the charge
against Haskell rested on hearsay evidence ana
that il was not safe TO condemn the Governor
without an adequate legal examination. Why
was Mr.. Haskell unwilling TO stand on the
facts? Why did he first introduce wicked
double and then misrepresent the "eXoneratlon
which Mr. Monnett had given him!
Similarly in dealing with the annulment on
his order of the proceedings brought by the
ATTORNEY General of Oklahoma against 1ne
Prairie Oil and Gas Company, Mr.. Haskel
lodges the real point of the accusation he
SAYS that the company was chartered under the
TO iDNfalI- fla
if could, therefore do as it pleased under the
states laws and constitution. But he does not
explain why he stopped out Of hand, having
originally approved of it. the Attorney Generals
action intended to determine the rights CT the
company and thereby permitted the corporation
to Law its pipe line free from legal interference.
The statement of the Attorney General OF Okla-
boma-a Democratic official elected on the same
ticket with Mr. Haskell--that the latter arDl-
trarilv interfered to make the companys tres
mass easy is not met by vague assertions that
the state was powerless to protect itself why
were the courts not allowed TO pass on the case
framed bv the Attorney General? This official
charges that the annulment ''prearranged
and does not hesitate to say that there was
some very deep and controlling motive or a
personal nature back of the Governors change
of mind and final action. Why does Mr. Has
kerl not disclose his real purpose in quashing
the suit? If he has an excuse he mas not yet
produced ii.
Moreover we do not find the prize Bryanite
and Populistic reformer who captured Mr.. Bry-
ans imagination and impressed his personality so
strongly on the Democratic National Convention
turning the light anywhere on the record of the
persistent and necessitous promoter who LETT a
trail of wrecked enterprises. debts lawsuits and
judgments behind him wherever he operated.
Haskell. the financial juggler, whose plausible
representations have cost many investors dear,
has been released from the closet to confront
Haskell the apostle OF radical reforms IN eco
nomics and business morals. and the custodian
Of the funds raised by The C0mmoner' and
other Jeffersonian agencies to advance the
Cause of the People. The treasurer ana cain
paign manager wants to ignore the fnanclal
adventurer. But like Banquo's ghost. the ubiq-
uitous unloader of good things Oh an unWary
public will not down. He has taken seat at
the Democratic council board and wants to
know what the party is going TO do about it.
What is Mr. Bryan going to do now that be has
learned what sort of statesman with past he
has made his political confdant and campaign
executive: