The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-13

written request with you Tor an oppor-
tunity to be heard and produce evil
dence, which they could easily have
produced showing you that cash
bonus of seven million dollars and
one-sixth royalty would be indeed
moderate compensation to them.
"You neglected to give the Osages
any opportunity whatever to be heard;
The fact that 100000 acres of rich oil
land was the stake that the Standard
Oil company was playing for and the
land owners denied the right to be
heard, is something that will require
a more lucid explanation than Mr..
Pierce has seen fit to give.
ANY practical business man is
ready to recognize that $4,000 acres
In one tract of land is of far greater
proportionate value than the small
tracts of a few hundred acres each
and therefore, the greater surprise
that you should have fixed royalty,
(without any cash bonus) much lower
than the individual land owners were
securing on small tracts. There were
no much improvided leases being
made in that whole combined field.
'sMr. Pierce suggests in his letter
to me as a matter of fact that it was
not known at the time that the Stand
ard Oil company was the real party
in interest. 1 submit to you that the
very fact that Messrs. Guffy, Barns
dale and Senator Depew well known
OldIQdIQ Ol REPRESENTATIVES, Win
others of the same order, making a
personal appeal to you for this low
royalty to the land owners, should
have been ample evidence that the
Standard Oil company was the real
beneficiary.
Senator Depew and the Standard.
"It was the same Senator Depew
who induced you to grant the Prairie
Oil & Gas company franchise over the
protest of Secretary Hitchcock, less
than one year before that time: and
in this one transaction you gave the
Standard Oil company donation
from the party of the Usage Indians
of more than enough to pay the ia
nous % million dollar fine.
II shall insist upon the can
collation. of this lease in the interest
of these citizens of our state, or that
congress take action to declare this
improvement and unjust lease void
and secure for the Usage nation the
just and reasonable compensation that
other owners are receiving.
Marvellous as it may seem, the
difference between the royalty you
fixed for this new lease. and the
average amount received in the bal
ance of the oil field, by land owners
controlling their own propety, is fully
equivalent to net loss of $4,000 to
each and every member of the Usage
nation and whether this gross injus-
tice to our people was accomplished
by your lack of consideration or in
any other way, the authorities of the
state of Oklahoma will not rest until
this lease has been cancelled and JUS
tice done our people. Respectfully,
(Signed.) &C. N. HASKELL,
Governor.
Governor Haskell said this aft~Snoon
after a lengthy conference with his at
torneys that he had given his counsel
authority to bring suit against Mr..
Hearst as soon as they could get service
on the New York editor. This, he said
he believed would be possible at some
point between Kansas City and St
Paul when Mr.. Hearst made his return
trip to the east. Mr.. Hearst is now on
the Pacific coast and is booked &c
speak at Seattle tonight.