The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-07
BL|STERS TEDDY
Halo of Integrity That Surrounded
Roosevelt
HAS FADED AWAY"

Says Haskell, Who Charges Tha
the President Granted Franchise
to OIL Company and Got Larg
Campaign Contributions In Re
turn for the Grant.
Gov, Charles N. Haskell, formerl.
treasurer of the Democratic nationa
committee. tonight gave out a Ion:
letter to President Roosevelt repeat
ing his published defence to tn
charges made against him. The let
ter, in part, IS as follows:
THE serious character of youi
charge against me should have sug
gested to you that you, as Chic
Executive, should proceed with de-
liberation and certainty before MAX
ing such hearsay statements you?
own declarations.
Your attacks on me finally rested
on my conduct toward the Prair!
Oil and Gas Company in this State
have said that you were respon,
sible for granting a franchise before
statehood, thereby creating vested
rights. You seek to evade the issue
and create strong impressions. You
said the interior department had
no power, except where crossing an
Indian reservation. You would have
your readers believe that the Indian
Territory was then conducting It's
| own government and that only parts
Of the same were Indian reservations
MIR. Roosevelt, you know 1t Is moi
true: you know all the land was
Indian land without county, township
or territorial government. What
halo of integrity surrounded you las:
week, like the mist has faded away
and the interior department holds
the record which convicts you.
You granted the franchise at the
| solicitation of Senator Depew, and
a few days thereafter received $3.50
900 in cash for your campaign fund.
You charge me with having at
tempted to bride the Attorney Gen.
aral of Ohio. That was presumably
nine years ago. You have abandoned
that position. Charles P. Taft says
through his paper that no evidence
was ever produced that would con-
| Wet me Of the charge
I'm touching on the State Univer,
| sity question. you pretended to quote
| from the Outlook magazine, but how
| dishonesty you enlarged on the mag
| azine article. That article charge !
me with substituting Democratic foI
| Republican professors for politica;
purposes. l have shown that state
ment to be false, but l charge you
| with trying to enlarge on that mag
| azine article and give the world the
impression tina we were improperly
Iiufing the money appropriated to
conduct that institution.
Your charge that l vetoed a child
labor law, you have not apalogtzc6
for, notwithstanding you know that
I did it with the approval of union
labor and that our State Constitn
ion which you said was so bad you
opinion OF it would not look we'll In
print contains more "details and
child labor legislation than all yo'
have recommended to the New York
Legislature as Governor, or to tn
Congress of the United State as
President, and that l had approved
further Acts of our Legislature
passed at the solicitation Of uniol
labor.
"You said in your first statemen
hat | had suits brought against m;
20 recover title to Creek Indian land
[ overwhelmed you on that state
ment. Adopting your usual police
YOU flee from that statement withou
lust apology and adopt the state
nent now that it was Government
own site lots that you charged m
With being sued for. Yes, I believ
am a defendant as to certain Gov
,rnment town site lots in one c
nearly 1000 suits that you hav
had brought against as many dit
Ierent honorable and highminde
,itizens of this State during tn
Presidential campaign year, and 20
will not undertake to deny that po
!. itics for the purpose of Republican
-, izing about 10000 Indian voters VIZ
: YOUR sole motive for having thos
suits brought, and I charge you Wit
:, knowing that there has been no O.
), lay in these cases, except that O
= casioned by the Courts d~eliberation
taken by himself as time he deeme
necessary to consider whether or n
there is any merit In the petite
-. filed by your attorney.
You say that on that land que
ton YOU will see that I get a hearir
:, in Court. Yes, sir. | will come
! vour hearing. Call to your asst
lance all the power that your nj!
office commands, present cases in al
form YOU like. I am ready to me
= & and before it's conclusion the pc
nle of America will be disguised til
thev ever elected you President
r-t..I Ctotnc