Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-24
HASKELL CALLS HEARST DOWN
ASKS FOR HIS ACHIEVEMENTS
IN PROGRESSIVE LEGISLATION.
Wants to Know What Excuse he
Has for Trying to Establish
New Political Party.

GUTHRIE, Okla, September 24.-Gov.
Charles " Haskell. treasurer OF the dem
oCratic national committee. here shortly
before noon today issued through the As
sociated Press an open letter To William
Randolph Hearst. taking the New York
editor to task for his attitude in the
present campaign Gov Haskell discusses
at lentgh the issues of the campaign. The
letter in full follows:
TO William r. Hearst:
Sir: You claim that there is need FOR
a new political party. and have sought to
organize such an organization ana nave
formulated a platform.
Below you will find every declaration
of state principles in your platform and
you will also find that in every instance
except one, the democracy of Oklahoma.
in framing the constitution ana acts OF
the first legislatures session. have cover
ed everything you recommend.
''You also find that the Denver plat
form covers them with only two eXcep-
tons. as indicated below.
You will observe. Mr.. Hearst, that
the progressive democracy of the south
west actually does things while You are
devoting your life to simply talking
about that which might be done.
Hearst's Support Withheld.
also beg to remind you that last winter
when Congress was in session Okla
homa. through Senator r. L. owen in
the Senate and Scott Ferris. member of
the House of Representatives at Wash
ington. introduced proper resolutions
providing for amendments to the Con
nf la r,iy oI
others the following:
"A-To elect senators by popular vote
"B-To legalize national income tax
"C-To conStltutionaliZe an employ
ers' liza bility act (Which you know. &C
cording to the Supreme Court of the
United States, cannot be enacted under
the present constitutional limitationsi.
TO allow the state the right to
prohibit interstate commerce shipments
of convct-made goods into states where
by state law convict labor is prohibited
from competing with free labor.
Il wrote you when these resolutions
were introduced in Congress and appealed
to you for your official and editorial as
sistance. You ignored both. Your serV-
ices might have been very beneficial on
that occasion.
"Such things as this leads me to be-
lieve that you are a lod talker, but not
reliable actor
"If Oklahoma democracy has done in
in your platform. why don't you help
those who do things instead of opposing
their efforts?
I'm Oklahoma we believe that the Or
ganization Of labor is Indispensable 10
elevating humanity and protecting the
toiler. We want respect for these prln-
ciples to be part of the education Of
childhood and the practice In mature
years. Therefore, We have begun by re-
curing the union label to appear on our
common school books. No doubt three
fourths of the common school books are
used by children of those who toll in the
fields, the mines, the shops. Now. let
those who buy these books join the Okla
homa plan and the union label will be
on every book in the Union. Even in Ok
la homa it cannot all be done at once. but
the good work is started, let us all keep
it going.
Have you done as much: If so, when
and where?
The Oklahoma constitution is conceded
by all to be model basic law in defense
of human rights and happiness.
Have you done as much? If so, when
and where.
Declaration by Labor Men.
Results speak louder than promises;
read the following quotations from the
annual report of the state federation
of labor. unanimously adopted last June:
The above, we believe. is a record
in legislation which has never been
equaled by any other state in the Union,
and the following men must be given
credit for this splendid record. First on
the list of friends of la Dor comes Gov.
Haskell, always ready and willing to lend
his assistance by day or night to our
legislative board when our labor laws
were III danger. His office remains wide
open to us at all times and we are free
to confess that had it not been for Gov.
Haskell a great number of our laws en-
acted during the first session of the leg
islature would not be on the statutes of
Oklahoma today.
Then after reading the above and your
talk compared with our acts done. as
given below, tell your audience if there
is any excuse on earth for your efforts at
a new political party except for the sole
purpose of boosting a single solitary in
dividual who calls himself w. r.
Hearst. G. y. HASKELL.
Governor of Oklahoma"