Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-11-17
Answers
HEARST'S CHARGES
LETTER FROM KLINE TELLS OF
THE SENATOR'S CONNECTION
WITH STANDARD OIL.
MISSiVE SAYS SoLON
WORKED AS COUNSEL
Declares That Attorney Was at All
Times Thoroughly Familiar with
Cases and Earned Fees as Any
Lawyer Would.


Cincinnati, Nov. Ex-senator Jos.
eph B. Foraker, Sunday night gave
out for publication letter from Yir-
gil P. Kline, which he presented as
an answer to the charges made
against him during the late campaign
by William Randolph Hearst. Hearst's
charges, were that Foraker received
money from the Standard Oil Com
pany and acted as counsel for the or
ganization. Kline's letter referred to
Foraker's employment by the oil syn
dictate. Said Senator Foraker:
Nov that the election is over, and
the people have read and studied the
returns. deem it an opportune time.
and my duty to my constituents. AZ
we'll as to myself, to publish this cor
respondence."
Letter from Kline.
The letter from Kline follows in
part:
I'm December. 1898, at the time you
were employed by me. there was pend
ing against the Standard Oil Com
pany, In the supreme court of the
state Of Ohio. very serious and din
cult litigation. A proceeding In con,
tempt had been Instituted by the at
torney general, charging that company
with having willfully violated the or
der Of the supreme court directing it
to withdraw from the trust agree
ment. The company had answered.
issues been made up. and consider
able volume of testimony taken.
1T was In the midst of these diff
cult cases. with the very serious con-
sequences incident to any adverse de.
cision, that. with the approval of my
client, turned to you for assistance
and advice
Hold Long Interview.
Il had. | remember, a prolonged
interview with you when / first met
you In connection with this business.
Copies of the pleadings In the con
tempt case were shown you and the
substance of the evidence already Ia
ken narrated. together with the action
of the certificate holders taken at the
meeting and the course Of proceeding
of the trustees carrying out the pur-
pose of the resolution to dissolve the
trust. and little later. certified copies
of the yoluminous pleadings in the
four cases above named. and the in
terrogatories annexed thereto. direct
ed to the officers of the four COM
panies above named. were furnished,
and the history of each one of those
companies and the relation of each to
the Standard Oil Company of Ohio.
Judgment Was Sought.
ut was upon a realization of these
serious and disastrous consequences,
well knowing your ability as an at
torney. and the respect lawyers and
courts had for you throughout the
state. that sought your service. You
entered at once actively upon the en-
ployment, making your own investi-
cations here In Ohio and in New York,
holding frequent consultations with
myself and other counsel for the COM
pany. in Columbus. Cincinnati. New
York and Washington. Your judgment
was sought, not only as to what had
been done by the Standard Oil Com
pany of Ohio in its effort to withdraw
from the trust, but also as to what
form of future organization should be
taken.
Employed for Two Years.
For more than a year testimony
was taken at various places. full tran
scripts of that evidence furnished you,
and suggestions received from you as
to the lines upon which it ought to be
met.
1.-The testimony having been closed,
the contempt case was finally submit.
ted to the supreme court. and. in De-
cember. 1900. an entry was made by
the court. finding the defendant not
guilty of contempt. and dismissing the
proceedings.
"A little later, the four custer cases
were also dismissed. the dismissal of
the latter cases being made by the
court at the suggestion OF the then at
torney general, Judge Sheets.
Your employment extended over q
period of more than two years, during
which time was repeatedly in con.
sultation with you. and there was no
phase of the litigation of which you
were not fully abreast all the time.
VIRGIL P. KLINE"
Country ifs Roiu Meats