Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-29

his chief supporter was Colonel Guffy.
Pennsylvania millionaire. Not only
did Colonel Guffy support Mr.. Bryan
with an abandon of devotion, but it is
no secret that he was personally the
heaviest contributor to his campaign,
than during the Denver conve ntion-
witnessed the spectacle of Colonel
Guffy, who had ceased to be a sup
porter of Mr. Bryan, repudiated by the
peerless leader and his friends.
forced from the national committee as
it's representative from Pennsylvania,
and sent into political retirement.
In the present campaign, Mr.. Bryan
selected as his closest friend and repre-
homa Indeed it is not too much to
say that this representative of the
Standard Oil Company was by far the
most important man at the Denver
convention, being close to the elbow of
Mr.. Bryan and recognized by the dele
gates generally as the peerless lead
er's" personal representative and first
lieutenant. 1t was Governor Haskell
W no was invited to Lincoln to go care
with MIR. Bryan and it was Governor
Haskell who went to Denver with in
structions from his chief for managing
the convention. 1t was Governor
HASKELL who later wrote the platform
upon which William J. Bryan is today
running for the presidency. 1t was
Governor Haskell who led the fight in
that convention which brought about
the retirement of Colonel Guffy from
the Democratic national committee and
forced him out of the councils of the
party 1t was Governor Haskell who
made speech nominating Bryan for
the presidency. and it was Governor
Haskell, with his connections with the
rich standard Oil Company, whom Mr..
Bryan selected as the treasurer of his
campaign when the Denver convention
had completed it's work 1t was not
surprising that later. when William r.
Hearst exposed the true character of
this man Haskell. the peerless lead
En-" without waiting to acquaint him
self with the truth. should have rushed
rrecipitately to his support in a sloppy
telegram to President Roosevelt.
Today there is no longer any subter-
fuge about the matter Governor
Haskell has been repudiated. he has
resigned from the treasurership of the
Democratic national committee. He
stands fully revealed and fully exposed
in his true light and true character to
the American people. Even Mr.. Bryan
will no longer undertake to act as his
apologist. 1t is to be assumed, how
ever. that before retiring Mr.. Haskell
has made the collections of money for
the Democratic campaign from the
STANDARD Oil Company and other al
lied interests whom he was selected to
solicit at the request of Mr.. Bryan and
his friends. In view of this fact, what
a farce is Mr. Eryan's issue of public
ity of campaign contributions. Just
think of a man with the record of
Governor Haskell posing as the repre-
sent alive of publicity AS one Of our
exchanges we'll says. the trail of the
financial adventurer does not lead
where the limelight falls
But. after all. the principal fact en-
forced upon the public mind by this
whole Haskell episode is the utter and
failure of Mr.. Bryan in his
ability to correctly measure men. If
he knew the character of Mr. Haskell
when he selected his as his personal
at the Denver convcn-
ton, he certainly could have had no
possible excuse for reposing such trust
in him, and if he did not know his
genius of correctly estimating the men
about him. With what confidence
could the American people expect
man like Mr.. Bryan, who has sur
rounded himself with men like Haskell
and Guffy and Mack and "FinSy'
Corners and Boss Murphy of Tam
many Hall. to show any judgment or
in the work of selecting
a cabinet or in handling the great and
American people? From every angle
Of view Mr.. Bryan has demonstrated