The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-10-02
HASKELL BLIsTERS ROOSEVELT
sys Halo of Integrity that Sur
rounded President Has Faded
Away.

Guthrie, Okla, September So
Governor Chas. N. Haskell, formerly
treasurer of the Democratic national
committee, tonight gave out long
letter to President Roosevelt repeat
ing his published defence to the
charges made against him. The let
ter, in part, is as follows:
'EThe serious character Of your
charge against me should have sug-
gested to you that you, as chief exc
cutive, should proceed with dellbera-
ton and certainly before making such
hearsay statements your own declara-
tions.
"Your attack on me finally rested
on my conduct toward the Prairie
Oil and Gas company in this State.
have said that you were responsible
for granting franchise before state
hood, thereby creating vested rights.
You seek to evade, the issue and
create wrong impressions. You said
the interior department had no pow
er, except where crossing an Indian
reservation. You would have your
readers believe that the Indian Ter
ritory was then conducting its own
government and that only parts OF
the same were Indian reservation.
"Mr. Roosevelt, you know it is not
true; you know all the land was In
dian land without county, township
or territorial government. What halo
of integrity surrounded you last week,
like the mist has faded away and the
interior department. holds the record
which conviets you.
tsYou granted the franchise at the
solicitation of Senator Depew, and a
few days thereafter received $26O,OOO
in cash for your campaign fund.
~"You charged me with having at
tempted to bribe the attorney gener-
al 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 convict
me Of the charge.
F'In touching on the State Univer-
sity question, you pretended to quote
from the Outlook magazine, but how
dishonesty you enlarged on the maga-
zine article! Thai article charged me
with substituting Democratic for Re-
publican professors for political pur-
poses. I have shown that statement
to be false, but I charge you with try
ing to enlarge on that magazine arti-
Gle and give the world the impression
that we were improperly using the
|, money appropriated to conduct that
! institution. t
"Your charge that I vetoed child
labor law, you have not apologized
for, Notwithstanding you know that [
did it with the approval Of union
labor and that our State constitution
which you said was 50 bad your opin-
ion of it would not look we'll in print,
contains more detail and child labor
Legislation than all you have recon-
mended to the New York legislature
as governor, or to the congress Of
the United States as president, and
1at I had approved fourteen Acts Of
sur legislature passed at the solicita-
tion of u9ion labor.
HYou said in your first statement
hat had suits brought against me
ID recover title to Creek Indian land.
J. overwhelmed you on that statement.
! Adopting your usual policy, you flee
from that statement without just
apology and adopt the statement now
that it was government town site lots
that you charged me with being sued
for. Yes, I believe I am a defendant
as to certain government town site
lots in one of nearly Of 11,0O0 suits
that you have had brought against
as many different honorable and
hieIh-minded citizers Of this State
\during this presidential campaign
sr, and you will not undertake to
the politics for the purpose of
yeblicanizing about 10000 Indian
6ters was your sole motive for hav-
ag those suits brought, and I charge
pu with knowing that there has been
B delay in these eases, except that
gcasioned by the courts delibera-
,-.c talnr hv himself as fine he