The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1908-09-23
BRYAN WIRES
TO ROOSEVELT
Demands Proof of Charge
Made by President.
HASKELL And OIL TRUST

Democratic Candidate Says Treasurer
of National Committee Has Denied
the Accusation and He Calls Upon
the Nations Chief Executive for
Evidence to Prove His Repeated
Assertion.
Detroit, Sept. 23.-William ]. Bryan
has addressed the following telegram
to President Roosevelt in reply to the
presidents statement issued Monday:
In a statement given out by you
and published In the press you endorse
a charge made against Governor Has.
kell of Oklahoma to the effect that hs
was once in the employ of the Stan
dard Oil company and as such EN-.
plOye was connected with an attempt
to bribe or influence Attorney General
Monnett of Ohio to dismiss suits
pending against the Standard Oil com.
pany. In endorsing this charge you
attack the Democratic party and its
candidate, saying that Governor Has.
ktll stands high in the councils of Mr..
Bryan and is the treasurer of his ma
tional campaign committee and you
add that the publication of this cor
respondence not merely justifies in
striking fashion the action of the ad-
ministration, but also casts r curious
side light of the attacks made upon
the administration both In the Denver
convention which nominated Mr.. Bry.
an and in the course of Mr.. Bryan's
campaign
Your charge is so serious that 1
cannot allow it to go unnoticed. Gov
ernor Haskell has denied he was ever
employed by the Standard Oil COM
pany in any capacity or was ever con-
nected in any way whatever with it
or with the transaction upon which
your charge is based.
Demands an Investigation.
Governor Haskell demanded an in
vestigation at the time the charge
was first made, offering to appear and
testify, and he demands an investiga-
tiOn now. | agree with you that if
Governor Haskell is guilty as charged
he is unfit to be connected with the
Democratic national committee and |
am sure you will agree with me that
if ne is innocent he deserves to be
eXonerated from so damning an ac-
cusation.
"As the selection of Governor Has
kell as chairman of the committee on
rnCnlntinnc Dt nnnunr nn1 alcn a -
treasurer of the Democratic national
committee had my approval and en-
dorsement feel it my duty to demand
an immediate investigation of a charge
against him endorsed by the president
of the United States. Your high pO-
sition, as well as your sense of JUS
tice, would prevent your giving sane
tion and circulation to such charge
without proof and I respectfully re-
quest therefore that you furnish any
proof which you have in your posses
sion or if you have no proof | request
that you indicate a method by which
the truth may be ascertained. With
out consulting Mr.. Haskell / will
agree that he will appear for investi-
sation before any tribunal, public or
private, which you may indicate and
will further agree that his connection
with the national committee and with
this campaign shall cease in the event
that the decision of such tribunal con-
meets him in any way with this charge.
or in case you, after an investigation
of the facts, say that you believe him
guilty of the charges made"
M.aIx AL. AIi..z 1.AA.~IA