The San Francisco call., 1908-09-24

the attorney general OF the state, elected
by the people obtained an Injunction
TO prevent the Prairie oil and gas COM
1 tsst ogernor sSn oniIq Haskell Il found fS this out
while he was at Denver, as appears by
the representations for the dissolution
OF the injunction made in his name on
behalf of the state before a court OF
superior Jurisdiction TO that which is
sued the Injunction
In this the governor states that the
acmng governor, in his absence. had
asked that the hearing be postponed
until he (the governor) might return
and have an opportunity to Investigate
the controversy. The governor set
forth ia his petition that he is sole
authority TO determine such matters,
and that the attorney general and the
judge of the lower court had no right
Ia the case, and that the action or the
Judge Of the lower court represented
an encroachment by the judiciary.
ATTORNEY GENERAL OPPOSED
The attorney general opposed the dis
solution of the injunction, stating that
the Prairie OIL and gas company was
d foreign corporation, which had not
accepted the provisions OF the consul
tuition applicable TO such corporations
and that without authority OF law II
was employing great force OF men
and teams TO dig up, across and INTO
various highways or the stare Tor the
purpose OF laying, its pipe lines. Ihe
governor prevailed, the injunction was
suspended and the pipe line was per
mitted 10 continue its work, to use the
words of the attorney general, without
any color Of law"
the question is not whether or not the
judge erred, or whether the injunction
was proper. The point is that the gov
ernOr was alert 10 take out Of the
hands OF the attorney general what the
attorney general felt was his sworn
duty. and prevent an alleged instance
OF the breaking of the laws by TINS
particular great corporation.
ACTION NOT DEFENDED
AS far as 1 have seen, Governor Has
kell has not even attempted anything
which can be called defense OF this
action Of his 1t thus appears that his
action was as inexcusable as II was
Wanton. except on the theory that IN
defiance OF the attorney general OF the
state and at all hazards he intended
for some reason OF his own 10 protect
the interests of a great corporation
against the law.
II has been suggested on his behalf
that, after all, he did not favor the
STANDARD oil company, but merely the
Prairie oil company. This claim is
disposed Of by the testimony of the
the latter part of 1907, in the suit now
pending before the United States court
at St. Louis against the Standard oil
company In this testimony the Stand
ard oil company. Upon being required
by the government to put IN a list Of
ALI companies in which ii held stock or
In which its subsidiary companies held
stock. reported among the others. the
Prairie oil and gas company, total cap
ital s10.000.00G. of which the National
transit companys proportion was So
SS9,5Oo. and furthermore. Ii appears
that the National transit company had
a capital stock Of S25,+55.200. of which
the Standard oil company owned $25,-
45l.65o. In other words. the Prairie oil
and gas company was owned. all except
$500, by the National transit company,
and the National transit company was
owned. all except about ss.55o, by the
Standard oil company.
TAFT~s ACTION CoNTRAsTED
Now, contrast your action in this
case Of Governor Haskell with Mr.
Tafts action as regards Senator For
aker. as set forth in his letter of July
20, 1907, which 1 quoted in my state
menL It was a matter of common no
toriety about Senator Foraker, as it
has long been matter of common no
toriety about Governor Haskell. that he
was the defender and supporter of GER
tain great corporate interests, and
therefore hostile to the policies for
which the administration has stood
There was no such convincing proof
against Senator Foraker at that time
however. as there was against Gov
ernOr Haskell when. as you say. he
was with your approval made treasurer
OF the campaign committee.
But Mr.. Taft refused to be a party to
the denomination of Senator Foraker.
even though IL was represented that
interests. showing by actual deeds and
that his words were true when he said.
7 do not care for the presidency if it
has TO come by compromise with any
one on a matter of principle
HAsKELL's UNFITNEss SHOWN
With hundredfold clearer evidence
before YOU as TO the connection of
Governor Haskell with the Standard oil
than Mr.. Taft then had as to the con
nection OF Senator Foraker with any
corporation, you nevertheless have Sc
cured Governor Haskell as chairman Of
the committee to write the platform
on winch You stand and put him in as
treasurer OF your campaign committee.
Let me add that Governor Haskells s
utter unftness for any public position
man anxious to make an appeal on a
moral issue TO the American people has
been abundantly shown. wholly ire
spective of this action of his connection
with Standard oil interests.
AS an American citizen who prizes
his Americanism and his citizenship
far above any question of partisanship,
] regard ii as a scandal and disgrace
that Governor Haskell should be con-
nected with the management of any
national campaign.
I have not the space in this letter
10 discuss Governor Haskelrs conduct
for instance. in vetoing the child labor
BILL or the fact that his name appears
as one OF the defendants in various
suits brought by the government to
prevent the Creek Indians from having
certain of their lands fraudulently
taken. or his connection with various
other matters of the kind; but let me
call your attention TO his conduct in
prostituting TO base purposes the state
university. as set forth in an article
in the Outlook of September last
under the heading Shall the People
Rule--in oklahoma" In this article
you viii see that Governor Haskell
was given full opportunity TO make
every explanation and that he made
none. After setting forth the facts as
TO Governor Haskell's conduct, the Out
look article concludes as follows:
ARTICLE IN OUTLOOK
on this state Of affairs we have two
comments TO make and two questions
10 ask
The people Of Oklahoma are taxed
10 support their educational institu-
university. They pay their money to
have their children educated When
the politicians use this money TO pro-
mole the interest OF a political ma
chine or a church sect they are guilty
Of a breach Of trust What do the tax
payers Of Oklahoma think of the llse
which their public servants are maxi
ing Of the public funds2 What do
they think about this financial policy
the taking Of the money due their sons
and daughters and diverting fl for the
benefit Of politicians, ecclesiastical and
civil
Governor Haskell was one of Mr.
Bryans right hand men in the demo-
cratic convention and. at MIR Rryan's
instance, has been made treasurer Of