The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-24

! Transit company's proportion was @,99s,-
/ 5O0 and Furthermore, it appears that the
! National Transit company had a capital
! stock of SOS, 455, 200 OF which the Stan
dard Oil company owned $50, AL, $50
| In other words this Prairie Oil
and Gas company was owned all ex-
J cept $500 by the National Transit com
pany and this National Transit company
| was owned all except about $500 by the
Standard Oil company
Now, contrast your action in this case
of Governor Haskell with Mr.. Tafts
action as regards Senator Foraker, as
set forth in his letter of July 20. 1907,
which l quoted in my statement 1t was
matter of common notoriety about Sen
atOr Foraker, as it has long been
matter of common notoriety about Gov
ernor Haskell, that he was the defender
and supporter of certain great corpora
lions and. therefore, hostile to the pol
ices 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, you say, he was
with your approval, made treasurer OF
your campaign committee.
Taft Against Foraker
But Mr.. Taft refused to be party
to the denomination of Senator Foraker
even though it was represented that only
thus could he advance his own interests,
showing by actual deeds that his words
were true when he said, I do not care
for the presidency if it has. to come
by compromise with any one on a mat
ter of principle With a hundred fold
clearer evidence before you as to the
connection of Governor Haskell with the
Standard Oil company than Mr.. Iaft
then had as to the connection or Senator
Foraker with any corporation you never
theless having secured Governor Has
keI as chairman of the committee TO
write the platform on which you stand,
put him in as treasurer of your campaign
committee.
Let me add that Governor Haskell's
utter unfitness for any public position
of trust or for association with any man
anxious to make an appeal on moral
issue to che American people has been
abundantly shown wholly irrespective Oh
this action IN connection with the Stan
dard Oil interests AS an american cit
: izen who prizes his Americanism and
his citizenship far above any question OF
craftsmanship I regard it as a scandal
and a disgrace that Governor Haskell
4 should be connected with the manager
ment of any national campaign. | have
not the space in this letter to discuss
/ Governor Haskells conduct for instance
/ in vetoing the child labor bill or the
/ fact that his name appears as one OF
I 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 con-
/ duct in prostituting to base purposes the
/ state university as set forth in an article
! in The Outlook of September last, I'M
/ .l,nn
! in Oklahoma In ens article you VIII
! see that Governor Haskell was given
! full opportunity to make every explana-
J ton and that he made none. After set
/ ting forth the facts as to Governor Has
| kelPs conduct The Outlook article con-
| cludes as follows:
outlook's Comments.
| ION this state of affairs we have
two comments to make and two ques-
| lions to ask.
1.-The people of Oklahoma are taxed
| to support their educational institu-
lions from the primary school to the
university. They pay their money to
! have their children educated. When
| the politicians use this money to pro-
mote 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 Oklahom think of the use
which their public servants are making
/ of the public funds? What do they
| think about this financial policy? The
! taking of money due their sons and
! daughters and diverting 1t for the
benefit of politicians, ecclesiastical and
! civil?
"'Gov. Haskell was one of Mr.. Bry-
/ ans right hand men in the democratic
! convention. and at Mr. Bryan's in
stance has been made treasurer of the
| democratic national committee. 1t is
appalling to think what would be the
results in the educational systems of
the Philippines and Porto Rico, in the
digging of the Panama canal. in the
work of irrigation and reforestation,
in the administration of the postoffce,
the interior and agricultural depart
ments in the appointments of foreign
, ministers and consuls if the spirit
which has actuated the democratic au-
thorities in the state of Oklahoma
should be permitted to take control of
! the federal government at Washington.
Gov Haskell by actions which speak
louder than words. has declared his dis
belief in Grover Cleveland's motto. "A
| public office is public trust" And
! Mr.. Haskell is a representative leader
of the Bryan democracy. What does
Mr.. Bryan think of Mr.. Cleveland 5
principle? What do the American peo-
Pile think of Mr.. Haskers contemptu-
Gus reversal of it?.'
Fair Treatment Demanded
you close your telegram by saying
that you expect and will demand fair
| and honorable treatment from those
| who are in charge of the republican
| campaign. | am not in charge of the
| campaign, but am greatly interested
in it. ! have shown you above fairly
and honorable that Gov Haskell is d
man who, on every account | nave
named is unworthy of any position in
| our public life. No further investiga-
| ton of these facts is required. They
| are spread on the records before you,
| and they were available before Mr..
| Haskell was chosen for his position as
treasurer. You also say that you will
not permit any responsible member OF
the republican organization to misrep-
| represent the attitude of your party in
the present campaign. You will have
| no difficulty in getting me to represent
| It Alright, for my sole anxiety is that
The people of the country shall UNDER
| stand this attitude clearly and shall
| condemn it as it should be condemned.
| You say that you have advocated more
| radical measures against private mo-
| nopolies than either i or my party as
! sociates have been willing to under
take You have indeed advocated meas
ures that sound more radical but tney
have the prime defect that in practice
| they would not work. | should not in
| this letter to you discuss your attitude
on these questions If you did not YOUR