The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-10-28
BUILDING
A STATE
WHAT WAS DONE, WHY. AND
WHAT 1T COST.
Detective LawIer.
CHAPTER Nv.

have paid Detective Lawler about
thrty-hve hundred dollars out Of the
taxpayers pockets. McNeal's objec-
tlon is not to the amount Of money
paid Detective Lawler--whst they are
kicking about Is what LawIer found
out and reported to me TO aid the en-
forcement Of honest government. Nc
Neal gets quite humorous in analyz-
Ing LAWYERS bills and figures that he !
ate and slept many times each day
and night. This humor Of McNeaps
ls only an effort to ridcule where he
dare not tell the truth.
The people of Oklahoma have u
right to expect that the Governor OF
the state, whom the Constitution
charges with seeing to tho enforce
ment OF the laws OF the state. shall
be diligent In enforcing those laws.
Is the Governor TO sit with his hands
folded because the violator of our
criminal and commercial laws IL too
slick to be easily uncovered or sue
cessfuIly prosecuted? Certainly not,
and when II is necessary 70 destroy
trusts and unlawful combinations or
TO ferret out the yiolator OF any com
merclal or criminal law the Governor
would be grossly negleeting his duty
II he did not employ such persons as
We're fitted by experience or skill TO
ring to the Governor or TO the courts
the facts necessary to enforce the
commercial and criminal laws Of tho
state, and to destroy the monopoly
built up as | believed by the Standard
Oil Company, in the ownership and
control Of the natural gas product OF
the state and the prices being charged
the consumers therefor and the result
in years to come Of extravagant prices
to consumers, the result of combined
ownership and destroyed competition,
did send Detective Lawler even TO
the home OF the Standard OIL Com
pany in New York and to other points
and he had through careful manage
ment secured the evidence that Will
aid greatly in protecting the people
OF our state against monopolies and
combinations OF this valuable product.
Mr.. McNeal had more than a polit-
! ical reason for feeling aggrieved at
I Detective LAWYERS activity, and IL was
Joe McNeal and Judge Burford who
sought to drive Lawler from the field
and destroy the usefulness Of the evi.
dence he had gathered by launching
that part of the investigation In the
special session Of the legislature last
winter.
Judge Burford, the attorney OF rec
ord for the Prairie oil and Gas Com.
pany. a sub.company owned by the
Standard Oil Company, as shown by
the testimony, himself prepared the
complaint as TO Lawler's salary and
expenses and induced Representative
Marris, OF Kay County, an inexpe.
rienced youthful member OF the
House, to swear to the complaint sole.
ly on Judge Burford's statement and
to present 1t to the Committee for in.
yestigatlon. Burford was not a mem.
ber Of the legislature. He was simply
acting as attorney for the Standard
Oil sub-company and aiding him IN
his effort to serve his Standard on
clients. Joe McNsl was his chief
assistant. 1t will only be necessary
TO read the testimony OF Mr.. Marris
on cross-examination TO show that
that Investigation into LAWYERS sal
AIRY and expenses was for no purpose
whatever except 10 embarrass the
state In destroying supposed Standard
oil gas monopoly.
The Committee that heard all oI
that investigation and testimony hae
upon II five Democrats and two Re
publican members Of the House, and
after full investigation. they made
, an unanimous report declaring Law
ler's services to have been valuable
to the state and worthy OF the cos
thereof.
! Mr. McNeal In cestain places seek
= TO dscredit that report by saying tha
} the members OF that Committee. b0tl
Y Republicans and Democrats, we're fay
= orable TO Haskell. These Republican
members were not even intimatel
I acquainted with Haskell. II they wer
!. favorable to Haskell II was simpl
! because the evidence found upon tn
s investigation showed that Haske
D was right and was trying to enforc
r the laws OF the state and that Bu
. ford and McNeal were wrong and tr,
ing to lnjure the state, and unde
take to say that those two Republ
can members. Mr.. Dickson, OF w
leetka. and Mr.. Simmons, OF Tulsi
d are both men OF high standing an
d their integrity Is above qnestionin
O. in the community where they resid
: and are known, and that Joe McNei
> win not dare TO 90 into the plat
/, where either OF these men reside an
! question their integrity or intelligenC
II In the presence OF either their r
publican or their Democratic neig
bors.
: The Legislature. recognizing that II WI
the duty Of the Governor to make invest
aatlons whore crooked and Illegal pfa
tees we're thought % exist, appropriat,
the money and directed the Governor
make special Investigations In Just sui
cases. and Il was not only tho rrIvilel