The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-03-01
GOV, HASKELL'SBR|EF
WITH COMMITTEE
INVESTIGATION CHARACTERIZED
AS A WASTE O FTIME AND UN.
PATRIoTlc-ScoRE CLARK.


legislative investigating committee 1
relative to the charges involving mis-
appropriation filed by republican Rep
rcscntative Maris and others Cover.
nor Haskell closes the brief with
request that the committee rebuke
those who are the real prime movers /
in inspiring a criticism that caused I
the complaint and waste of time /
without patriotic motives or honest F.
purposes"
Governor Haskell said that he could
have refused to take any cognizanoe
OF the investigation since the consti-
tuition limited the work of the special
Session OF the legislature to subjects
/ recommended by the governor. but
knowing that every act performed IN
his office has been strictly within the
lines of economy and in the interest
of the whole people he. without hest
tation. invited the investigation.
The governor refers to the republi
can charges as "a trifling technical
untruthful and vicious assault, with
out substance in the charge. and utter
ly devoid of evidence. Its chief pro-
moters have been persons wholly ont.
side the legislature and. no one can
assert that there has been good faith
or common deconcy back OF the mo-
tives of these parties" He says of
the brief filed by the republican pros
ecuting attorney, Representative
Clark that there is scarcely a word
of truth in the whole brief. He seeks
to make his speech as an attorney fill
the complete want of evidence"
He says continues Governor Has
kel, speaking of Clrk's brief, on the
report from Lawler and Flenner. The
committee will remember well that
his state ment is false, that | stated
It would be unwise to make public
the facts. information and names, of
witnesses. etc, prepared and secured
10 be used in the trial of important
state cases that have not yet come
up for trial, but that would submit
AL these papers and reports to the
personal inspection of all of the men,
bers of the committee, feeling that
they were honestly Interested in the
welfare OF the state and could, them
selves, take the burden of making
their contents public | declined 10
let Mr.. Clark and Mr.. Maris see these
reports for the reason that the attor-
ney. namely j. II. Burford, who wrote
out the charges in this case, Is the NJ
torney for the standard Oil company,
which is yitally interested in most OF
these cases. and TO give them all the
facts which the state has secured,
would be to weaken the case of the
state and prevent successful prose
cution OF this great monopoly
Governor Haskell scores opposition
counsel in touching on the Hutchings
charge. Il notice." he says, the con
temptible practice of Mr.. Clark is con
stantly weaving into his statement the
reference that Mr.. Hutchings is one o.
the men indicted with Governor Has
ken In certain Muskogee townlot
cases. Mr.. Clark can get all the salts
faction he chooses out OF the fact that
p the governor of Oklahoma has been
indicted in the Muskogee townlot
cases. II simply shows the contemp-
tible level to which he will voluntarily
reduce himself in his desperation,
when, being wholly unable to find
facts whereon to base his criticism,
he desired to cast his slurs based on
the Infamous doing of others
Tho governors brief touches In turn
on the school land department charS-
es. the banking board charges, the
charges of misappropriation OF $3.50,
the Anthony charge and the Day
charge. He defends himself both by
the law and the testimony in the case
and that the trouble is Mr.. Maris
filed these charges and Mr.. Clark, as
attorney, undertook To support then'
not with the view of finding the facts.
but with view solely to clcuding the
atmosphere with suspicion and doubt 70
Governor Haskell devotes some
space 10 the apparent discrepancies
between the testimony given by him
self and by Detective Lawler as to
what work Lawler did for the $4,000
approximately paid to him out OF the