Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-12-20
Foraker Takes President
to Task Over Browns
vile Affair.
SUPPORTS RESOLUTION
Declares Constitutional Power
Was Observation-Disclosures
Over Under Rules.
Washington. Dec. 2O.-The house ad
journed until Jan. 3.

journed until Jan. 3.
Washington, Dec. 20.-Immediately
after the senate convened today For
CATION by the senate of the presidents
discharge of three negro companies of
the 25th infantry was taken up by For
aker who addressed the senate in its
support. He began with the broad
declaration that the president mis-
conceived his constitutional power
when he discharged the troops and
also misconceived the testimony on
which his action was based
May simply Command.
Foraker said the presidents consti
tutional power was simply TO command
the army and navy as commander-in-
chief while to congress the constitU-
tion gave the power to raise armies
and make rules and regulations for its
government. Legislation prescribed
that no man could be summarily dis
charged without the right to be tried
and the articles of war he argued, pre-
scribed minuteIy how these trials are
to be conducted and that all punish
ments should be in accordance with |
the directions of courts martial. He |
cOntended after reading at length from
articles of war it was inconceivable the
president should be absolutely without |
restraint.
should he Tried for Nutiny.
The president, he said, stated in his |
message these soldiers were guilty of |
mutiny and had been discharged for |
that reason He followed this with an |
article of war providing that court |
martial should direct the punishment |
and this was all to guard against the
exercise of autocratic power.
Congress, TO provide against excess
i've punishment, had limited the penal |
ties.
Resolution Modified.
When Foraker concluded his re-
marks he received unanimous consent |
to modify his resolution so it now di-
Tects the senate committee on military
affairs TO investigate the circumstan-
ces leading up to the discharge of the
negro troops. LsJge replied briefly to
FOraker's speech.
Bill to Remedy Currency.
Washington, Dec. 20.-A bill design
ed to extend relief to the money mar
ket along the lines of the recommended
tions of the secretary of the treasury
has been introduced by Senator Elkins
1t authorized a deposit in national
banks of receipts from customs as well
as from internal revenues, requiring
banks to pay tax on such deposits,
making all national banks enually eligi-
bic for designation as repositories. ex-
pressly authorizes the secretary of the
treasury to make transfers of public :
moneys from the treasury to the ,
banks, and which has been heretofore
done by the secretary on his own re-
sponsibilty without authority of law.
Nominations by President.
Washington, Dec. 2O.-The president
has sent TO the senate the following
Secretaries of Embassies-Montgom
cry Schuyler, New York, at st. Peters
burg; John Gardner Coolidge, Massa-
at City of Mexico.
ENJOYS Extraordinary and Ministers !,
Plenipotentiary-Jos W. Lee, Mary /,
land. to Guatemala and Honduras; :
Horace H. Knowles, Delaware, to Rou- ,
mania and Servia; William c. Fox, :
New Jersey, to Ecuador; Thomas C. ;
Dawson, Iowa, to Colombia. 8
The senate confirmed the following 7
diplomatic nominations:
assadors-Henry White, Rhode
Island, to France; Lloyd C. Griscom, ;
to Italy; John W. Rid ;
die, Minnesota. to Russia, and Irving :
B. Dudley, California, to Brazil.
Minister to Peru-Lesiie Combs, !.
Kentucky. r
Force Employed on Canal. r
In the report of the canal commits I
sion made public today the following ]
statement is made as to the force en- Y
,loyed on the isthmus: a
"In November, 1905, the commits a
'ion's employees numbered approxi-
nately 1900, and in November, 1906,
he number was practically the same. 5
0f these, 1852 were under the de- a
,artment of construction and engineer a
ng; 1,129 under the division of ma. e