The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-12-21
FORAKER R'clAlMS
/. PROOF |sM|SS|NC
STILL DECLARES PRESIDENT
ovERsTEPPED AUTHORITY
IN DIscHARoiNc TROOPS.
PROMISES MORE LIGHT
II Allowed to Examine Witnesses
Says Roosevelt VIII Undo Mis-
take Wien He Learns the
n Truth-Negroes Praised.

| Washington. ID. G., Dec 20--Sena-
tor Foraker, in the coarse of his
speech in the senate todayon the dis
missed cooretl soldiers, said in part:
The president says this Is the most
atrocaNe crime ever committed. If
these committed the crime, and
did sho% hp Brownville. agree with
Ehini. / have no sympathy with that
Isort Ola thing and il may be that It
was done. But what | want TO call
attention TO, is that the president has
misconceived both his constitutional
power and the evidence in this case.
The president says the guilt of
these men has been established by
testimony of scores of eye witnesses,
as shown by the report of Major
Blockson. | have cuuated the wit
nesses in the report of Major Block
son and there are juBt 2 of them
A score would mean nk least 20. Their
testimony was taken hy a selrconsti-
tuted eitf2ens commistlp ana no oaths
administered
Foraker then wentsfhrough the evil
dcncc in question readiug extracts
from the testimony and eliminating,
as eye Witnesses. those who said
they had not seen fhpse who did the
shooting. uhtil heI Had reduced the
ngmber Of actual c9o witnesses 10.
eight, AS to those Ite remarked that
their estimony WasAeulterly unsatls-
factory and insufficient" to find men
guilty Of the crime which they were
charged.
Foraker promised 8that If given an
to examine witnesses, to
produce testimony that would throw
additional light Oh the matter.
Trinks4R Roesayes imposed Upon,
Foraker repeated several times dur
ing his FpeeeK mat he believed the
president had been imposed upon.
But" he added. Il believe he is big
enough man and a just enough man to
undo what he has done when he finds
out the true situation"
Foraker went into an elaborate de-
Tense of the Sixtieth Ohio regiment. |
which the president cited as a prece- |
dent in The Brownsville case. He said !
hat not only did this case furnish no |
precedent but there was no such pre-
cedent anywhere to be found
Lodge followed in defense Of the |
president, but said he would like to
examine the evidence of both sides
before he reached a conclusion.
There was a question of Justice |
involved" he said, mot only to the |
men discharged but TO the president
md gecretary of war. who had given
much time and consideration to pain.
III duty imposed upon them"
Lodge pointed out thai the record
# the Twcnty-firlh regiment shows
bat at f0nr other times since 1885.
had been involved in similar cs.
apades. Turning his attention 10 the
estimoUy. he secured consent to have
much Of it inserted In Congressional
ecord with his remarks.
Praise For Negro Troops.
Scott concluded the debate by com.
nenting that today be had been
n conversation with a retired army
nicer who had commanded the Twen.
y-fifth regiment for sixteen years and
eclared IT to be as reliable as any
D the service The negro troops. he
aid. were the only ones who nver
allied to win battle against the In.
ians
IF / have studied the history of the
panig h-Amerlcan war accurately"
g concluded. Il am right on the con.
lusion that If il had not becu for
be Teeth cavalry. possibly wc would
ot today have the PRIVILEGE Of having
nat gallant sold or. that splendid
resident in the White House