The Washington herald., 1906-12-23

II Congress passes q bill Teinstating the
negro soldiers who were discharged with
out honor as a result Of the Brownsville
affair, President Roosevelt viii veto the
bill
If Congress passes such a bill over the
Executive veto, the President will seek
to nullify its provisions through admins
trative action. pending a decision of the
Supreme Court Of the United States.
II Congress desires to take still further
steps in the matter, the President viii go
to the extent Of welcoming impeachment
proceedings against him, in order that
the case Of the discharged soldiers may
be sifted to the bottom.
These statements are made on the high
est authority. President Roosevelt has
accepted the challenge Of Senator Fora
ker and other conservative" members Of
the upper House and is preparing 70
wage fight to the finish The only
effect that has been produced or him by
the criticism elected by his action with
reference to the discharged soldiers is
that his determination TO maintain his
position at any cost has been strength
ened.
Purdy Sent to Texas.
One OF the most striking Indications Of
this fact is furnished by the departnra
from Washington yesterday afternoon of
Milton D. Purdy, assistant 10 the Attor-
ney General Of the United states. who.
under instructions from the President
viii visit Texas for the purpose Of col
lecting affidavits and general evidence
regarding the conduct Of the negro troops
al Brownsville on the night Of the riot.
and the causes leading up to the friction
between them and the t0wnspe9ple.
The President IS not opposed TO a Con-
gressional investigation. as provided by
Senator FOrdkeT's resolution. Indeed il
/ is possible that ne viii welcome the tax
( ing or further testimony. as he is firmly
OF the opinion that it can only add TO
( the strength OF the case which he con
s!ders has already been established
/ ag 1inst the dismissed negro soldiers. He
! is apparently Of the opinion that mem
/ bers OF his own party are trying 10 uakss
. political capital ont OF the matter. an
Fhe believes that the shooting OF Cap%
/ Macklin al Fort Reno Friday night by
I negro supposed TO be one Of the former
| members OF the dismissed battalion re-
suited from the political agitation Of the
/ question by such persons as Gnchrist.
Stewart, and such organization as the
/ Constitutional League. and from the at
/ titude Of some members Of Congress.
/ Altogether the situation growing OUT Of
the Presidents order OF dismissal ana
/ Senator FOrsker's investigation resolu-
\ ton, with his speech thereon. is one
which, in the matter of the possibilities
/ it contains has had no parallel in the
time that Mr.. Roosevelt has been Presi-
deat. While there can be no doubt that
many people. in and out Of Congress.
/ honestly and sincerely believe that the
President has done the discharged negroes
/ a grave injustice, il is equally certain
l that an element among the Republican
\ leaders is endeavOring 20 use the mat
/ ter to their own political advantage. and
to the detriment OF the President
FOraker'S Points Telling.
Many Of the points made by Senator
/ Foraker in his speech on Thursday were
/ telling. and some disinterested lawyers
say that the Ohioan has the better Of
/ the argument from legal standpoint.
/ The fact that the President is at least
not actively opposed to the investigation
which Senator Foraker desires to have
ordered means that. in all probability the
! resolution which the Senator viii call I'D
after the holidays will be adopted The
/ Presidents friends in the Senate will not
/ oppose it, apparently. so that the Repub-
/ licans viii probably favor it almost unani-
moUsly If the Democrats agree that the
family quarrel in which the Republicans
are indulging can be made any bitterer by
the taking OF further testimony they will I
support the resolution. too. so that there
| IS a chance OF its being adopted by an
Overwhelming vote. Senator TiIlman. ap-
parently, is the only Democrat who does
not believe the order Of dismissal was
wholly justified
The President conferred with Secretary =
Taft and Secretary Root yesterday. and
| Senatorial callers during the day were
told that under no conceivable circum-
stances would he alter the decision at
which he has arrived. He will not be
swerved by any action Congress may
take, or by any investigation the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs may con
duct. Those who discussed the matter
with him yesterday agree that they never
is disposed 70 give that seasoned warrior.
Senator Foraker. shot for shot. and per
haps a few extra. The refusal Of the ne
gro soldiers to reveal the identity of the
persons guilty Of the outrage at Browns
vile cannot be conGOned. he holds with
out putting premium on similar events
in the future. The Brownsville Incident.
indeed. is thought in administration cir
cles to be the direct result of the condon-
| ing of similar offenses Of which the rec.
ords show thS Twenty-ffth Infantry 20
have been guilty in the past
Attitude aS to Evidence.
The President declines to accept the
view that no man shall leave the public
service unless the evidence against him
is of such nature as would hold good
in a court Of law. Many requests We're
made TO him some months ago 10 restore
| Consuls McWade and GoOdnow because
the evidence against them was not con
elusive. but he refused all these requests
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