The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1906-12-27
Will Not Recede Prem His Position
Regarding the Discharged
Negro Troops.
WILL USE VETO POWER If NECESSARY
Said to Have Declared His Intention
to Veto Any Bill Passed by Con
eress for Relief Of Those Con-
eerned-Washington Rife with Ru.
morse

QSll WHICH, Tue piSsiuSul 10 dSOiSuitSu
with having uttered to the congress
and more particularly to the senate
and the members who are urging
that the military records Of the men
of the battalion of the Twenty-fifth
infantry who were discharged with.
out honor be cleared. The public
men who remained in Washington for
the holiday recess are not permitting
themselves to be quoted in the crisis
which Is threatened by the utterances
of the president, but they were IN
quiring with eagerness with a view
to satisfying themselves of the au.
thenticity OF the published assertions
as to the attitude of the president.
Among those taking the keenest in.
terest is Senator Foraker Of Ohio.
who very naturally accepts a portion
Of the defiance as directed against
him, as he has led the fight in the
senate against the action Of the ad-
ministration in dismissing the colored
troops.
Foraker has been primed for a cam.
paign Of opposition to many recent
acts of the administration and II he
continues in his present humor until
the senate meets again. there can
but be the most Interesting develop
ments. The strong statements made
Sunday by the president, were made
to but four men, three Of whom he
sent for and the fourth happened to
be at the executive offices on another
matter. How far the president went
Is still a matter Of some doubt. There
seems to be no question but that he
stated he would veto any bill which
might be passed, clearing the records
of the men and restoring them to the
army.
1t also appears that he either vol
unteered the information that he
would seek way to get around the
passage Of such bills over his veto.
or that he assented to the suggestion
of such a possibility made by one OF
his callers.
The same thing Is true as to the
report that he would persist In his
course in the Brownsville matter up
to the point of Drawing his own i'm
parchment.
There are all sorts of rumors afloat
as to the situation created by the
recent attitude of the president and
his strong assertions. One of them
Monday night is to he effect that
Mr.. Taft, the secretary Of war, under
whose department the troops were
placed, is so worked up over the
whole affair that he proposes to leave
the cabinet. This can be strongly
discounted 1t is true that Secretary
Taft suspended the order of the presi-
dent relative to the troops while the
president was visiting the isthmus
of Panama. 1t is equally as true that
when he learned that the president
would not permit the suspension Of
the order and that he would insist
upon 1t being carried out to the let
ter he voluntarily and before hearing
from the president ordered that 1t be
carried out.
Again, in his annual report, the
secretary of war made a direct argu-
ment in favor of the administration
position. He has since expressed
pride in this argument and stated
that it represented his conviction on
the case. The president was 30
pleased with 1t that he ordered 1t
made public as distinct document
In advance Of the publication OF tho
balance Of the report.
Again, in the recent reports to con.
gress, Mr. Taft has fatty and decided.
ly taken the administration end Of
the case. For him to withdraw from
connection with the administration at
this stage because of the Brownsville
matter would mean his own stultifi.
cation.
Some Of the closest friends Of the
president wro have noted with alarm
and surprise the attitude assumed BY
him. are hoping he win take q differ
emit stand or at least that he will 70
serve further action and utterances
until he has some definite action BY
congress, on which to base It, or I'M.
til some new phase Of the matter
comes to him for action. It Is pointed
out that thus far the def to congress
can not be prompted by anything
further than the Foraker speech. %
there has been no attempt to take any
action further than to call upon the
president and the secretary Of war for
information in their possession deal.
ing with the subject.
| The senate has not passed the For.
aker resolution for an investigation
by the military affairs committee and
It Is the only thing bearing on the
Brownsville matter pending before
either house of congress, II there
ever was any question a to whether