Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-21
NEGROES SAVED HIM.
Senator Foraker Attacks the
 President's Sentence.
SCORES DISMISSAL WITHOUT TRIAL
"Roosevslt, In Discharging Colored Soldiers without Honor, Had Not Sufficient Evidence of Guilt,
 Has Been Imposed Upen."


 Soldiers without Honor, Had Not
 suMclent Evidence of Guilt,
 Has Been Imposed Upen."
 WASHINGTON. Dec. c1. Senator Foraker occupied the attention of the senate in its last session before the holiday recess in m extended criticism of the basis of President Roosevelt's action in discharging the negro troops of the Twenty-ffth infantry on ac- count of the Brownsville raid
 He was replied to by Senator Lodge. while Senator Scott sustained the de mand of the Ohio senator for 2 full in- vestigation of the matter by the senate military committee. A resolution di- recting such an investigation was in troduced by Senator Foraker and Is before the senate for action at It's next meeting.
 MT. Lodge replied briefly to Mir. For aker's speech, and Senator Scott re marked that as he had read the his tory of the Spanish-American war the Tenth cavalry, colored. was largely responsible for the preservation of the rough riders.
 .If 1t had not been for the Tenth cavalry" he said. i've might not today have the privilege of having that gal lant soldier, that splendid president In the White House"
 Senator Gallinger opened the fight In the senate for an increase In the salaries of members of congress, which movement was defeated recently In the house. He introduced an amend ment to the legislative. executive and judicial appropriation bill providing for an increase to $7,5OO annually of the salaries of senators. representa- lives and delegates to congress.
 When the Foraker resolution, which calls for an investigation of the presi- dents discharge of the negro troops, was taken up Senator Foraker spoke in It's support.
 He began with the broad declaration that ..the president misconceived his constitutional power when he discharg- ed the troops, and he also miscon- ceived the testimony on which his ac- tion was based"
 He asserted that the presidents con stitutional power was simply to com mand the army and navy as command or in chief. while to congress the con stitution gave power to raise armies and to make rules and regulations for its government
 The regulations prescribed that no man could be summarily discharged without right to be tried, and the articles of war, he argued, prescribe minutely how these trials are to be conducted.
 All punishments should be in accord ance with the directions of court mar tial, and he contended. after reading from the articles of war. 1t was incon- ceivable that the president should bs absolutely without restraint.
 MT. Foraker went through the evi- dence in detail. reading extracts from the testimony and eliminating as "eye- witnesses" those who said they had not seen those who did the shooting until he had reduced the number of actual eyewitnesses to eight. As to these he remarked that their testimony was ut terly unsatisfactory and insunicient to ind the men guilty.
 The president says this is the most atrocious crime ever committed. If these men committed the crime snd did shoot up Brownsville, I agree with him. as I have no sympathy with that sort of thing"
 MT. Foraker spent some time paying his respects to Major Blocksom. who made the report. The major. he said, was a native of Zanesville, 0. His father was an ardent yallandIngham copper head Democrat of c school known to entertain violent antipathy to the negro. Major Blocksom. he said, had evidently developed an enthusias- tic admiration for one of the witnesses. Captain McDonald of the Texas rangers, as evidenced by the state ment in his report that "this man was % brave that he would charge h-l with a bucket of water"
 q would like to cross examine . man 90 brave as that" remarked the senator.
 Mir. Foraker repeated several times during his speech that he believed the president had been imposed upon. "But." he added, T believe he is . big enough man and just enough man to undo what he has done when he finds out the true situation"
 As to punishment in these eases. Senator Foraker read the presidents remark that he regarded the discharge as punishment wholly inadequate. He agreed that if the men were guilty of murder the punishment was wholly h. adequate.
 But if they were innocent the pun. ishment was brutaIly harsh. aas these men % forth branded as murderer and conspirators and perjurers."