The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1906-12-29
THE ATTACK ON
THE PRESIDENT
Foraker a Was q Member
OF the Dismissed OEiO
Regiment.
Senators Foraker cid Scott cad the
Attack Senator Lodge to
the Defense

The principle interest in Con
grrSSinna, circles this week has
been the attack on the President,
made hy Senator Foraker of Ohio,
relative to the dismissal of the
co,Orpd troops. For Two hours
aud a half, on the day previous TO
the aAjpurnmrn. for the Christ
mas holidays, the Senate listened
to III" speech made by the Ohio
SENATOR in which he accused the
President Of not having given a
"square deal t" The colored
troops The galleries were filled
| by citizens and visitors who de
serted the shops for an oppn.tnni
" 10 hear Mr. Foraker, and Speak
er Cannon and Representative
Longworth were among those who
came over fiOm the House in OK
probation of something interest
Ing
Thore are politics and personal
feelings Of course, blended with
the Sen ,tCr'S Indignation againS5
the President and anyone wi q
runs NAV read that the Sena
tor is not gong to let pass so
good an opp 'rtnnlty to put III
a word against the presidential
asprat ons Of Secretary Taft in
Ohio The Senator is one of the
cleverest men in the Senate and
his speeches, though rare, are lis
tened to with eager interest. This
one was no exception and though
there were many to disagree with
him among his listeners, there
were none who could have declared
the attack dull or spiritless He
asserted that the President had
misconcelved his power as Com
mander-in-Chief Of Army and ha.
misc0nceived the testimony that
| had been submitted to him. He
quoted at length from the sixty
four articles of war, as prescribed
by Congress, to show that the Pre-
sident could not lawfully summa,i
ly dismiss any soldier from the
army for an army Offense without
first giving him court martial.
III don't ask that these men
should be dealt with here more
generously thal they should be-
he said, "but | do ask that we
shall practice as well as profess "a
square deal" for the colored man.
1t appears that in searching
about for precedent for his ac-
ton in dismlssing the troops for
l. is characteristic OF the Presi
dent to do thing first and then
look for the precedent afterward,
if one IS demanded) he found
what he interpreted to be one in
the dismissal Of the Sixtieth Ohio
after the civil war. Now this
was, whether the President knew
it or not, stepping directly on the
toes OF Senator Foraker, who was
a member Of that regiment
Therefore, in his address to the
Senate. Mr.. Foraker took pains TO
eulOglze-the "Late Sixtieth Ohio"
and to demonstrate that it had not
been dismissed in disgrace and
did not furnish precedent for the
Brownsville affair.
lie was followed by Senator
Scott who urged Mr.. Foraker's
proposition, that the Brownsville
affair should be taken up in Com
mlttee and thorough investiga.
tion be made. Senator Scott said
III the same connection. '.if it hal
not been for Gallant Tenth Cayal-
ry at Santiago it is probable we
would not have today our gallant
Rough Rider Square Deal" Pre-
81 lent in the " bite House IF
this cOlored regiment had not
been there, enough Rough Riders
to tell the story would not have
been left, a remark which caused
much laughter and applause on
the Democratic side.
"A defense of the President was
made by Senator Lodge.