Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-04-11
FORAKER DEFENDS HIMSELF
Ohio Senator Opens His Campaign in
Address TO Canton Board Of Trade,
HIS RECORD ON ROOSEVELT MEASURES
He says He Has Agreed with
Executive on All Bills Except
Three-BrownsviIle Inci-
dent Reviewed.

CANTON. o. April lo.-In the presence
OF 200 people, Senator Joseph Il Foraker
tonight delivered an address defending his
actions as a public servant ana declaring
his willingness to abide by their decision
in the future. The occasion was the an
nual banquet of the Canton Board OF
Trade. Senator Foraker was on the pro-
gram for an address on "Civlc Pride" but
his speech was largely directed to his work
as senator and is regarded as being the
opening Of the presidential campaign in
Ohio.
Senator Foraker discussed the pub
lished statements regarding the presidents
attitude toward the senator's speech at this
time replied to a publication mentioning
him as one OF an anti-Roosevelt combina-
ton reviewed the investigation of the dis
charge of the negro soldiers on account
OF the trouble at Brownsville, Tex, re-
lterated his views regarding recent rail-
road legislation. protested against the in
fringement by one branch of the govern
ment Of the rights Of another branch, de-
clared that the representatives, of the peo-
pie In congress are accountable only to
the people and are not properly subject
to any other influence denied the fright
Of anyone except his constituents to call
ing against surveillance OF business men
who need no moral regeneration"
He quoted a published report that "Presi-
dent Roosevelt has drawn a dead lire for
Senator Foraker" and that III he attacks
President Roosevelt, President Roosevelt
will be heard from I'm no uncertain tones
Speech of the Senator.
Senator Foraker said in part:
The wicked flee when no man pursueth
l have not forecasted the character or any
speeches | am intending to make and II
| had II would seem incredible to the aver
age mind that such a story could be any
! thing more than a misunderstanding pipe
/ dream of an Over-ambittous correspondent.
That the president Of the United states
should become personally engaged in a po-
! litcal contest to determine his successor Is
| without precedent, unless II be the BAD
precedent set by Andrew jackson as TO
/ Martin Van Buren,.
! That he would enter upon such struggle
! with a declaration that he is to set limi-
! tatiOns upon the freedom of speech or
/ those who may differ from him, and that
/ they are to disregard those limitations at
! their peril is without precedent even in
/ the case of Jackson, and is so inconsistent
with the dignity Of his, high office, and the
/ proprleties always to be observed, that !
/ feel II a duty toward the president himself
/ to enter for him, on my own notion, dis
/ claimer of all responsibility for such pub
. licatiOn.
SO far as 1 am personally concerned, l
I shall always speak with malice toward
whenever and wherever l may have coca
/ sion to speak at all
/ Mr.. Foraker characterized as sort Of
| companion piece" a published statement
! of the president to his friends naming as
members Of the combination to do him
up" for his attitude toward Wall street,
I E. II. Hartman, j. b. Foraker and John
! d. Rockefeller.
Record on "ROOseveIt" Measures.
But these stories are but samples of
! many others, all of which taken together
seminatlon of the idea that / am at war
with the policies of President Roosevelt
No man ever occupied the White House
/ who has been Identified with so many leg
| islative measures as President Roosevelt.
/ He is a tireless worker. He is constantly
/ doing, or causing to be done, something
! of great Importance. This Is true not
/ only to domestic but also as to foreign
| affairs. lie has been president since Sep
TENDER, 1901, almost six years.
/ During all that time l have supported
all measures that have come before the
3 senate Of the United States for considera-
ton with which he was in any way ldenti-
! fed, except only three.
l differed from him as to joint statehood
for New Mexico and Arizona, insisting that
they should not be forced into the union
( as one state, unless a majority Of the cti-
zens 4 each territory might so vote. The
Prcss, and the people o. the territories
voted against Joint statehood. That was a
proposition about which men might we'll
differ. There was no OCCASION fer any BIT
terness OF feeling in connection with its
consideration, and there was none on my
part, ana l never heard that there was any
on the part of the president.
| was unable also, to agree with the pres
ident as to comforting the rate making
power upon the Interstate Commerce cCm-
mission, as provided In the Hepburn law,
passed at the first session of the F1fty-ninth
congress. / was not opposed to that propo-
sttion, however, because did not want
governmental control and supervision of
railroads engaged IN Interstate commerce,
for I was among the first to advocate such
( a measure, but because | thought the Hep
bum law in that particular was both uncon-
stituticnal and unnecessary and that It was
a long and serious step in the wrong direC-
ton as a matter Of public policy.
l did not believe either that II congress
had the power to make rates y had the
! right to delegate that power to the admin
ist alive body. Whether l was right In en-.
tertaining this opinion will be determined
when the supreme court OF the United
| states passes on the question, as sooner Of
later 1t must
BrownvITIe Incident.
There was one matter. however, about
which / have taken a different view from
him l refer to the discharge without honol
of the members of Companies B. 9 and !
OF the Twenty NTH nited States infantry
on account Of the shooting ARRAY al
Brownsville, Tex. This was an incident
such character that I felt It my duty al
a representative Of the people OF ohio e
| do with respect TO II what nave done.
II was charged-ani the president wa
made 70 believe-that certain men Of the
Twenty-ffth infantry had made a murder
Gus midnight assault upon the sleeplnl
men, women and children q Brownsville
that they had shot up" the town, as the
expression goes, and that they had KILLED
one man and wounded another and put II
Jeopardy the lives OF many. He believe,
that this was done by few, but that other'
! Of the battalion knew and refused TO dis
, close the Identity Of the men who ala It
AS a result he ordered that the whole
> battalion should be dismissed without
honor, the innocent and the guilty alike
the guilty because they were guilty, the
, innocent because they could not be distln
J gushed from the guilty.
These men had been given no opportunity
| to be heard. IL seemed 70 me that n.
man IN this country was so humble that n,
should not be given day In court some
whore, OF some time, or some place, t.
mako his defeUse. confront his aCCuseri
, and TefUte their testimony against him
and especially should soldiers have tn,
benefit % such q hes ring
believed that this was their right undc
Z the constitution. l ala not believe TIA
. even the president, as commander-in-Chle
d Of the army, had power to deprive then
- OF this right.
. The Investigation has been In progress
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