The Washington herald., 1907-01-13
TILLMAN SEVERELY SCORES PRESIDENT

NeIson), and the minds Of other Senators,
which I'll not attempt to answer logi-
cally. Why, evenE in Washington you
have your separate barrOoms for negroes.
II a negro went into the New Willard or
Raleigh Hotel and asked TO be served BE
wouldn't get it any sooner than if he
went TO the White House-not SO soon, in
fact"
This yelled reference to the Booker
Washington dinner at the White House
stirred the galleries again. The negro
visitors seemed to enjoy Mr. Tillmans
sallies as well as the whites, and laughed
uprOariOusly.
Mr. TilIman declared that Brownsville
was not strictly a Southern city. It was
peOpled mostly by Northern people. and
had a large Republican vote. He ascribed
the cause Of the riot there TO two things:
First and primarily, the action OF the
/ War Department in sending the negro
troops to Brownsville after being warned
of what was 20 be expected; secondly, the
Presidents repeated assertion Of the
! equality of the race and the sacredness
of the uniform.
4 want to treat the negro fairly-that
/ is, as fairly as I can. Maybe I don't
! know how to treat him fairly Oaugh-
teri But I'll tell you one thing docking
/ squarely at Mr.. Spooner who had Joined
/ in the general laugh ! would not lynch
| 167 negroes because 20 negroes had com
mitted a crime. Nobody ever heard Of
such a thing as that But there have
/ been innocent men lynched In the South
and thereH be more lynchings and more
innocent negroes Iynched if the this doc
I trine Of race equality continues to be
I preached by the President and others"
Speaks TO the Gallery.
The. Senator swept his hand around in
review over his colored audience. in the
galleries. and said:
You owe your present predfcament to
/ your great and good friend IN the White
House, your former friend. I should saw
/ for l oS-crve that you are passing resoIu-
/ tons condemniHg him now"
The Senator insisted that the record Of
the Twenty-fifth Infantry for rioting and
shooting up towns was such that the
/ Secretary OF War ought TO have taken
notice Of the warning given him by SEN
ators from Texas Of possible trouble and
TO have sent the negro troops elsewhere.
Mir Culberson. Of Texas. interrupted to
say that he didn't agree that il was nee
/ essary for the Presidents order Of dis
/ charge to be based on the articles Of
war
There is a distinction" said the Texas
/ Senator. between discharges for the
good Of the service and trials and dis
( charges after court-martiaL"
/ Mr.. Tulman, continuing. said Ger. Aims
worth, the military secretary. had been
I unable TO find any precedent for the dis
+ charges from the Twenty-dfth Infantry
i read here" said Mr.. Culberson
( from Cen Ainsworths report Of a lot
/ Of discharges in the civil war"
That relates 20 discharges Of voluD-
/ teers iu time Of war. not discharrinp Of
/ regulars in time Of peace" replied Mr.
Tiiman
Mr. Cuiberson referred To the discharges
/ by Col Lee, heretofore referred 10 IN the
+ debate. OF soldiers Of the Eighth Infantry
But Gen. AinsWorth has said this case
/ was not a precedent ret0rted Mr. Till
/ man.
Later Mr.. Tnimsn referred to the
/ fact that 157 negroes had been discharged
without warrant by the President for the
/ ALLEGED offenses of %. and were now roam
ing up and down over the land martyrs
/ IN the eyes of all negroes"
l nave
read that Mingo Sanders, one OF these
martyrs. was from South Carolina. /
would like % meet Mrngo and shake him
| - the hand, But Miugo viii not 20 back
I 70 South Carolina.
Why asked Senator Sp0ouer.
/ Because replied TiIlman. the mere
! suspicion that he might have been one OF
/ those who did the shooting would have
made 1t very unhealthy for AIng0."
What would have happened 10 him."
/ asked Senator Foraker
! "Ah. now, the Senator viii not get me
/ OF on that answered Tillmau. IN dis
/ cuss the race question later I'll get at
I the milk of this cocoanut The Fire
( Alarm docking az Mr.. Foraker should
not go of until the bell rings" This was
/ greeted with roars Of laughter in which
/ Mr.. Foraker Joined.
/ Referring later % the fact that bar
4 tender had been shot at Brownsville. Mr..
/ Tiliman said he was probably the bar
/ tender who had refused negroes permits
sion To drink at the same bars with
whites
/ Raising his voice, MI Tmman ex-
claimed: There are bars I'm Washington
/ where negroes are not allowed 10 drink
with whites. and you Senators know it
This impgtation 20 his colleagues Of
J special knowledge concerning the bar
rooms Of Washington threw the Senate
and galleries into storm Of laughter.
( Mr. Tilman closed with a discussion OF
the race question, reading from manu-
/ script.
Future Problems Portrayed.
Broadly stated" he continued THE
white people of the United States are
face to face with the vital issue as to
whether the Caucasian race shall share
/ its Inheritance with the other races OF
/ the earth. In Cuba the question presses
/ for solution and immediate action. Shall
that island be governed by negroes or
white men? Shall it be doomed to the
/ fate Of Santo Domingo, OF shall it be saved
/ for the white man? The question of a
/ protectorate or annexation and of the
/ futBe status of the people there must
/ be determined in tire near future. That
! is only one phase of the question.
/ "On the Pacific Coast the relationship
/ between the Mongolians and the eau
/ casians is involved. The President an
/ nouuces himself as favoring the policy
Of absolute obliteration of the race Nne,
/ the granting Of fun citizenship to the
/ Japanese. The Americans of the Pacific
/ Coast. as I understand If. are bitterly
/ opposed to this policy and without regard
/ TO party lines These Americans ought
/ TO know what is for their best interest,
and they ought to, and undoubtedly will,
/ have the sympathy and aid of their fell
/ low-citizens, North and South, in pro
/ tecting their interests. But these two
| phases Of the race problem sink into in
/ significance alongside of the greater and
more vital question of the relationship of
the races in the southern States of the
! Union.