The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-01-15

Washington, January 12--The sem
ate listened to a debate on the race
question today in which Senator Till
man was the principal participant and
Senator Patterson, of Colorado, his
opponent, which brought into striking
contrast the ideas of the south on
this question.
President Rooseyelt's action in the
Brownsville matter was the subject of
discussion. Mr.. Tillman held that
nothing was involved in it except the
race question, and that the present
administration was responsible for
the growing acute condition of the
race situation in the south.
The president, he maintained, had
encouraged the negro to assert his
equality and then had wrought ven
geance on a whole battalion for fol-
lowing that encouragement. He con-
demned the presidents action in both
respects.
No action was taken on the resolu-
tion for an investigation of the
brownsville affray, but Mr. Foraker
gave notice that on Monday he should
endeaVor to have it disposed of
Mr.. T1llman prefaced his discus
sion of the Brownsville matter with
the Characterization that it resembled
a case in court. Certain enlisted men
OF the 25th regiment were under in
dictment," he said. ''The president of
the United States is prosecutor as
well as the executioner. The array of
counsel for the defense and prosecu-
ton is not yet complete So far as
thfN names have appeared on the
RECORD there is an element of incon-
gruity and of the ridiculous. For in
stance, as attorneys aiding the prose-
cution we have the distinguished SEN
ator from Massachusetts (Mr. Lodge),
a republican; the distinguished SEN
ator from Virginia (Mr. DanieD, a
democrat.
And for the defense, if it shall be
so considered, when I get through I
will be put in the record as aiding The
distinguished senator from Ohio, (Mr
Foraker).
''Of course. being nothing more
tiOn to the legal discussion of the
question will be very limited; prob
ably comparatively worthless.
My colleague and brother attorney,
(Mr. FOraker) himself realizes that so
far as legal assistance will go, he will
get little or no aid from me, and thus
far do not think he needs any. But
the Righteousness of the situation IS
that the senator from the north, who,
b6 Ieason of his radical and aggres-
siVe utterances and probably actions
in the past, once acquired the name
of Fire Alarm finds himself aligned
with the senator from the south (Mr.
Tillman himself), who is usually
supposed to have a brOiled negro for
breakfast Qaughter); who is known
to justify lynching for rape, and
whose attitude. if not that of hatred
to the negro, is a feeling akin to it,
in the belief that white men are made
of better clay and that white men
alone are entitled to participate in
government And so this alliance is
an odd one.
Mr.. Tillman characterized the presl-
dents action in the Brownsville mat
Ter, as uOluluS ulOlS VI IeSS IIldLA
1ynching" He challenged any one to
produce in the army regulations or
articles of war any foundation for the
charge of conspiracy of silence, mu-
tiny and treason made against the
soldiers, although he declared there
was no doubt that the soldiers were
responsible for the "outrage at
Brownsville"
''It is useless to deny that the race
question lies at the bottom OF all this.
1t is equally useless to say that these
troops were discharged because they
were negroe. If the negroes had been
treated the same way as white regu-
lars were treated at Athens, Ohio, the
civil authorities would have arrested
those believed to be guilty and the
matter would have been decided in
the courts.
''The whole issue involved is one Of
race, and the president is primarily
more responsible than any other man