Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-01-24
TILLMAN ON THE BROWNSVILLE
AFFAIR.


AFFAIR.
We copy from the Congressional Record
the main portion of the speech of Senator
Tllman Of South Carolina, upon the For
aler resolution authorizing the military
Committee of the SENATE to visit Browns
villo Tex. and investigate the disturb
ance there. which has taken and is tax.
ing so much public attention, North and
South. Mr.. Tillmans description OF the
circumstances is In some respects more
detailed than those before given to the
public.
Mr.. Tillman: Mr. President, this rcao-
luton has already occupied the attention
OF the Senate during several Legislative
days. and it undoubtedly excited n great
deal of interest throughout the country.
The discussion in this body har been SO
far engaged in BY distinguished lawyers.
In some Of its aspects ii has the appear
ance OF n case in court in which certain
members of the Tweuty-fifth Regiment,
or rather certain enlisted men belonging
to that regiment. are under indictment.
The President Of the United States Is
tho prosecutor as well as the executiouer.
Following the simic OF a trial in court,
the array O. counsel for the defense and
for the prosecution is not vet complete;
but so far their names have appeared
on tho record there ia an element OF in
conFruitY and Of the ridiculous almost in
tho queerness OF the alignment. For in
stance, as attorneys aiding the prCsecu-
don, or pressing it, we had the distn
Ruishcd Senator from Texas (Mr. Culbcr-
SOM. democrat; the distinguished Sen
ator from Massachusetts, CMr. LodCc) a
republican. coupled with tho distinguished
Senator from Nirsinie CMr DaNieD. a
democrat, and for tho defcnse-it it shall
bc so considered when I get through-I
shall be put in tho record as aiding tho
distinguished Senator from Ohio (Mr
Foraker).
or course, being nothing more than
cornfleld lawyer, my contribution to the
legal discussion OF this question will be
very limited and comparatively worth
less My colleague and brother attorney
must realize that. SO far as tho legal as
sistance is to go. he will ger little or no
all from nc; and must confess that
thus far | do not think he ne'tda any
is made apparent when one considers
that a Senator from the North, who, by
reason of his radical and aggressive ut
terances and, probably. actions in the
past once gave him the name OF Fire
Alarm"-nnds himself aligned with that
Senator from the South who is supposed
20 have hroiled no--o FOR breakfast
Oaughter), who IS known 30 justify
a.. 4 a io
one OF not hatred toward the negroes
but OF feeling akin to il, in the belief
that white mon are made Of better clay
than negroes ana that white men alone
are entitled to participate in govern
ment.
want to say Mr.. President. that nj
though coming from South Carolina and
lclown as probably the most ultra OF my
brethren IN this chamber on lbs subject
Of the race question. even 7 want 70 SOC
the negroes treated fairly and justly.
The president Of the United States has,
in ny opinion. dealt with certain men Of
the Twenty-Hfth Infantry very unjustly
He has gone entirely TOO far in dealing
with some Of them while he has stopped
very very far short OF melting out proper
punishment and Justice to others or them
"
that even he has no right nor any au-
thorlty to punish an innocent man be-
cause some mon have been guilty
What are tho charges against these l61
men whose skins are black who have
been summary discharged from the
United states Army by Executive order?
They are very grave. I now read from
the Presidents special message, speak
bc
stoidly ami as one man broken their
oaths of enlistment and refused to help
discover the criminals
sec nothing In This oath which makes
II OBLIGATORY upon man belonging 70
those three companies OF the TWenty-ffth
Infantry 10 tel something that he does
not know or 10 tell something that might
;ncrjminate himself. The constitution. I
believe. protects man from being COM
PEELED TO answer questions Ike that. |
have read all the testimony, or | should
say. the exhibits, FOR there is very little
real testimony submitted and have not
been able to discover wherein a single
mar has broken his oath Of enlistment.
Further down in his message the Presi-
| dent says:
People have spoken as If this discharge
from the service was a punishment, /
| deny alphabetically that such ia the case,
because rs punishment 1t is utterly ina
| dequatc. The punishment meet for mutt
neers and murderers such rs those guilty
OF the Brownsville assault is death; and
| n punishment only less severe ought 20
be melted out to thoGc who have aided and
abetted mutlny and murder and treason
by refusing to help in their detection"
So we have the charge Of the breaking
of tho oath Of enlistment. supplemented
by charges of mutiny treason, and con-
spiracy of silence. | deny emphatically
! that solitary man OF the Twenty-hfth
! Infantry has been guilty oF either mutiny
or treason. Murder has undoubtedly been
committed and conspiracy to murder has
been committed, and, as believe, by
| some of these very men; but in no case
ard in no report OF any inspector are
more than twenty charged with participa-
| ton in that crime, Yet l67 men have been
discharged.
The President says that their discharge
| without honor is not punishment. Then,
why did he not seek to obtain the neces
sary evidence to cOrvict the guilty and
| leave the innocent alone?
In the first place, these troops were sent
to Texas against the protest OF one OF the
! Senators from Texas and of the mem
| Der Of Congress representing that dis
| trict. who warned the War Department
/ a., A.