Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1907-02-01
Roosevelt and Foraker

| EeF on saturday night cannot be ig-
nored or silenced by club etiquette 1t
was a battle royal.
Inc President saw fit to make an
opening for attack and the Ohio Sena.
Tor accepted the overture. The one
preached sermon on the duty of every
one to see the light as he saw it, and
the owner resented the eneroachment
even OF President, upon the, indi-
yidual conscience.
Both the President and Senator were
at their best. Mr.. Roosevelt was force
fuI-more than strenuous-and cut
] tingly lncisivs. 1t is said to have been
a speech of biting sarcarm; interlard-
ed with'a vigorous vocabulary, ever at
the Presidents wits end. Those who
sat under it knew instinctively that it
would be countered
1t was taken by all who heard 1T as a
direct challenge to Senator Foraker.
More, indeed. 1t wa taken as a lee
ture 10 him as an individual and the
Senate rs g whole, reprobating both for
stirring up the Brownsville mess. 1t
Yves delivered il high strident pitch,
and saEdwicbed with gestures moro
than emphatic.
A correspondent to the Pittsburg
Dispatch tslls:the story thus:
An impromptu, very interesting and
somewhat spectacular, discussion Of
the Brownsville affair took place last
night between President Roosevelt and
Senator Foraker at a dinner given by
the Grindiron Club. The Pre- ,idsnt
during Ais remarks made a reference
to the academic discussion of the
Brownsville affair
For aboxt twenty minutes Senator
himself TO setting
forth reasons why the p resident would
have reason befsre long for rcgretting
that he ever used the words "acadelnic
discussion" of a matter shat SO vitality
affects the rights Of all citizens to
whom The Constitution guarantees
freedom in person and property.
lie referred to the case OF Mingo
Sanders, the sergeant, who served
twenty six years, and in shors time
would be entitled to retirement on a
pension OF $50 a month and right to
end his days in the N ltional Home for
soldiers of the regular army had he not
been dismissed without honor by the
President, who in dismlssing him had
violated very plain law of Congress
and thereby made himself amenable
to the processes OF law, besides laying
| himself open TO well founded charge
of having done the greatest injustice 10
man who, it might be supposed
would have no powerful friends to as
sist him.
Foraker protested against = discus
sion of such a case being called "acad-
emic" and deplored the fact that it
now seemed to be the idea that The
President could do ne wrong, even if
violated the plain letter of the law.
When Foraker finished, the diners
appIauded and yelled, many of them
rising from their places to get over to
him to congratulate him.
The challenge to the President to dc
fend his position was too plain for a
fighter like him to decline. He took
up the gage rising Immediately after
Senator Foraker had taken his seat,
without waiting for the POSTMASTER to
invite him to reply.
Those who were pleased with For
aker's utterances forgot the courtesy
I due the President of the Unl ted States
and continued cheering for minute
after MI. Roosevelt rose to his feet.
They keptlt up even after he began
speaking and gesticulating to en-
phasize the points he was making.
Those sitting near him heard some
of his words, but for few seconds it
looked as if a deliberate effort was be-
ing made TO howl him down, just as
! if the affair were a political conven-
ton instead of dinner attended by
! gentlemen.
Finally, however, the noisy ones
were Missed into silence, and the Pre.i
dent made answer. In substance, his
reply was that he had donelnothiug for
which he apoligized or had any re-
! grets; not even for the so-called injus
| tice to Mingo Sanders. He insiste d
that the discussion was academic, ,,
because the incident was closed, and
that no matter what the Senate or Con-
gress should do, it would not be re-
/ opened.
The inference to be drawn was plain
If, in the improbable event of Con-
gress passing bill to reinstate the
dismissed members of the three com
panies, the President will veto it, aad
if, in the still more improbable event