Connecticut western news., 1907-01-17
MESSAGE ON NEGROES
President Roosevelt Defends His Action In Dismissing the
 Colored Soldiers.
ADMITS MAKING ONE ERROR.

Barring of Discharged Troopers From
 Civil Employment Lacked Validity.
 Refers to Brownsville Shooting Affray
 as Work of "Mdnisht Assassins" and
 Sends Evidence to Congress. Washington, Jan. 16.-Taking but brief time to pass the legislative, exec carrying nearly S31, 100000, the senate devoted much time to the Brownsville | affray. President Roosevelts special mes sage regarding his summary discharge of the negro soldiers after the rlotng in Brownsville, Tex, vigorously sup ports his action in dismissng the troop CTS. submits large amount of new evidence gathered In Brownsville and transmits a very long additional report from Secretary of War Taft tending to show that the negro soldiers en- gagged in a cold blooded plot to shoot up'' the town.
 President Owns Up to Error.
 In only one respect does the pres,- dent recede from his former position. He admits that he erred in stating In the order diSmssing the soldiers that they would be barred henceforth from all civil employment under the govern ment. This part of the order, the pres ident says, lacked validity and Is re. volled.
 The secretary, now that the war de- partment's investigation has closed, will undertake to pass separately upon the applications for re-enlistment of the discharged men wherever they arc supported by evidence of their non compllclty in the affray.
 The president submitted with his message various exhibits. including maps of Brownsville and Fort Brown. bandoleer. thirty-three empty shellg and seven ball cartridges picked up In the streets n few hours after the shooting and three steel jacketed bull lets and some scraps of the castings of other bullets picked out of the houses into which they had been fired.
 Goaded into making replies by frc- quent Interruptions from MT. Tlllmnn the speech of Mir. Spooner In the scn ate on the resolution for an investiga- ton of the affray In Brownsville was changed from n defense of President RooSevelt's course in dlscharging negro battalion of the army to sc- we're arraignment Of the South Caro- llna senator.
 Mir Spooner quoted from Tillman's utterances defending lynchIng as Il means of controlling negroes and said that to encourage such mob violence was disgrace to civilization. Mir. Tillman was not permitted to reply. but at the end of Mir. Spooner's attack said that at an early date he would take occasion to defend himself against the insulting allusons" made to him.
 Senator Tillman's Speech.
 Tn his speech on the Brownsville af- fair Senator Tillman (S. @ used pitch fork methods in m effort to put the controversy on racial basis and accus- ed President Roosevelt of insincerity in preaching racial equality.
 The southern senator characterized the presidents action in the matter "as nothing more nor less than lynching." He challenged any one to produce In the army regulations or articles of war any foundation for the charge of con. spiracy of silence mutlny and treason made against the soldiers, although he declared there was no doubt that the soldiers were responsible for the "out- rage at Brownsville"
 Turning his attention to Senator For aker, MT. Tillman declared the Ohio senator had belittled himself by at tacking Major Blocksom as a man whose father was copperhead. Are we never to have an end of thex war and its bitterness?" he exclaimed. Are the people of the north and the south never to understand each other and to recognize the rights of both sectionsy'
 By vote of 70 to the senate passed bill providing that railway employees engaged in the handling of trains shall not work more than sixteen consecu- tive hours, which period Is to be fol. lowed by ten hours off duty. The one negative vote was cast by Senator Pet. tus.
 A general service pension bill was passed by the senate, which If it be- comes a law will give to survivors of the civil and Mexican wars who have reached the age of sixty-two years SIT per month, $15 to those seventy and $20 to those seventy-five years of age |
 Quaker State's New Head