The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1907-01-04
IN RACE QUESTION
Foraker Makes Sharp Reply and Matter
Goes Over Till Monday.

Washington, Jan. 3.-After two
weeks Of vacation, the senate sat for
two and a half hours today and then
adjourned until Monday. The session
was devoted entirely to the further
discussion of President Roosevelt's
order dismissing the troops of the
Twenty-ffth colored infantry, for
shooting up" Brownsville, Texas.
Senator Cu1berson of that state de-
Tended the order, bringing to it's sup
port many points of legal construction,
and justifying the action by many
quotations from testimony taken in
connection with affray. He closed with
an impassioned statement of the po-
sition of the south on the negro ques.
tion which he declared to be the most
vital and dangerous problem before
the American people
Senator Foraker replied briefly, ex-
pressing his intense interest in having
action on his resolution for an inves,
tigation.
Senator Lodge proposed an amend
ment to this resolution which has the
effect of admitting the presidents au-
thority as commander-in-chief Of the
army to take the action he did and of
restricting the investigation to the oc.
currences at Brownsville.
In his speech Senator Culberson
said great injustice had been done the
people of Brownsville The conduct
of the negro soldiers had been very
Irritating. He related that August 4,
the day before the shooting up" of
the town, criminal assault had been
committed by one of the soldiers upon
the wife Of reputable citizen. No ar
rests had been made for this crime.
Mr.. Culberson defended Captain Nc
Donald Of the Texas Rangers, to whom
Mr.. Foraker had referred, because of
Major Blocksom's reference to him as
man who was SO brave that he would
not hesitate to charge hell with a
bucket of water
After reading the testimony taken
before the Brownsville grand jury, Mr..
Culberson drew the conclusion that the
fact that no Indictment was returned
was not evidence Of the weakness Of
the case, but rather of the fairness of
the people Of Brownsville, who did not
wish to do injustice to the innocent.
The evidence, ne contended, proved
that the shooting was done by negro
soldiers, but it failed to identify the
guilty.
He concluded his speech of an hour
and half by brief reference to the
negro question in general, saying that
was ths most important question be-
fore the American people.
He continued:
"This problem involves, labor, edu-
cation, suffrage, social order, civil lib
erty, self-government and the integrity
Of the white race. The end no man
can see. Southerners feel deeply and
profoundly on this problem and it's ul-
innate solution. Closing their eyes
and looking down the ages, different
vistas arise; sometimes the black race
is deported, sometimes the black and
white live together as now, in perfect
peace, one subordinate to the other;
sometimes they turn with unspeakable
aversion to blended, corrupted and
inferior race; sometimes there is war
between the races, which may God
avert. In the midst of such awful pos
sibilities any party who would create
false hopes in the people deserves no
place in the confidence of the Ameri-
can people.
Speaking in part Of the people Of
Texas-and plainness of speech is best
lit is not improper to say that they
have dealt fairly and generously with
the negro in all essentials. in educa-
ton, in charity, In helpful sympathies
and in the protection OF life, liberty
and property. But I would not be can
did with you il did not say that in
other respects their purposes are
equally resolute and unalterable. They
are opposed to political domination by
the ignorant or vicious: they are OPP
posed to social equality: they are OPP
posed to every tendency which is de-