The Washington bee., 1907-06-29
FOR RIGHTS Of PEACE
Continued from Ist page.
his words upon his audience can easier
be imagined than described.

his words upon his audience can easier
be imagined than described.
ArOHsed Their Emotions.
Senator Foraker spoke in a tent pitch
ed upon the university campus. Before
and about him were thousands of col
ored people of both sexes, or as maay
as could crowd the canvas.
As the eloquent orator launched into
his subject and said for them the things
that they would have said for them
selves the tent resounded with fervent
cries of Thank the Lord, " and amen" 3"
an d'Praise God"
S7gayed by Foraker.
Again, men and women could be seen
Swaying forward and back under the
stress of strong emotion The depth of
feeling that engrossed this audience
could readily be observed from the nat
ural expressions given to it. When the
name of Secretary of War William H.
Taft fell from his lips, there followed
a chorus of low, snarling growls from
the men and high Staccato shrieks from
the women, interspersed with peals of
mocking laughter.
Senator Foraker commenced his speech
by referring to his last visit to Wilber-
force in I885-twenty-two years ago.
He reviewed the events of this period
OF both local and national character In
this connection he spoke of the Spanish
American war and the acquisition of in
sular possessions, as well as of the great
development Of industries and power as
a nation. He gave the colored people of
the country credit for having contributed
their fair share to the accomplishment of
all these great results and congratulated
them upon the success they have achiev-
ed
R0OSeVelfS Fame
Senator Foraker. after speaking of the
political teachers of twenty years ago,
paid a warm tribute to the late President
Mckinley, and said:
AT that time Theodore Roosevelt was
barely known to the American people;
but he, too, had been laying the founda-
tons broad and deep on which he was
to build the remarkable character that
has enabled him not only to be President
Of the United States, but TO fill the
whole world with the fame of his deeds"
He spoke of the part taken by the
colored soldiers in the Spanish-American
war, declaring that NO braver troops
bore the flag to victory in that contest
than the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry and
the TwenU-fourth and Twenty-hfth IN
fantry. They were represented on every
firing line and some of them perished
in every clash of arms.
Credit Due Coiored Soldiers.
They died fighting side by side with
the white soldiers and as it was in Cuba,
so was it in the Philippines When
ever there was hard service to be rem
dered or dangerous duty to be perform
ed, thev were present and did their full
share. They would not claim any higher
credit than their white comrades are en-
titled to receive It would be an injus-
tice to them to give them any less cred
it."
After discussing the race problem at
considerable length along the lines of
his previous speeches. he took up the
Brownsville affair, saying:
The investigation has not yet been
concluded. We have simply taken a re-
cess. Whether there will be any further
important testimony no one knows. Be
cause Of this uncertainty I cannot pre-
dict what viii be the ultimate results.
Al know, however, what has been ac-
complished"
After recounting what had been
brought out all of which had been pub
lishcd. he said;
But however it may be as to the
question of guilt, the fact remains that
the men have had a chance TO be heard
in their behalf. to tell their own story,
to state their own defense, and these
they have done in a clear, manly, straigt-
forward way. that reflects on them the
highest credit and satisfies my mind that
they are victims of an injustice that has
10 precedent in the history of the Amer
lean army.
Proud of His Course.
Il do not question the good faith of
the President or of the Secretary of
War. but when | looked at the reports
of Major Blocksom and General Gar
lington, and the testimony submitted
Herewith. upon which the President
acted | felt that, whether it was in
territorial or not, he had been misled.
felt that the men had not been given a
hearing. and that the little they had
been permitted to say in their own be
half had been wrongfully denied any
crcdence whatever.
The investigation may prove futile