The Washington herald., 1907-01-05

Senator Lodges amendment TO the For
aker resolution, providing for a further
investigation Of the Brownsville affair.
has stirred up a hornets nest. Repubh-
can Senator's. who say the offering Of the
amendment has placed them in an en-
barraSsing position, are angry with Mr..
Lodge because he did not inform them Of
his intention. Had he done so, they say,
it would have been possible TO hold in
formal Republican conferences, and ar
rive at some agreement satisfactory 10
ali parties Now, however, it is not plain
how a vote will be avoided.
The friends of the administration in the
Senate, on the other hand, are elated
over the coup which they say the Massa-
chusetts Senator executed in offering the
amendment, the effect of which if adopt
cd, viii be to put the Senate on record
as declaring that i'm discharging the negro
soldiers the President acted within his
legal and constitutional rights as Com
mander-in-chief OF the army The adop-
ton of the Foraker resolution, with the
Lodge amendment included, would leave
to the Military Affairs Committee only
the determination Of the facts.
To speak Monday.
Pursuant - the agreement made Thurs
day. by which the Foraker resolution
went over until Monday. 1t is expected
that Senator Lodge viii make a speech
on his amendment that day. Senator
Foraker has already made il plain that
the amendment is not acceptable TO him,
and it is certain that other members of
the majority viii join him i'm opposing its
adoption. For the time being, at least,
the question of whether the negro troops
We're responsible for the outrage at
Brownsville will be made subordinate 10
the matter of whether the President has
authority, under the Constitution and the
law. to dismiss persons in the military
service without a court-martiaL
1t is said that Senator Lodge informed
no one of his intention to offer the amend
ment. Those acquainted with all the cir
Cumstances leading up 10 the offering of
the amendment are in a position 10 under
stand the resentment which has since
been shown by some of Mr.. Lodges col
leagues. The feeling among Republican
Senators over the matter was not salts
factory before, and this latest develop
ment is such as TO make a family quarrel
all the more likely.
The belief that the Foraker resolution
viii be adopted is still general but there
IS no such unanimity of opinion as TO
the fate of the Lodge amendment. The
relations between the President and some
Of the Republican Senators is daily be-
coming more and more strained as a re-
suit of the Brownsville case. and what
ever more is done in the premises, il
seems certain that the inharmony already
existing in the Republican ranks will be
added to-
Brownsville Citizen Talks.
John Bannon, secretary Of the board of
trade at Brownsville, is in Washington.
He expressed the opinion yesterday that
the investigation now being made by AS
sistant Attorney General Purdy would re-
suit in establishing the guilt of the negro
troopers.
''Thoy were discharged without honor
by the President, and properly So" said
Mr.. Bannon. There is a negro saloon
keeper in Brownsville who was formerly
in the army. although not in the Twenty
fifth IL is known positively that he is
in possession of the names Of thirteen
negro soldiers VINO took part I'm the riot
The offenders told him Of their part i'm
Jhe dHdlF- ana ne IN turn informed some
of his white neighb0rs He went before
the grand jury, but did not tell all he
knew, IT is said, because it is generally
believed in Brownsville if he had divulged
his knowledge o. the guilt Of the men he
would have been shot 20 pieces He has
been terrOrized into the belief that il he
told what he knew his life would be puy
in jeopardy. 7 have no doubt Mir Purdy
viii get this mans testimony, If assuT-
ances are given that his person shall be
safeCuarded.'