The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-01-15
ROOSEVELT
IS DEFIANT
Special Meeting on Shooting
Up at Brownsville.
ENDORSED BY MALLORY
President Sends Additional Evi-
dence to Senate Regarding
Attack by Negro Troops.
ENDORSED BY MALLORY

WASHINGTON. Jan. 10. 80 taking
but n brief time 10 pass the legislative,
executive aud judicial appropriation
bill. carrying nearly S3l 100000, the
senate devoted the remainder Of the
session TO the Brownsville ARRAY.
President Iloosevelt's message. ac.
companied by many additional afiida
Wits bandoleer. a cigar box Of bullets
ana empty cartridge shells. was recey.
ed. read and ordered printed.
Senator Mallory. indorslng the action
Of the president. opened the discussion.
lie held that the president might have
gone too FAR In preventing the re-en.
llstmcnt Of the soldiers involved. hut
otherwise he approved the presidents
order ~ discharge.
When Senator Clay. who followed.
took the floor the debate was given n
lively turn 10y Mr.. TIllman's Interrupt
tons. MIR. clay said the people OF
Georgia heartily Endorsed the prcsi.
dents order. Senator Bacon followed
with what he said was reported as u
precedent for the Brownsville disorder
In the discharge OF a company Of
South Carolina national guar,ismen by
Senator Tillman when be- was gov.
ernor This involved Senator Tlllman
again In the debate.
senator clay tGal dl~claimc,l any In
tentlon 10 discuss the race question.
saying he lid not want 10 monopolizc
a subject that belonged exclusively to
my good friend from South Carolina
tMr. Tillmam.
This stirred MIR Tillman 90 activity.
and Mr. clay was holly questioned n
he proceeded a. defend the president
on his Brownsville record.
According 10 evidence furnished by
Mr.. Tlllman. Mr.. clay said. the whole
Tweniy.nfth Infantry ought 10 have
been discharged fifteen years ago
$50 far ~ these negro soldiers mr.,
concerned have no doubt Of their
guilt" rctortcd Mr. Tillman. Il was
trying 10 locate the man who was
more responsible than the soldiers for
this trouble"
Il think no one more responsible than
the men who I'D the shooting" said
Mr.. clay.
But you can't hnd out who they
are" persisted MIR Tillman. 80 you
punish iGI when not more than twenty
~ the most have been charged"
Mr. clay placed himself cmphatlcal.
~ ON record ~ Endorsing the prcsi
dents action and said be- believed he
voiced the sentiment % a majority OF
the people ~ Georgia.
Mr.. Bacon had the clerk read u news.
paper clipping. announcing that II cited
u precedent for the presidents action.
II told ~ the dismissal of company
~ the South Carolina national guard
10y senator Tlllman. then governor. he
cause they refused TO obey orders dur
Ing q disturbance over the enforcement
~ the liquor laws
Mr.. Tillmnn explained the occur.
renee. declaring the company In cues.
ton "bnndii0X solif-r- who wanted
their uniforms and brass buttons 10
help them with the girls"
Mr.. Bacon said be thought both the
senator and the president Ind done
right.
senator Spooncr remarked that he
presumed this South Carolina company
was q white company. otherwise. ="
A. Nsus "A
them lynchcd."
President I,opscvclt's special message
deals with the Brownsville incident
aud gives the additional evidence c.l-
lcctcd by Assistant Attorney Gen, e.
Purdy aud Major Blocksom. who were
sent 10 Texas by him 10 investigate
the affair. Midnight assassins" the
president calls ilr negro troops accus
ed of shooting up" the town on the
night 81 Aug ~. aud he declares not
only that the evidence Is positive that
the oniragcs were committed 10y some
Of the %lorci troops Of the Twenty
ffth infantry. bui that some or all ~
the members ~ the three companies
discharged without honor" had knowl.
edge Of the deed and have shielded the
guilty ones.
That part ~ the or1ler which bars
the soldiers from all civil employment
under the government n revoked 10y
the president on the ground that u was
lacking In validity. The discharged
troops however. will be- forever barred
from rc.cnll-ilng In the army or navy,
aud NJ 60 this the president says,
"rhcre Is no doubt Of my constitu
tionnl and legal power"
SECRETARY Tafts report giving the
sworn testimony Of witnesses II trans
mittcd with the message. The testi'
mony of fourteen cyewitncsses N Civ.
en-. and the president declares that the
evidence II conclusive that the weapons
used were Springfield rifles now used
by United States troops. including the
negro troops who were IN the garrison
nj Brownsville.
Tile president submitted also various
exhibits. Including maps ~ Browns
willie and Fort Brown. bandoleer
thlrty.threc empty shells and seven hal
cartridges picked M In the streets q
few hours after the shooting and thre,
steel jacketed bullets aud some scrap.
~ fha .aaiut,a ~ otlor hitflafa Nlatf NJ