Amador ledger., 1907-02-01
Washington
Letter.
Washington, January IS, 1907.

anu tue SoIdLo has D66u CfOWQeu
every day to listen to the speeches on
the question, many of which we're
brilliant. From the beginning there
has been pretty general opinion that
the Foraker resolution ordering an
investigation should be adopted,
and resolution authorizing one will
be passed as soon es vote can be
taken. There will now, therefore, be
a chance to ascertain all the facts in
the Brownsville affair. unaffected by
desire to make out a case in support
of decision. The question whether
the president exceeded his authority
in discharging the three companies
will be taken up later. But already
! the president has acknowledged that
in one respect at least he went beyoI d
the bounds of his authority in dis
charging without honor these three
companies for on Wednesday he Issued
an order modifying his original order
discharging the companies in so far
as it prohibited the members from
entering civil service of the United
States. The original order debarred
them from such service.
The most important outcome of the
presidents order discharging nearly
two hundred men without a hearing
is that it has brought prominently
forward the whole negro question.
1t has been dem onstrated that the
race question in the south, alter all
these years, is not only not settled,
but that tho presidents action early
in his administration in seemingly
siding with the colore1 population
against the whites, has greatly in
tensitied it. The fact that he is now
denounced by the entire negro race
for his action in dism issing the three
companies shows to what extent they
regarded him as their champion. The
question raised By senator Foraker
was one of simple justice, whether
soldiers could be dismissed by whole
that some of their comrades had com
mitted crime. Had it not 3een that
the soldiers were coIored, it is certain
that every senator from the South
would have been behind senator
Foraker. But the fact that the lace
question is yearly becoming more
acute in the South, and that the pre-
sencel in the army of colored soldiers
does not tend to bridge the chasm
between the two races, caused the
entire South to rejoice that so many
negro soldiers had been dismissed,
and once dismissed they desired them
to stay dismissed. They, and all who
are at all familiar with the conditions
in the South, are certain that a 1e-
vocation of the oder of dismissal
would be even more effective in in
citing the negro population to make
claims which no white population
will stand, then even the favor shown
by the president to Booker Washing
ton, the abolition of the Indianola
postoffice, the imposition of a colored
collector of customs on Charleston,
or the appointment of negro assist
ant district attorney in Boston. The
discussion of the race question which
has thus been precipitated in con-
gIess is believed to be only the
beginning of the second great struggle
which the presence of the two races
on the same soil presents. The Civil
war freed the negro; the question
now remains "What shall we do with
him?" In states, cities and com
munities where the negroes out
number the whites, this is question
which is yearly becoming more press
ing, and the trend of opinion develop
ed by the recent discussion is that 1t
is about time to take action. And in
all this there is lesson for those
who would have unrestricted immigra
tlou OF Asiatic5 with the privilege OF
naturalization attached.
Last Monday enator Flint intro
dlced IN the Senate bill to protect
the interests the United States on
the lower Colorado river and for the
establishment of the Imperial valley
and Colorado river valley irrigation
projects. By it the secretary of the
Interior is authorized to organize
reclamation projects for the Imperial
valley and the valleys of the Colo
RADIO river, and to construct works
in Mexico to prevent the river from
overtlowing its banks. The sum f
81, 900, 600 is set aside for the survey,
acquisition of rights and property
and the construc ion and mainten-
ance of works in Mexico. OF this
sum so much as the secretary of the
Interior deems pro per may be used
to repay in whole or in part money
actually expt nded by private agencies
since December 20, 1906, on temper
ary works for restraining the Colo
RADIO river. The expenditure of
money in Mexico is, of course,
authorized on the grant by Mexico of
rights of way or property Tor the
purpose of constructing controlling
works, and the money expenceI in
Mexico shall be included in the cos t
of the Imperial valley project and
shall be returned to the government
as provided for in the Reclamation