The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1908-03-13
REPORTS ON BROWNSVILLE
FOUR ARE PRESENTED TO SEN,
ATE IN REGARD TO AFFAIR.
PRESIDENT SENDS MESSAGE
Says His Order Of Dismissal Is sus.
tained by the Testimony and De.
sires Time for Reinstatement Of Ne.
gro Soldiers Not involved.

Washington, March l2.-Reports
from the committee on military affairs
were presented to the senate in re.
gard 10 the affair at Brownsville, Tex,
which resulted in the discharge with.
out honor of three companies of ne.
gro soldiers of the Twenty.fifth infan.
try. AT the same time message was
received from the president calling at.
tention to the fact that the testimony
taken by the committee sustains his
position in discharging the negro sol.
diers. He recommended that the time
for the reinstatement of the dis.
charged soldiers, which has expired,
be extended for year in order to per.
NIT the president to reinstate any OF
the discharged men who did not fall
within the terms of his dismissal.
There were four reports from the
committee, the majority being signed
by Senators Warren, Lodge, Warner
Dupont, Taliaferro, Foster, Overmau
Frazer and McCreary. A minority re.
port was signed by Senators Foraker
Scott, Buckley and Hemenway. The
majority report found as follows
I'm the opinion of the committee,
the shooting was done by some Of
the soldiers belonging to the Twenty
fifth infantry: that the testimony fails
TO identify the particular soldier or
soldiers who participated In the at
fray. 1t is stated that there Is con.
siderable contradiction in the lesti.
mony, but that taken as a whole and
reconciing it wherever possible, 1t
proves the case outlined in the ma
jority's decision"
Scott Presents Minority Report
The principal minority report was
presented by Senator Scott, and takes
the position that it has been impos ST..
BILE to ascertain who did the shoot
ing, and makes the recommendation
that the negro soldiers be restored.
In accordance with this minority re-
port, Senator'S Foraker and Buckley
joined in d supplemental report, which
was presented by Senator Foraker
His report declares that the testimony
of the eye-w!tnesses against the sol.
diers is not reliable and that no
motive for their alleged connection
with the ARRAY had been shown.
A supplemental report, signed by
Senators Warren, Lodge, Warner and
Dupont, declares that under the evi,
dence it is shown that the assault was
perpetrated by members of the bat
talon, but that it is reasonable to be.
lieve that all of the soldiers were not
concerned in the crime. They recon-
mend that it would be justice to re.
store to all of the innocent men the
rights and privileges which had &C.
| crued to them by reason of their pre-
vious service in the army.
A brief debate brought out a state.
ment by Senator Warren, chairman of
the committee on military affairs. that
| a bill will soon be introduced for the
reinstatement of the discharged negro
| soldiers of the Twenty-fifth regiment
| under certain conditions.
Postoffce Bill in House,
Determined and persistent assaults
upon the postoffice bill in the house
resulted in the application of that
| measure In many important parts, de,
| spite the protests of Chairman Over
street and the committee. The letter
carriers have finally won their long
fight for $1,000 salaries when an
amendment by Goebel CO., grant
ing the same was adopted The
house also allowed an additional $25,
| 900 for clerks in third class Offices
where the salaries of the postmasters
range from $1,000 to $1,000, and SIS.
900 for contract stations. Through an
amendment by Houston (Tenn,) there
was incorporated in the bill a pro
vision prohibiting the transmission
through the mails of Intoxicating liz
uors, which was later modified so as to
include cocaine and It's derivatives
Altogether the appropriations carried